Democrats Warn Bush Not To Attack Iran

Reid Says President Can't Launch Military Attack Without Congressional Approval

(AP)  Democratic leaders in Congress lobbed a warning shot Friday at the White House not to launch an attack against Iran without first seeking approval from lawmakers.

"The president does not have the authority to launch military action in Iran without first seeking congressional authorization," Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told the National Press Club.

The administration has accused Iran of meddling in Iraqi affairs and contributing technology and bomb-making materials for insurgents to use against U.S. and Iraqi security forces.

President Bush said last week the U.S. will "seek out and destroy" networks providing that support. While top administration officials have said they have no plans to attack Iran itself, they have declined to rule it out.

This week, the administration sent another aircraft carrier to the Persian Gulf — the second to deploy in the region. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the buildup was intended to impress on Iran that the four-year war in Iraq has not made America vulnerable. The U.S. is also deploying anti-missile Patriot missiles in the region.

The U.S. has accused Tehran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that Iran would not back down over its nuclear program, which Tehran says is being developed only to produce energy.

Reid made the comments as he and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., addressed the National Press Club on Democrats' view of the state of the union four days before Mr. Bush addresses Congress and the nation.

Meanwhile, Lee Hamilton, the Democratic co-chair of the Iraq Study Group, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Friday that the U.S. must try to engage Iran and Syria in a constructive dialogue on Iraq because of the countries' influence in the conflict.

The Bush administration, and several members of Congress, say they oppose talks with Iran and Syria because of their terrorist connections. Bringing the two countries into regional talks aimed at reducing violence in Iraq was one of the study group's recommendations.

"Do we have so little confidence in the diplomats of the United States that we're not willing to let them talk with somebody we disagree with?" Hamilton asked.

[breceivemail]

Invasion of Iran will be the last breath of USA.

[dallison7]

If Bush skirts the constitution and attacks Iran, or any other nation for that matter, without congressional consent he MUST be impeached, removed from office, tried for treason and punished as the law requires.

[emhawks]

"I know not with what weapons WWIII will be fought, but WWIV will be fought with sticks & stones."
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

[j-whitman]

Thier Supreme Leader, party members & public - Jumped all over thier elected President for rehtoric on Isreal.... Sounds like a democracy to me, Bush wants to attack it.

[emhawks]

Check out:
Information Clearing House-
"US military strike on Iran seen by April '07" by Ahmed Al-Jarallah (Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times). The Arab Times is in Kuwait City.

[t_barr]

After some thought, I believe Bush will attempt a surgical strike against the Iranian Nuclear facilities very soon. In Bush's reality, his Zionist controllers have demanded it and forced the issue by indicating that the alternative is a general nuclear attack against Tehran. Rather than forcing the Zionist to stand down, he will accept the lesser of evils and attempt to appease his controllers.

He will have to act soon due to the rising Political challenges he faces with Congress and the American people. This attack will surely result in the Persian Gulf being turned into an Iranian shooting gallery, a land attack in southern Iraq to cut off American forces in Bagdad which will be cut off and surrounded, and massive terrorist attacks against Americans.

All to appease the Zionist. Such a deal....
The only question is when.

Unfortunately, the only actions the American people can take is to contact their Congresspersons, plead for sanity, and take part in next weeks march;
http://www.worldcantwait.net/
Be there or be doomed.

[progressv]

This is exactly why we've offered a bumper sticker for some time now that says "NO ATTACK ON IRAQ" -- with the "Q" crossed out and an "N" inserted.
progressiveportal.org/store

[feelfree1]

BanPCtoday,

Re: "I'm sure Pelosi and the rest of the radical Islamic appeasement libs don't want us to attack Iran."

Neither does anyone who supports the concept of the rule of law, and our own Constitution.

This act would be yet another illegal war of aggression- the most serious of all war crimes. Following WWII, many top Nazis were sentenced to death by hanging- (the ones who did not commit suicide), for committing very similar crimes to those of our current misleaders.

The globe will celebrate when these criminals are finally brought to justice!

[banpctoday]

I'm sure Pelosi and the rest of the radical Islamic appeasement libs don't want us to attack Iran. Heck, they're still mad that we are fighting a War on Terror. They'd rather have us sit back and let radical Islam take over, just as it is doing in Europe. It's time that we stand up and kick political correctness to the curb and fight for our rights.
As detailed in my book "Dodgeball...and 101 Other Reasons Why Political Correctness Must be Made a Crime and Liberals Made to do the Time" the silent majority must rise up and support our way of life. We must stop the NY Times and radical liberals who are really limited to a very small geographic area on the east and west coasts from hijacking our national security for their political gain. Learn more about political correctness run amok at www.christophervan.com.

