(ThyBlackMan.com) Perennial congressional gadfly Dennis Kucinich completely lost his political screws when he even uttered the word “impeachment” of President Obama over his action in Libya. Kucinich has often been the lone, outraged voice, in blistering Obama on everything from his tax cut compromise with the GOP to his Afghan war policy, but the Libya outburst made no sense by even Kucinich’s radical rhetoric standards.
No one disputes the legal, constitutional and political need of presidents to get approval from Congress when the issue is waging war. This obligation is clearly spelled out in the War Powers Act. And those congresspersons that made that point were right to make it. Kucinich and the handful of Democrats that rip Obama about Libya certainly know that there is virtually no possibility that Obama will blatantly abuse that power as Bush did in Iraq and Afghanistan and commit American ground troops to combat in Libya. That would be a gross violation of the provisions of the Act.
Obama backed the Libyan no fly zone because the United Nations Security Council by unanimous vote backed it. The House Foreign affairs and intelligence committees backed the action. The Arab league backed it. And nearly every humanitarian group around has backed it. But most important, he backed it because it’s the politically and morally right thing to do. Kucinich and others would have screamed the loudest if Obama had done nothing and Gaddafi slaughtered thousands in a revenge blood lust rampage against the rebel groups. In his case, and that of every other dictator that’s ever been under siege from their own people that almost always translates out to the slaughter of innocent women children and old folk, under the guise of restoring order. If Obama hadn’t acted, he would have been even more loudly damned as being weak, indecisive and a chronic ditherer when it comes to making tough decisions on foreign policy issues.
He’s already heard that slander endlessly from his GOP attackers. So the screams about the president violating congressional trust and prerogatives simply adds to the noise. Kucinich and some of Obama’s severest critics among Democrats real goal is to send the message that they don’t like a lot of what Obama does and they will pick at every little issue to dramatize their pique at him. They continue to hope that they can nudge Obama from his cautious, centrist stance they loath on issues a little more to the left. Libya is just the latest, and the most convenient way to do that.
Obama’s UN no fly zone is a cheap, easy, and ultimately effective way to show that the United States can for a welcome change actually push nations to do the right thing when it comes to confronting a brutal, maniacal dictator who has absolutely no compunction about trampling on human rights, and that includes massacring his own people. Obama’s willingness to take the right stand, in the right place, and in the right way has earned the U.S. the praise and gratitude of the millions that struggle against repressive, dictatorial regimes in the Middle East and are daily being met with bombs and bullets for their effort.
At any other time, Kucinich would lustily demand and cheer the action Obama and the UN took. The fact that he and few others don’t, but chose to nitpick instead, tells us more about their ongoing political anger at Obama than any real concern over whether Obama snubbed his nose at Congress. Impeach Obama over Libya, you got to be kidding. When Kucinich uttered the word even Obama’s Democratic critics howled at that delusional thought.
Written By Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Official website; http://twitter.com/earlhutchinson
Absolutely. The president has flagrantly violated the law. Impeachment is the only legal recourse.
politicians are very cutthroat they want pres.Obama out if breathes 2 hard or does’nt breathe at all.
Thank you Mr. Hutchinson for stating the facts so eloquently. The President is caught between a rock and a hard place… dammed if he does, and dammed if he doesn’t. He has thoroughly thought out the pros and cons of his actions, and decided there will not be another Rawanda type atrocity on his watch. He checked his ego, and the status of the US in the middle east, and the world at large, and decided it was full time for other nations to shoulder some responsibilities… hence the new Obama doctrine!!!His ratings have gone up substantially because people are beginning to understand the intelligence and humanity of this president. They also understand that most of his critics, including some hateful democrats are full of hot air!! As a constitutional lawyer, why would the President commit an unconstitutional act that would subjet him to the call for impeachment? Kucinich is just sour grapes, angry that he did not make it in the primaries, jealous of the President and resentful that the president did not give him a seat in his administration!
EARL!!!! had no idea this was you. Haven’t read anything from you in 2 years since I stopped reading HuffPo! Glad you’re still writing even though I don’t always agree with you.
Thanks! This needed to be said by someone, and you nailed it.