The Senate may authorize the war, even as the House turns against it
Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) are from different political parties, but the former presidential candidates have a lot in common: Both men fought in Vietnam, voted to authorize the Iraq war, and are now pushing their colleagues to support another war of choice. On Tuesday, they introduced legislation permitting "limited use" of U.S. troops for 12 months in Libya. "It is time to authorize the president's use of force, whether he thinks he needs it or not," McCain said.
Being closer to the people, the House is less inclined to defer to President Obama. Its members now confront dueling resolutions. One echoes the Senate bill. The other would "remove U.S. forces from hostilities in Libya under the War Powers Resolution except for forces engaged in non-hostile actions." Of course, Obama pretends he is already meeting that standard. If the new legislation passes, and the president continues to engage in hostile actions while calling them non-hostile, what will the House do, pass another bill insisting on non-hostility? To reassert congressional control over war and peace, an order for total withdrawal is required.