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House Blocks Vote on Kucinich Libya Bill Over Fears It Might Pass
House Republicans postponed a Wednesday vote on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's resolution to end U.S. involvement in the bombing of Libya because they were afraid it would pass. Speaker John Boehner thinks the legislation--which would take effect 15 days after it's adopted--would hurt the NATO mission to topple Muammar Qaddafi, Politico's John Bresnahan and Jonathan Allen report. Republican Dan Burton, a co-sponsor of the resolution, is urging an up-or-down vote on the resolution--sort of like Tuesday's vote on raising the debt limit, which GOP leaders held a vote on only because they were sure it would fail. (Likewise, last week Senate Democrats forced moderate Republican senators to vote on Rep. Paul Ryan's Medicare overhaul just to force moderate senators to vote on it. It failed, as expected.)
House Republicans postponed a Wednesday vote on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's resolution to end U.S. involvement in the bombing of Libya because they were afraid it would pass. (Reuters) GOP leaders' official reason for pulling the measure is that they need to "compel more information and consultation" from the Obama administration. But with the Libya bombing dragging on for three months--and just extended for three more--a bipartisan group of legislators is growing tired of the intervention. The House GOP is working on alternatives to voting on the legislation, like maybe having the armed services committee write back-up proposals. But they're sort of in a bind, Politico reports:
Because the Kucinich proposal relates to the 1973 War Powers Act, it is considered privileged under House rules, meaning that Kucinich could force a floor vote even if Democratic and Republican leaders are opposed to doing so. The resolution 'ripens' next week, making it possible for Kucinich to bring about a vote when Congress returns from next week's recess.
The House GOP will have a special meeting Thursday to figure out what to do next, the Associated Press reports. One option is rescheduling the vote for sometime in the future, presumably when it looks more likely to be fail.
37 Comments so far
Show AllThe House Republicans belong at the Hague with the other war criminals.
Agreed. But to be honest you have to include our president.
Push, baby push! Push the mo through!
As to Dennis not getting reelected, I wouldn't be so damn sure of that. But we know who hasn't got a snow ball's chance in hell of getting reelected and that's this president. If Ron Paul the GOP candidate, he might well make it 50 state strategy for the incumbent, taking all 50 states away from him. If I'm running his campaign, it's damn cinch. As the illigetimate descendant of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings I just might have might sure this jacik ass gets the dog do do beat out of him.
"But we know who hasn't got a snow ball's chance in hell of getting reelected and that's this president."
I wouldn't be too sure of that..I recall not too many years ago posting the same observation concerning another President...I believe his name was Bush...Yes, indeed is was... President George W. Bush..The 43rd President of the United States of America....At this point, the only thing we can be sure of is that Donald Trump will not become the 45th President of the United States of America...lol
Take care AD ..I read many of your postings here at CD.
Thomas Gilbert
You'd like to see kicinich get dumped, wouldn't u. He menuvers to please the O in order to stay in office, therefore he sucks . Your idological purism disgusts me. What the f**k do u want?
Good news - his role is to diffuse and betray the left.
You know that US citizens are exempt from ICC proceedings, right?
Yes, JohnShade, so we have two choices with Obama:
(1) Join the birthers, deny that Obama is a US citizen, and hope that the International Criminal Court will do something.
(2) Do something ourselves. How about a campaign to impeach Obama? (see http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2011/04/07-3) We may not succeed in the impeachment, but the Democratic Party might not renominate Obama if enough of us who once voted for him are now demanding that he be impeached.
Along with Netanyahu and the rest of the "Stern Gang, etc."
It appears the Atlantic's writer wants out of Libya.
Or is pro-Constitution. ;)
Go Dennis!
The western script has Muammar Qaddafi ousted from Libya. Everyone wants to "manage" his one dollar per barrel production cost oil. Problem is Muammar has other plans and history may be on his side. According to Niccolo Machiavelli, "That he who to deal with many, even though he is inferior, as long as he resists the first attack, wins."
Qaddafi has been on our hit list for years. Two of his sons have been killed. We should all be able to smell another Foggy Bottom quagmire by now! Our young men in uniform belong at home working on rebuilding our infrastructure and defending our homeland from threats foreign and domestic. So do our "defense" dollars.
Finally, this guy does something to back up the talk. End this craziness now before WWWIII breaks out!
Dennruter, it's a bit hard to buld anything when you're radioactive, experiencing nuclear winter, and most of time blown to smithereens. Just a good salvo from a battery of 155s would probably scare the hell out of all these big mouth arm chair warriors. They dont' know didly about much of how to do anything in a war but make a killing off the killing. That's the real deal-- oh and a battery of 155s is nothing compared to getting your booty fully nuked. Just try this on for size, Moscow has a first strike nuclear policy now. Now those in power in Moscow should just announce that, and I bet you could hear a pin drop on Wall Street as well as in the Pentagon and the rest of corridors of Western savagery's power. "Don't play with "Moscow ' cause you're playing with fire."
