Democrats Warn Bush Not To Attack Iran

(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.