How the Senate was bait and switched into war

[Dokkie]

Last week, minutes after President Barack Obama explained to the nation why he took the country to war, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) posted a statement on YouTube first noting Obama’s 2007 claim that “The President does not have 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” and then adding: “Unfortunately, President Obama has failed to heed his own advice. He has ignored our constitution and engaged us in a military conflict without congressional debate and approval.”

But the day before on This Week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told ABC News’ Jake Tapper: “The United States Senate called for a no-fly zone in the resolution that it passed on March 1st.”

So who is right? Did the president go to war without any approval from the Senate, as Sen. Paul says? Or did the Senate approve the president’s use of military force, as Secretary Clinton claims?

The answer involves a secretive Senate procedure known as “hotlining.” Hotlining is a system that allows legislation to pass by “unanimous consent,” usually in the evening, when almost no Senators are present. Prior to a bill’s consideration, the Democrat and Republican Cloakrooms send out hotline notices – automated phone calls and emails – to key staff. The hotline notices typically include the bill number, so members can look it up and review its contents. However, in the case of the Libya, the resolution was not made public until the day after the Senate approved it.

According to numerous congressional aides, almost no members knew about the no-fly zone language. Most offices thought they were approving a different resolution – with the same sponsor and a nearly identical title – that had been circulating among congressional offices for two weeks.

In a February 22, email obtained by the Examiner, an aide to Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) sent a resolution to the staff of members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee condemning human rights abuses in Libya. There was no mention of a no-fly zone.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/04/how-senate-was-bait-and-switched-war

[Mass]

1. LOL, unanimous consent is not a secretive procedure. It is the base of the way the Senate work.

Without it, nothing would happen in the senate. May be Rand Paul could not be bothered learning how the Senate works, but everybody who knows a little bit how it works knows unaninous consent.

BTW, it was a non-binding resolution, so president Obama and SoS Clinton could have ignored it.

As usual, people writing for the Examiner are uninformed.

[Dokkie]

5. Did you actually read the

article posted before posting that? you should be outraged that they switched the content of the senate bill just the day before the vote. And whats up with the title of the bill? there was absolutely nothing indicating it was approving(albeit a non bidding)imposing a No FLy zone on Libya.

[Mass]

7. But she does not seem to have a lot of evidence for what she claims.

and the bill is really very short. No sure why Paul could not be bothered reading. The bill is one page and was filed on March 1. Rand Paul and his supporters just show how non serious he is with this story.

[Dokkie]

8. That is what baffles me

why in the world would be support a UN war resolution for a no fly zone. It absolutely does nothing for his supporters who are rabidly anti war (a little anti american if you asked me). But the ball is on his court to end his boycott on MSNBC and set the record straight. I want to see him debate Lawrence O'Donnell

[Mass]

9. Because he did not do his job and did not read the bill. But this is his own fault.

He could not be bothered, probably.

[jaxx]

2. Rand Paul's bill died today 90-10

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x646042

Nearly unanimous consent. ;-)

[Mass]

3. And the only ones voting for it are far right wingers with the exception of the two ladies from

Maine (probably worried to be seen as too liberal by the Tea Party in Maine).
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00050

[jaxx]

4. Yeah I noticed their names.

The ladies must be scared.

[FrenchieCat]

6. uhr.....did author read the resolution passed?

I think not! The shit you just printed can also be found at FreeRepublic and
the Heritage Foundation!!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2698552/posts

FACTCHECK

Resolution text: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:S.RES.85:

KEY COMPONENTS OF THE SENATE RESOLUTION COMDEMNING GADHAFI AND HIS REGIME
• applauds the courage of the Libyan people in standing up against the brutal dictatorship of Muammar Gadhafi and for demanding democratic reforms, transparent governance, and respect for basic human and civil rights;

• strongly condemns the gross and systematic violations of human rights in Libya, including violent attacks on protesters demanding democratic reforms;

• calls on Muammar Gadhafi to desist from further violence, recognize the Libyan people’s demand for democratic change, resign his position and permit a peaceful transition to democracy governed by respect for human and civil rights and the right of the people to choose their government in free and fair elections;

• welcomes the unanimous vote of the United Nations Security Council on resolution 1970 referring the situation in Libya to the International Criminal Court; imposing an arms embargo on the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya; freezing the assets of Gadhafi and family members; and banning international travel by Gadhafi, members of his family, and senior advisors;

• urges the United Nations Security Council to take such further action as may be necessary to protect civilians in Libya from attack, including the possible imposition of a no-fly zone over Libyan territory;

• welcomes the attendance of Secretary of State Clinton at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva and 1) urges the Council’s assumption of a country mandate for Libya that employs a Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Libya and 2) urges the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations to advocate for improving United Nations Human Rights Council membership criteria at the next United Nations General Assembly in New York City to exclude gross and systematic violators of human rights.

• Welcomes the outreach that has begun by the United States government to Libyan opposition figures and supports an orderly, irreversible and transition to a legitimate democratic government in Libya.
http://senatus.wordpress.com/2011/03/01/senate-adopts-libya-resolution/


Senate did favor Libya no-fly zone
WASHINGTON — Some lawmakers are grousing loudly that President Barack Obama sent the nation's military to Libya without Congress' blessing. They're ignoring a key fact: The Senate a month ago voted to support imposing a no-fly zone to protect civilians from attacks by Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces.

With no objections, the Senate on March 1 backed a resolution strongly condemning "the gross and systematic violations of human rights in Libya" and urging the U.N. Security Council to take action, "including the possible imposition of a no-fly zone over Libyan territory."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42382435/ns/politics/