Ron Paul supporters, or just people who might know: Ron has said that this war is unconstitutional...?

Question

On what basis does he say this? I have a College degree in U.S. History and I disagree with him. I don't understand where he is coming from. To me if the president asks for verification and the Congress votes yes, isn't he good to go? Help me out.

Hey so called truth wizzard: I gave you a thumbs down because I am asking for information not a put down.

Are we just splitting hairs? Whether Congress declared war or gave their responsibility to the president, Aren't they the same?

Answer 1

The thing is, it's not actually a war, because war has not been declared on the Iraqi insurgency, which is our enemy. Even if the President hadn't asked for approval, he s within his power to deploy US Forces anywhere in the world. Congress would then have 90 days to decide whether or not they would stay.

And the claim that we shouldn't be on the Arabian Peninsula because our enemy doesn't want us there is insane.

Answer 2

He says that because in the Constitution only Congress has the right to declare war. BUT, Congress voted yea on a resolution to give the President the right to declare war in their stead. That's all we need to know to determine whether this war is illegal. I suppose if he claims the resolution giving that power to the President is illegal, he might have an argument, though still a weak one. But as it's stated, he couldn't be more wrong - and I'm not a fan of this war.

EDIT:
Born-Again:
If you can find a provision in the Constitution that forbids them from transferring that power to the President, then you would be right. But there is no provision like that. The Constitutional test lies in whether that documents FORBIDS that transfer. It doesn't have to say it allows for it, only that it is forbidden, and it doesn't.

EDIT:
Born-Again
You've got that right. This has been debated for long, long years, but here's my take. The Constitution cannot possibly contain, and just doesn't, a specific permission slip for all the laws and legislation this country produces. It is much easier to prove a violation of the Constitution than it is to prove it must specifically allow for, say, Universal Health Care. If it goes to court it will be under the auspice of being a violation, not a challenge to look for a Constitutional permission slip. Slippery, but legal. We wouldn't have half the programs and legislation we have produced in this country if they all had to find a place to point to in the Constitution that said they were allowable.

Answer 3

Congress voted to fund the war. This is the war powers act being used. It does not constitute a full declaration of war but is supposed to give the President temporary power to send military forces in an emergency situation. It was never intended to be used in the manner it was for Viet Nam or this current Iraq war.

Answer 4

Congress did not vote for the war in Iraq.

Congress transferred their power to the President.

That is unconstitutional. Congress alone has the power to declare war.

Elway:

That would depend on if you are a strict constructionist or a loose constructionist. I am a strict constructionist. If the Constitution doesn't say you can do something, you can't do it.

It's a debate that goes back to the beginning, when Hamilton and Jefferson were duking it out over the National Bank. They were arguing over the meaning of the word 'necessary.'

And again:

There's no reason the states couldn't have programs like that if they wanted to. This complete bending of the Constitution is what's led to the bloated monster that our country is today. The federal government was not meant to run everything; Lincoln changed all that by trampling on the Constitution, and getting rid of states' rights for good. I'm a Northerner born and raised, and by no means support slavery, but there was a peaceful way to do it that would not have cost so many young men their lives. Even if the South had broken off, we'd just be trading with them because it would be stupid not to.

Answer 5

No. Congress has to declare war. The congress does not have the power to give that responsibility to the president. What people seem to forget is that the constitution limits what the government can do. When they exceed that, they have stolen power away from the people. Plus, there was also no clear and present danger for the president to order a strike. It was simply the wrong way to do things. Ron tried to pass legislation to declare war, but they refused. It was politically expedient to let the president do it. When other candidates talk about going to war they talk about what their lawyers think. Ron Paul only acts according to the restraints that were placed upon our government. That is the man I want running the country.

Answer 6

Well Bush did get the good to go by Congress and he is fighting legally

Ron Paul is biding for the people's general support. He's a politician, he's trying to rally the people against a common enemy, in this case, that's the War on Terror that's going on in the Middle East. Most of the population is against it. If he has hopes to withdraw from the Middle East, he's going to probably be a front-running candidate.
That's my logic.

Answer 7

Please show me the link that says Congress voted to go to war with Iraq and what the reasons for war were.

From Ron Paul's website:

War and Foreign Policy

The war in Iraq was sold to us with false information. The area is more dangerous now than when we entered it. We destroyed a regime hated by our direct enemies, the jihadists, and created thousands of new recruits for them. This war has cost more than 3,000 American lives, thousands of seriously wounded, and hundreds of billions of dollars. We must have new leadership in the White House to ensure this never happens again.

Both Jefferson and Washington warned us about entangling ourselves in the affairs of other nations. Today, we have troops in 130 countries. We are spread so thin that we have too few troops defending America. And now, there are new calls for a draft of our young men and women.

We can continue to fund and fight no-win police actions around the globe, or we can refocus on securing America and bring the troops home. No war should ever be fought without a declaration of war voted upon by the Congress, as required by the Constitution.

Under no circumstances should the U.S. again go to war as the result of a resolution that comes from an unelected, foreign body, such as the United Nations.

Too often we give foreign aid and intervene on behalf of governments that are despised. Then, we become despised. Too often we have supported those who turn on us, like the Kosovars who aid Islamic terrorists, or the Afghan jihadists themselves, and their friend Osama bin Laden. We armed and trained them, and now we’re paying the price.

At the same time, we must not isolate ourselves. The generosity of the American people has been felt around the globe. Many have thanked God for it, in many languages. Let us have a strong America, conducting open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations.

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/war-and-foreign-policy/

Educated historians do their research.

Here is what Ron Paul has to say about American Independence and Sovereignty

So called free trade deals and world governmental organizations like the International Criminal Court (ICC), NAFTA, GATT, WTO, and CAFTA are a threat to our independence as a nation. They transfer power from our government to unelected foreign elites.

The ICC wants to try our soldiers as war criminals. Both the WTO and CAFTA could force Americans to get a doctor’s prescription to take herbs and vitamins. Alternative treatments could be banned.

The WTO has forced Congress to change our laws, yet we still face trade wars. Today, France is threatening to have U.S. goods taxed throughout Europe. If anything, the WTO makes trade relations worse by giving foreign competitors a new way to attack U.S. jobs.

NAFTA’s superhighway is just one part of a plan to erase the borders between the U.S. and Mexico, called the North American Union. This spawn of powerful special interests, would create a single nation out of Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, with a new unelected bureaucracy and money system. Forget about controlling immigration under this scheme.

And a free America, with limited, constitutional government, would be gone forever.

Let’s not forget the UN. It wants to impose a direct tax on us. I successfully fought this move in Congress last year, but if we are going to stop ongoing attempts of this world government body to tax us, we will need leadership from the White House.

We must withdraw from any organizations and trade deals that infringe upon the freedom and independence of the United States of America.

http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/american-independence-and-sovereignty/

Does your education teach you about the adverse problems that come about when countries become entangled in foreign affairs? Why was the middle east chosen for the U.S. to "rescue a people from themselves" when Africa has starving children, diseases and need much more help? Obviously we went to war for a reason we weren't told about.

Answer 8

From over this side of the pond, it seems .................

the Good Ole U S of A - interprets the Constitution the same way as it interprets the Bible..........

To suit itself

Answer 9

Ron Paul is an OLD FOOL.

Answer 10

ron paul; is just simply stupid