Topher Morrison
PurpleSerf.com
Some would say John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are some of the most independent Republicans on Capitol Hill. Many used to call John McCain the "Maverick Republican" for this very reason, the thing is, you don't hear it much these days. Why do you think that is? Because it's not cute anymore! That little catch phrase that was used to market and prop up this barnacle of American politics has lost its meaning due to his political failures and ideological betrayals. Plus, nobody takes John McCain seriously especially after being soundly defeated twice in the last decade once by fellow Republican George W. Bush and once again by Democrat, Barack Obama.
Today men like John McCain and Lindsey Graham make headlines by annoying us and pissing off the electorate not by expanding the debate or proffering novel ideas. Both Graham and McCain are military men and currently serve as members of the Senate's Armed Services Committee. Both epitomize the rife incongruencies festering within the neoconservative wing of the Republican party. That "Big Tent" Republicans have been talking about over the years is purportedly composed of one thing; the distaste for "big government." The problem with Republicans like Graham and McCain is that for some reason while big government fails in every other area of American life (taxes, healthcare, business, you name it) it miraculously succeeds in the Pentagon! How do they make this phenomenal leap in logic?
In the clips bellow McCain and Graham tag team the "isolationist" wing of the Republican party and tell the Congress of the United States, the most important and powerful body of American government to "shut up!" What is more un-American than telling the representatives of the American Republic to shut up? Moreover, Sen. Graham calls the War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973 by a super majority over the veto of President Richard Nixon, unconstitutional! Wikipedia provides a quick summary:
"The War Powers Act requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30 day withdrawal period, without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war."
How is this unconstitutional, the war powers rest with the Congress! Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, raise and support the armed forces, control war funding, etc. This guy is supposed to be a lawyer!
The War Powers Act, as it is called, gives the President the room he needs to make quick descisions in a time of need to repel an invasion or some imminent threat to the US. Ghaddafi posed none of this! Presidents from both parties have ignored this provision and what began as a "Kinetic Action", a laughable euphamism, is now slated to become a full blown ground invasion by October! The US is now engaged in 4 wars throughout the Middle East and is also posturing to tackle the Syrian conflict. American interventions are causing a global realignment between Iran, Russia and China; moves which will not benefit our national security position. We are on the brink of World War 3 and these hawks cry for more blood!
This isolationist rhetoric is preposterous. Words unfortunately have very specific meanings and in this case McCain and Graham use "isolationist" to achieve what they cannot in truth. To "isolate" means to cut off, segregate, quarantine, or sequester. Japan for 200 hundred years isolated themselves from the outside world - no wars, but also no trade. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and other properly termed non-interventionist Republicans advocate leaving other countries alone, but engage the entire world in free trade! This does not sound like isolationism to me. The best diplomats we have in this country are in business, men and women who build, innovate, and grow our society businessmen who exchange ideas, goods, and services. These associations made within free trade create interdependency which mitigates the danger of countries with mutual interests from annihilating each other.
John McCain may have invoked (albeit incorrectly) the almighty Ronald Reagan as some kind of hawk, which is another argument entirely, however I shall invoke bigger heavyweights since unconstitutionality is at hand. In the words of Thomas Jefferson "Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto" and when it comes to giving a sh*t about the future of NATO or the UN for that matter I defer to George Washington who said "I am for free commerce with all nations; political connection with none; and little or no diplomatic establishment." Perhaps John McCain and Lindsey Graham should crack open a history book instead of cracking skulls in the Middle East, or least using our young men and women to do it for them.
Watch politicians embarrass themselves and our Constitution below:
For McCain to scold anyone these days is like when your grandfather interrupted an argument between you and your dad - its annoying and both of you end up telling him to leave.
PurpleSerf.com
Some would say John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are some of the most independent Republicans on Capitol Hill. Many used to call John McCain the "Maverick Republican" for this very reason, the thing is, you don't hear it much these days. Why do you think that is? Because it's not cute anymore! That little catch phrase that was used to market and prop up this barnacle of American politics has lost its meaning due to his political failures and ideological betrayals. Plus, nobody takes John McCain seriously especially after being soundly defeated twice in the last decade once by fellow Republican George W. Bush and once again by Democrat, Barack Obama.
Today men like John McCain and Lindsey Graham make headlines by annoying us and pissing off the electorate not by expanding the debate or proffering novel ideas. Both Graham and McCain are military men and currently serve as members of the Senate's Armed Services Committee. Both epitomize the rife incongruencies festering within the neoconservative wing of the Republican party. That "Big Tent" Republicans have been talking about over the years is purportedly composed of one thing; the distaste for "big government." The problem with Republicans like Graham and McCain is that for some reason while big government fails in every other area of American life (taxes, healthcare, business, you name it) it miraculously succeeds in the Pentagon! How do they make this phenomenal leap in logic?
In the clips bellow McCain and Graham tag team the "isolationist" wing of the Republican party and tell the Congress of the United States, the most important and powerful body of American government to "shut up!" What is more un-American than telling the representatives of the American Republic to shut up? Moreover, Sen. Graham calls the War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973 by a super majority over the veto of President Richard Nixon, unconstitutional! Wikipedia provides a quick summary:
"The War Powers Act requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30 day withdrawal period, without an authorization of the use of military force or a declaration of war."
How is this unconstitutional, the war powers rest with the Congress! Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, raise and support the armed forces, control war funding, etc. This guy is supposed to be a lawyer!
The War Powers Act, as it is called, gives the President the room he needs to make quick descisions in a time of need to repel an invasion or some imminent threat to the US. Ghaddafi posed none of this! Presidents from both parties have ignored this provision and what began as a "Kinetic Action", a laughable euphamism, is now slated to become a full blown ground invasion by October! The US is now engaged in 4 wars throughout the Middle East and is also posturing to tackle the Syrian conflict. American interventions are causing a global realignment between Iran, Russia and China; moves which will not benefit our national security position. We are on the brink of World War 3 and these hawks cry for more blood!
This isolationist rhetoric is preposterous. Words unfortunately have very specific meanings and in this case McCain and Graham use "isolationist" to achieve what they cannot in truth. To "isolate" means to cut off, segregate, quarantine, or sequester. Japan for 200 hundred years isolated themselves from the outside world - no wars, but also no trade. Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) and other properly termed non-interventionist Republicans advocate leaving other countries alone, but engage the entire world in free trade! This does not sound like isolationism to me. The best diplomats we have in this country are in business, men and women who build, innovate, and grow our society businessmen who exchange ideas, goods, and services. These associations made within free trade create interdependency which mitigates the danger of countries with mutual interests from annihilating each other.
John McCain may have invoked (albeit incorrectly) the almighty Ronald Reagan as some kind of hawk, which is another argument entirely, however I shall invoke bigger heavyweights since unconstitutionality is at hand. In the words of Thomas Jefferson "Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto" and when it comes to giving a sh*t about the future of NATO or the UN for that matter I defer to George Washington who said "I am for free commerce with all nations; political connection with none; and little or no diplomatic establishment." Perhaps John McCain and Lindsey Graham should crack open a history book instead of cracking skulls in the Middle East, or least using our young men and women to do it for them.
Watch politicians embarrass themselves and our Constitution below:
For McCain to scold anyone these days is like when your grandfather interrupted an argument between you and your dad - its annoying and both of you end up telling him to leave.
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