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TheHeretic -> RE: Whats going on in the House (6/24/2011 5:54:57 PM)
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Here's a point of view I saw this morning, Tazzy, before the votes took place.
Libya Conundrum: Congress to Hold Two Votes on the Conflict
Back when this mess began, in the midst of the Arab Spring, Congress would've been much more prone to supporting a democratic movement against Muammar el-Qaddafi. As it stands now, the U.S. wants him gone - but the mission doesn't hinge on it (at least officially).
The Obama Administration argues that the U.S. isn't really at war - a definition the Libyans hit by one of the 90 missiles dropped by U.S. planes and drones during the last three months might disagree with. Apparently, the Administration defines hostilities - an interpretation concocted over the objections of two top Pentagon lawyers - as a condition that exists only when U.S. troops are in a position to be fired upon. In Obama's ideal world, Congress need not concern itself with this little non-war thingy. Nothing to see here people. Move along.
But Congress won't move on. Obama has put House Speaker John Boehner in the uncomfortable position of having to bail him out. With the libertarian-leaning GOP freshmen and progressive doves up in arms over the "war," Boehner has little choice but to address the issue. But he wasn't about to allow his conference to pass an extreme measure defunding all U.S. action in Libya, which would freak out the European allies who are leading the mission. So the Speaker has crafted a plan that offers some political cover.
Of course, he thought the funding restrictions/approval would pass. This is more like the House telling the President that if he wants exclusive ownership, he's got it. Much like my ex letting the dog have a piece of pineapple, when he came begging while she ate a fruit salad.
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