One more thing... Is there something that allows the president to go to war first, and then ask for congressional consent? If so what is it called?
I believe the president can deploy men for a "conflict" for ninety days or less without consent from congress. I'm not sure about this though.
Americans seem amazingly unconcerned with the the fact they can go to war now on the Presidnet's say-so. Whatever happened to a declaration of war? The idea behind the constitution was to keep Presidents from becoming empereors, so the decision to go to war was quite rightly taken out of the hands of the President and placed with the Senate. Such a concept now seems quaint.
Now we say "leader" instead of "emperor," that's all. It's much more people-friendly. Leader of the Free World as opposed to Emperor of the World.
According to the 1973 War Powers Act the president can deploy military forces in a national emergency, which is then subject to authorization by Congress within 90 days, as someone mentioned. 9/11 was obviously a national emergency, which allowed Bush to deploy forces to Afghanistan, although that Iraq would not qualify. But Congress gave Bush the authority for the invasion last fall, apparently because the majority didn't have the stones to make the declaration themselves, I assume in case the affair went South. http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/10/20021002-2.html
Bush had congressional authorization to go into Iraq and I believe Afghanistan (although I'm not sure about the latter). Just to add a bit of sanity to the unfounded Bush bashing (though I'd encourage Bush bashing where he does deserve it). Clinton sent troops into Haiti, Somalia, and Bosnia without congressional approval. It might be the 90 day thing mentioned earlier, but I really have no idea.
Isn't the Bush Doctrine basicly pre-emptively attacking states that don't conform with her imperial standards? Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
could that be just new spin on why our military is used as such a tool? it seems to me that the public reasons change but the profits remain the same.. increasing.
AS USUAL jERK IS WRONG Bush can launch any war he wants including nuclear war. At best Congress would try to starve funds for a war but with new laws aka Patriot Act and executive orders Bush could get all the $ he needs to destroy America in the long and short run..