Kucinich says Obama is committing 'impeachable offense'
(CNN) – Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the seven-term liberal Democrat from Ohio who has twice run for the White House, says President Obama committed an "impeachable offense" in deciding to authorize U.S. airstrikes over Libya Saturday without the consent of Congress.
"President Obama moved forward without Congress approving. He didn't have Congressional authorization, he has gone against the Constitution, and that's got to be said," Kucinich told the web site Raw Story on Monday. "It's not even disputable, this isn't even a close question."
"Such an action - that involves putting America's service men and women into harm's way, whether they're in the Air Force or the Navy - is a grave decision that cannot be made by the president alone," the Cleveland-area congressman added.
In a press conference Friday, Obama appeared to suggest U.S. forces would play a limited role in bombing campaigns over Libya: "We will provide the unique capabilities that we can bring to bear to stop the violence against civilians, including enabling our European allies and Arab partners to effectively enforce a no-fly zone," he said
But the U.S. military launched its first airstrikes on Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's air defenses over the weekend, Obama announced Saturday, saying he had authorized "limited military action in Libya" and that "that action has now begun."
That development outraged Kucinich, who first raised the prospect of impeachment on a Saturday conference call with liberal democrats, according to Politico.
Speaking to Raw Story, Kucinich said he does not necessarily think the president should be impeached, but is convinced he has committed an offense which would justify that most-serious punishment.
"I'm raising the question as to whether or not it's an impeachable offense. It would appear on its face to be an impeachable offense," he said. "Now, it doesn't necessarily follow that simply because a president has committed an impeachable offense, that the process should start to impeach and remove him."
In a statement on his website Friday, Kucinich made clear he thinks Obama has violated Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress the exclusive power to declare war.
"Both houses of Congress must weigh in. This is not for the President alone, or for a few high ranking Members of Congress to decide," Kucinich said in the statement on his website.
On Monday, Kucinich sent a fundraising email to supporters in which he criticized the Obama administration's decision to pursue military action in Libya.
"We are bombing Libya right now. Congress did not approve this action, according to the Constitution," Kucinich said in the email. "Such an action lacks legality in the United States and the President should have to answer to that. I mean this isn't anything that is a small matter. It's a very grave matter, actually. Stand up. Contribute."
Kucinich unsuccessfully sought to initiate Articles of Impeachment against President Bush in 2008 over the Iraq War. Then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi halted the effort.
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Didn't George Bush do the same thing? The last declared war was WWII for crying out loud.
Since when did democrats give a damn about our Constitution?
Right to life ? .....naaaay.....
Right to bear arms so a bad apple in our Government can't take over ? ......naaaay......
States rights to educate their children with discipline and mandatory good grades ? .....naaaaay.......
Quick and speedy trials and truth in sentencing ?......naaaaaaay...........
Dennis out of the news lately? Looking for some headlines?
god .. just to get your name out there the smallest ones have to yell the loudes s##t. of course you would have completely done it different, right, probably waited until there was a real blood shed / slaughter house going on there. thank god this time there's actually bi-partisan support for what O did.
is this how you going to run your third presidential bid? with name calling cause you have nothing else to say?? get a life.
Oh man, how many fellow Democrats turning on Obama will it take before you brainwashed Libtard trolls on here realize what's going on. Obama must be out in 2012!
Let's see how many hypocrite Republicans who demanded that we oust Ghaddfi instead jump on this band wagon.
This idiot doesn't know what hes babbling about. The president has legal ability as Commander in chief to commit war materials to engagement. If this idiot was right then Panama, Haiti, Bosna and Serbia were illegal engagements.
Kucinich,
Do you have no shame Kucunish, are you so bitter about not being nominated that you have to take this kind of action against your own president, In my thinking you are worse than the worse republicans, even worse than Rush, Glen, Sarah, Michelle, do you not see how republicans stand by their president, did you not see how they stood by George Stupid bush for 8 years even though he banckrupted this country, shame on you, I hope you loose your next reelection bid.
He has a valid point here...
Gee - and to think that McCain, Graham, AND Palin accused him of dithering. Seems they would have gone in sooner, and with NO HELP from the U.N. (which sanctioned every move so far).
Well gee Dennis...call the police then!! Start the impeachment process or shut your wimpy piehole!
As the Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces, President Obama does not need the consent of Congress to fulfill a UN mandate. When civilian lives are being taken by a murderer and his mercenary henchmen, the world does not have time to wait for a bunch of bickering, self-important fools to quibble over what needs to be done. Kucinich should go back to looking for UFOs.
Obama HAD to do something...Khadafi is a nutjob and he HAD to act quickly. Bush disobeyed NATO and the rest of the world when they told him NOT to go into Iraq (and by the way, Iraw had NOTHING to do with 911) so the rebubs CAN'T complain about Obama when they were criticising him for not acting earlier !
Sadam had NOTHING to do with 911, but he STILL bombed Iraq and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people.
(and why didn't he bomb Saudi Arabia? The 911 bombers were from there) hmmmmmm....why? Because of the OIL UNDER THE SOIL.
You people just don't get it do you? We are not "at War" we just bombed an psycho who declared a holy war on everyone in his own country. Reagan did the same thing in the 80's ...remember?
Excuse me Rep. Dennis Kucinich ....can you please give me the exact date that the United States declared war on Iraq or Afghanistan?? Didn't think so....
Oh, Dennis. You so crazy.
Mr. Kuccinich
Unfortunately you are totally incorrect with your claim as what President Obama did as an impeachable offsense. Lying is, and that's what GW Bush had Colin Powell do to the UN in his speech and what GW did himself in making up the story to finish what he wanted to do for his father. Bottomline – if you feel what President Obama did was an impeachable offense then I wish to submit the names of both the remaining members of both Houses of Congress to the Department of Justice immediately and have every member in carcenated in federal prison for not asking the American public for authority to spend billions of dollars on a war we were allowed to vote for or against and immediately have congress fund the mortgage foreclosure protection act and give the billions the government will spend for the next 2 weeks on now 3 wars we weren't asked to vote for or against, to those millions (100,000 plus in Los Angeles city alone) of homeless americans who are forced to live in their vehicles they can't afford gas for to look for the few decent paying jobs in order to feed their children.
I request that you Mr. Kuccinich be impeached immediately for your crimes against the american public for spending billions of our tax payer dollars for your pet projects and not focusing on the homeless that your tax and spend votes have created.
Kucinich, still running for President I see!
Why do these Ohio people keep re-electing this Boso?
Well, that's nice, but he's completely wrong. The president is the Commander in Chief of the military and can therefore do with it what he pleases, as we saw in Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Congress's only capability is to fund the military and declare war.
Dennis Kucinich has never made any sense. Every time he opens his mouth he seems to be on some sort of hallucinogenic drug. He rambles on about his views. Like so many politicians he seems only interested in beating his drum or tooting his flute – both of which are out of rhythm and tune.
This is a UN action and does not require congressional approval. Dennis is gearing up for his presidential run.
No one has declared war, you twit! The coalition has created a 'no fly zone' which is not in the constitutional powers of congress.
He needs congressional approval to declare war, and no war has been declared. This is providing military support to reinforce a UN no-fly-zone.
I don't think President Obama ever declared war against Libya.
As opposed to 2008, I now agree completely.