Congressional candidate Edwin Pell democrat for house in the 20th again
today called on George Bush as commander and chief of the army to begin
immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq. Mr. Pell said "sacrificing
American lives to gain geopolitical leverage over a primary oil supply
for China, India, and Europe is not what military service should be about."
Pell pointed out that "the oil we use in the U.S. is from Canada, America,
Mexico, Venezuela and the West Coast of Africa. It is not from the Middle
East." Pell also "calls on members of Congress to live up to their responsibilities
assigned to them by the Constitution of the United States to be the sole
Federal body to declare and fund war. And in this case to make it clear
through congressional resolution that Mr. Bush has no authorization from
congress to continue his adventure and no authorization for further spending
in Iraq." Pell said "the power to declare war was given to the People's House,
the House of Representatives, because the founders knew the proclivity of
the aristocrats (represented by the executive branch) for vain glorious
adventure at the expense of other people's lives." Pell "advises congress to
make it clear by resolution that the executive does not have the power to
declare war and that if he does so it is in violation of the Constitution
of the United States and the members of the armed forces must honor their
oath to the Constitution and refuse his orders."
Comments (2)
I spent 27 years in the military, under oath to defend the constitution. I would support an act of congress to declare that military members do not have to participate in unconstitutional wars, but first congress should stop voting the money for them. We have been throwing our military weight around all my life, but we haven't declared war since 1941.
Posted by Erik Buck | May 4, 2006 5:05 PM
Posted on May 4, 2006 17:05
I agree Erik. My grandfather was in Korea, my Dad Vietnam and my brother the first Gulf War. The state owes it's citizens a real mechanism of democratic approval.
Posted by Eric | May 4, 2006 8:19 PM
Posted on May 4, 2006 20:19