The president, a former part-time constitutional law professor, may have belatedly recalled the wording of Article One, Section Eight of the Constitution that grants Congress the sole power “to declare war.” However the Syrian vote plays out on Capitol Hill, the president’s decision to go to Congress represents an historic turning point. It may well be the most important presidential act on the Constitution and war-making powers since Harry Truman decided to sidestep Congress and not seek their backing to launch the Korean war. Just a few days ago, legal scholars from both the right and the left were in agreement that waging war over Syria – no matter how briefly – without congressional approval would bend the Constitution beyond recognition.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Sep 2013 00:08:15 +0000