Please, Dennis, stay off small planes and wear a vest.
You are a prized jewel in a pile of cow dung.
Dennis Kucinich isn't much of a threat to anyone at this point.
Moonpie has essentially no value to anyone at this point either, so why would anyone give a shit what he thinks.
A good demonstration of the sort of "parliamentary procedure" and "rules" manipulation crap that holds back the proper work of our Representatives even when the Lobbyists get out of the way for a moment!
Deep, broad, reform is needed at the Federal level, in most State Legislatures and Governor's Offices, and in most counties cities and towns as well.
Hell, the damned school boards need a floor-to-ceiling remodelling!
Constitutional Convention anyone?
Aside from why these malefactors are allowed to make their own rules, my main question is, why wasn't the resolution accompanied by articles of impeachment.
If things were operating according to design, one would think Impeachment over the Executive War in Libya would be the next step after the failure of this bill.
Things aren't operating according to design, though, and that's why we need a Convention to get things back on track.
Won't hold my breath. ;)
Dennis, put it up for a popular referendum. It will hi-lite the sold-out politicians
Mr. Kucinich should expect another personal invitation from the White House to fly aboard Air Force One. He'll then be shown the laundry chute at 35,000 feet.
Or given an invitation to go on a 'hunting' trip with Dick Cheney.
Wouldn't it be nice to see governing beyond party break out in Congress.
Good to see that Politico has finally provided some news.
Just in case you have an illusion that democracy exists in the USA!
There is no democracy in the USA. The poor know it already. Soon we all will realise that we have no rights, no recourse, and are helpless before the powerful rich who will turn the country into anything it wishes.
Ending a war? The MIC would never permit it!
Speak truth to power, Dennis, and use the power you have. The only principled politician in the belly of the beast.
If by "principled" you mean promising one thing and doing the opposite after a plane ride with Obama.
Obama has violated the War Powers Act and should be impeached.
The following is an excerpt of a column written by Steve Chapman ("A War Fit for a King") at antiwar.com:
"One possible excuse is that we are not at war in Libya. Defense Secretary Robert Gates insists the term "war" is inappropriate for what he calls a "limited kinetic action." He can call it a Hawaiian luau if he wants, but the fact remains that the U.S. is apparently still flying missions over Libya and hitting military targets.
The War Powers Resolution does not contain a giant, honking exception for such activities. In fact, the authors seemed to have Libya in mind when they said the rules apply anytime American forces venture "into the territory, airspace, or waters of a foreign nation, while equipped for combat."
It doesn't matter if our pilots are up there firing missiles or looking for topless beaches: If they are in combat aircraft over another country, the law applies."
Isn't it time we all--Liberals and Libertarians--got together and wrote Boehner, demanding the impeachment of Barack Obama? Of course, it won't happen, but if we make enough noise, it will get into the national conversation and harm Obama's chances in 2012. Obama and his brilliant political advisors say we have nowhere to go. Sure we do. We can go down the impeachment road. Liberals and Libertarians could rally around this cause.
(I won't hold my breath while waiting for Kucinich to lead the way)
TRUTH TO LIBERALS/PROGRESSIVES
It surely must be obvious that such efforts as S.Con.Res. 51 are not going to
win. Spokespeople for so-called "liberal"/"progressive" viewpoints are not
doing anyone any favors by organizing such actions.
Have you by any chance noticed that some of the staunchest supporters
of "anti-war" legislation will do anything that AIPAC (American Israeli
PAC, Israeli lobby) ask them to do. Perhaps you didn't notice !!
email: peterloeb@yahoo.com
Please don't be snotty. Of course, AIPAC rules in DC. Everyone who's read anything knows that.
Why is it not "doing anyone (liberals/progressives) any favors" to support making Obama appear before Congress and answer questions about his unilateral declaration of war?
As far as I can see, you make many assertions, but don't go beyond that. And you don't understand that just because the end result may not be achievable, the action is still worth the effort. It beats twiddling your thumbs, and it might take the shine off the crown Obama has placed on his own head.
hmm, embedded link to ASSOCIATED PRESS leads to a dead end!
USA 2011 - Weimarer Republic 1930, indistinguishable from each other. The only laws that make it through are utterly detrimental to the populace. And then comes our savior. Someone who tells us how right we all are in our anger against the 'machine'. Someone who fixes roads and builds new ones, reduces unemployment, someone who is building internment camps for those who are deserving to be punished despite the fact that they didn't do anything wrong, but wanting to live in a 'free' world.
It is not inconceivable to me that we are just being prepared for our 'Savior'. The bi-polar-partisan specialists will keep bringing the Nation down to the moment when they start to call for a new 'Fuehrer'.
It is that simple.