CNN reports that the GOP-led Congress is still trying to avoid doing the right thing:
In the wake of Trump’s “fire and fury” comment on Tuesday, lawmakers began calling for Congress to authorize any preemptive military action against Pyongyang.
Sen. Dan Sullivan, an Alaska Republican, told CNN’s Erin Burnett a preemptive strike would require congressional approval.
“The administration has done a good job up until now working closely with the Congress on their broader strategy. But we’re going to play an important role here,” Sullivan said Tuesday night.
Michigan Democratic Rep. Dan Kildee told CNN’s Poppy Harlow on Wednesday Congress should weigh in, especially with Trump in the Oval Office.
“This is a conversation that needs to take place. The authority of congress should be asserted, particularly in the case of this president where he seems to be somewhat erratic when it comes to what he suggests is American foreign policy,” Kildee said.
But the White House takes a different view about the role of Congress and the Trump administration did not go to Capitol Hill for approval of its military strikes against the Syrian regime.In April, then-press secretary Sean Spicer was asked if the President was prepared to act alone on North Korea or if Congress should be involved.
Which is to say, we don’t dare actually try to get rid of this incompetent boob. So instead they’ll try to usurp what is arguably an executive prerogative, when really they should just usurp the current holder of the office.
This is all really a bit puzzling, given the growing disregard GOP members of Congress, as well as even Cabinet secretaries, have reportedly exhibited towards their supposed Party leader. I suppose it has something to do with the base, and something to do with respect for the Party and for those who voted for him. Which all makes me tired.
Perhaps they know something about Pence that we hoi-polloi don’t? They’d like less to see Pence than Trump in the office? That puts shivers down my spine.
And here’s the thing – rallying to the President in a time of national distress all sounds wonderful, but in reality the country is donig just fine, on the whole. Will North Korea make good on their nuclear threat? In my opinion, no – the return volley from the United States would leave them, to borrow a phrase, glassed over. The North Koreans should be well aware that taking the first shot in a nuclear war is not in their best interests.
But emotionally torturing the American President? This has to be doing wonders for the prestige of Kim Jong-un and the North Korean leadership, both internally and externally. They apply the poker, Trump hops up and down. Makes them look tough and powerful, two qualities which lead to respect in the minds of the North Koreans – and respect is very important to the Koreans.
In point of fact, I worry more about the rationality of Trump than I do of Kim. Kim is young and, in all likelihood, fully functional. More importantly, he’s a trained leader. Their government may not be our government, but he knows how to make it run, he has priorities and understanding of how his country works, and, no matter how much I dislike Kim, that makes him somewhat predictable.
Trump, on the other hand, is old, untrained, uninterested in being trained, and I think at this juncture we can assume the only interests he has at heart is his own – involving money and his family. How that plays out in this little game of chicken is harder to predict than Kim’s.
So when Kim plays these games with him, he’s torturing an old, erratic man. The rest of the nation in distress? Only those who buy into propaganda. But Trump could lash out in an unwise manner in response to this needling, this act of making him look weak. Hell, if Kim were to just belly-laugh at him on a video, Trump might order a nuclear strike just to cosset his pride.
And that’s why we need him out.
Lately, there’s been some Facebook posts with pictures of President Obama, asking if we missed him now. These are based on a similar billboard ad erected early in Obama’s term asking the same question concerning President Bush. I always figured those concerning Bush were a joke, as the alternative hinted at a demented state of mind, given Bush’s incompetence. But with President Obama – yep, I do miss him. A lot. Or FDR. Or Ike. Someone with demonstrated competence, intelligence, and backbone.
