Robert Shrum: …The commentary on the president’s course in Libya has been instinctively adversarial. Much of the press may be compensating for its cheerleading or supine acquiescence in the fraud of the Iraq War. So reporters chase administration officials around briefing rooms and TV studios pressing questions that can’t be answered at all (about operational details), or can’t be answered candidly — for example, about the targeting of Moammar Gadhafi. On both sides, partisans join in — some Democrats apparently against any conflict anywhere — and Republicans who never questioned Bush, Cheney, or Rumsfeld, but somehow would scorn Obama even if he got Iran to surrender its nuclear weapons.
Having forged a genuine multilateralism on Libya and pulled off the miracle of no Chinese or Russian veto in the Security Council, the administration now has to speak diplomatically while wielding big missiles. But through the white noise of the media and political scrum, some truths ought to be clear even if Obama and company can’t clearly say them.
….didn’t Obama violate the constitution by not going to Congress for a resolution or a declaration of war? I have three words for the critics here: Grenada, Noriega, Balkans. Ronald Reagan, the first Bush, and Bill Clinton didn’t wait on legislative approval before invading two countries and bombing Belgrade when they decided the issues were urgent and the cause was just. …. Imagine if Obama had gone to Congress this time. In the Senate, Rand Paul would have filibustered while Benghazi burned. And perhaps the unserious Dennis Kucinich would have insisted on establishing his Department of Peace as Gadhafi slaughtered thousands. Enough said…….
Full article here – definitely worth reading
The Obama Diary 
EXCELLENT article Ms Chips… thanks so much, I am going to share this one for sure!
BRILLIANT article! *stands* *applauds*
You should send this to Jon Stewart – who I LOVE – but who has a weird thorn up his ass this week.
Hey tally hows it going missed you
Awe! Thanks!!
Going great!!! I won $10 on the CA Super Lotto! I’M RICH!!!
🙂
Exactly Tally. He’s been so borderline annoying this week. I mean did he want the President to wait until Gaddafi slaughtered thousands of people? Colbert on the other hand has been funny, witty, sarcastic to the rightwing, calling out the rightwing on their hyprocrisy in “The Word” and insightful this week. I almost lost my temper when Jon called out Nic Robertson, the CNN reporter who called out Jennifer Griffin and Steve Harrigan of FAUX NEWS about the lies Griffin reported on air, saying air attacks on Libya by coalition forces had to be paused for a while because Libyan officials were using the foreign reporters as “human shields” when they toured various official buildings. I mean seriously??!!!! He (Stewart) was giving FAUX NEWS journalistic credibility… !!!!!!
this week?
you took the comment out my mouth. 😀
These days, I am loathe to over congratulate the few voices of reason in the media because one has no idea when and if they’ll flip to the dark side again – the lure of big money and notoriety from the now mandatory bash-President Obama extravaganza can be hard to resist for so many…
But I will thank Bob Frum for this…
Chipsticks, please post BWD’s recent vid of the huge demonstrations going on in Benghazi in support of the no-fly zone. It needs to be posted everywhere and spread far and wide. Thanks.
The exact reasons he stated as to why he didn’t go to congress are the reasons I thought myself.
I mean just think about it, the bozos we have now in congress couldn’t agree on how many stripes are on the American. I think this was the main reason the president didn’t go to congress, he knows just how screwed up they’ve become.
dotser thats a great video. It would be nice if we could send some encouraging words to them
I watched Bob Shrum on Hardball with Chris Matthews this afternoon and he called out Newt Gingrich on his hypocrisy over flip flopping on his no fly zone remarks. It was brilliant 🙂
Yes i caught the end he was taking it to michale steele. He is not on enough.
Shrum was absolutely brilliant. He even embarrassed Steele when he said if the republicans had been as loyal to him (Steele) as he is to them (meaning defending their evil lies) then he would still be RNC chairman. I rolled on the floor. Steele is such a tool. Suffers from battered wife syndrome: kicked to the curb by the rethugs but can’t leave them.
Dayum!!! that was cold but it needed to be said. OUCH!!!
Thanks, POB. It’s high time someone delivered a major smackdown to Michael Steele. He’s black, and I’m black, but I can’t stand the sucker. He’d sell him mom for fame and fortune. When he first appeared on the national stage and I heard him speak, I had him pegged. I was NOT wrong about him. Shrum is right. If the GOP cared about him as much as he pretends to are for it, Pribus wouldn’t be the new RNC chairman. Fool.
pretends to care for it
My only wish is that they would stop referring to it as a war. A declaration of war does require Congressional Approval. But I agree with most everything else he’s saying.
They will only refer to it as a war AnitaW, coz, they would have to roll over and die, before they said any truth as regards to PBO. They have made it a point to quote the exact amout each missile costs, 1m dollars, unbelivable. Did any of you guys hear these idiots talk about the cost of any missile in Iraq, or the cost of the war when Bush was in office? Never did, may be I was deaf then.
Continue to speak the truth Shrum!!!
Thank you sir. I love facts.
Every now and then you will run into someone on those cable news shows who have some dam sense. I want to shake Mr. Shrum’s hand.
THANK YOU Robert Shrum for the TRUTH
I am beyond tired of the democrats;teaKLAN and republicans alike bashing President Obama for doing the RIGHT thing in Libya.I am by no means a warmonger but somethings are just necessary and THIS is.So whether Gadhafi leaves to exile or he is killed but something just had to happen