[frankly6]

FLATOUS

I think that you are only seeing one side of the extremist coin. The other side is Bush and co.

[frankly6]

FARTIMOUS

Our Bible talks about the war and destruction that must take place before the second coming of Jesus.
But what exactly are you refering too? The Quran? What does it say exactly?

[fleetst]

This is a true emergency! Please drop everything that%u2019s nonessential in your life, read the article BUSH AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INCOMPETENT DECISIONS at:
(http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/011807J.shtml)then make direct, personal contact with your congressional representatives. I sincerely believe we%u2019re entering a period of time that could determine the fate of humanity.

The paper is written by an eminent psychiatrist and noted professor who cogently analyze the psyche of George W. Bush. It basically confirms my view that Bush will now stop at nothing to embroil us in a vastly wider war, one that could trigger World War III, complete with a nuclear holocaust.

I think these actions are critical - so much so that taking time out of your normal life is necessary. For those outside the US, please talk to your elected officials as well, for this must be a worldwide effort.

Again, the article is at: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/011807J.shtml
BUSH AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INCOMPETENT DECISIONS

[shedhouserob-2009]

Our greatest presidents- Lincoln, Teddy Rosevelt, Ike. And one of the best Gerald Ford. (who should have spoken up about this invading Iraq before. These 2 Cheney/Bush have done the republican party the worst that could every happen to it. Along with that ultra far right radical Limballs.

[shedhouserob-2009]

A conservative with no conscious- *** Cheney- The most evilest man on this planet. Corporate Chaney- He's guided his puppet Bush thru all this Iraqi war for profit for the milatary/Industrial complex (Corporate America) we as American's are going to pay dearly for this greed of this man.

[bluestardad]

GOD bless you Nancy; You are hitting a nerve keep it up. Swing the Sword of Truth and all corruption will fall before it! Corrupt Republicans, Gay Bashing, anti gay sausage smoking fundamentalist Preachers, Page Porking, American Soldiers being Killed for Oil and Halliburton Contracts, Mark Foley, Mr. Hammer, shooter Cheney and the Bend over Bush Boy TexasDickTater! Hey Spud Boy, Take that If you aren't for us you are against us sound bite and pound it upyourasssideways America is not buying it!

[frankly6]

Bush and co. are always ready to attack but never able to negotiate because they have tunnel vision. They see the world as black and white. If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

[randalds]

Randal

Diplomacy works wonders, right?

Posted by badaxmofo at 03:50 PM : Jan 19, 2007

I never said diplomacy works wonders. Why do republicans always feel the need to add to ones words and then twist their meaning in order to prove the stupidity of their point? Morons, I swear. I said diplomacy works. It doesn't work all of the time or every time, but it works well enough and often enough to try it first before going to the nuclear option. The nuclear option is real. Millions will die with it and Bush is ignorant enough to not to be able to see beyond it. It's all well and good to be a rah rah Bush fan now, but will you feel the same when you realize he just murdered more people with one order then Hitler? Is that what you really want? Do you want millions of humans dead? Do you want to be a supporter of a mass murder that will be judged as one of the blackest moments in the history of humans? Are you really that sick or demented? Bush is. Think about that seriously before you support his insanity.

[frankly6]

badaxmofo

They may be radical and they may be developing a nuclear weapon but they are a country that wants to continue to exist. They wouldn't dare launch a nuclear weapon on us lest we launch a thousand back and they become a memory. It's called mutually assured distruction and it's the reason why the U.S. and the Soviets never engaged in full-scale war.

They want to assure that they will not be attacked and they have every reason to believe that we will. They have repeatedly made overtures that they would like to talk but we insist that we won't.

[inventagod]

The PNAC insurgents suggested an attack on Iran long before they orchestrated the Iraq invasion. Their axis of evil also includes North Korea - Google PNAC and be very afraid...

[feelfree1]

badaxmofo,

Re: "What were the other countries that the US has raped, looted, pillaged, since Bush has been in office? Please give me the long list"

Iraq, Afghanistan, Columbia, and Haiti immediately come to mind, and the U.S. itself, of course.

They tried to do the same with Venezuela and Lebanon (with their Israeli partners), but they failed miserably in both of these efforts.

Fortunately the Iraqi people, who are successfully defending themselves against the brutal and criminal invasion of their country, have stalled the illegitimate Bush crusaders for the moment.

We can all be thankful for that.