War power stretched

President Obama appears to be more concerned with “the writ of the international community” than the laws of the United States, which, he acknowledged during his campaign, do not endow a president with the “power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

Even if his reasons for intervention (in Libya) are morally sound, his belief that American sovereignty can be trumped by a foreign organization (the United Nations) is disturbing and fundamentally wrong; our founding documents concur.

Obama’s notification of Congress by letter two days after Odyssey Dawn commenced, without consultation, is a presumptuous example of leadership and does not meet the high standards of the office he holds. No matter the party or agenda, the president of the United States is required to operate with our Constitution as his compass, not with illusions of America as designer of world peace.

Just as President George W. Bush used the threat of terrorism to abuse his position and propagate federal influence, “human rights” has become a shibboleth for the modern liberal’s justification of war, ambivalence toward our country’s founding principles, and pursuit of global governance.

Connor Dinnison

Spokane