My published LTTE in The Day --Simmons Let Bush Get Away With War

[Larkspur]

This one was published in The Day yesterday...<br>

Simmons Let Bush Get Away With War

Heidi Simmons says, "Congressmen cannot, by virtue of Constitutional stipulation, decide whether to go to war" ("Don't even think that Simmons is pro-war"," April 4).

It's amazing that a former Congressman's wife can be so uninformed of the U.S. Constitution her husband had sworn to uphold. Article 1, Section 8 says that Congress has the power to "declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water."

The president is not a king, and the founding fathers of this nation knew that a king's greatest power was the power to declare war. That's why our founding fathers gave that power to Congress, not the president.

Mrs. Simmons claims, "There was unclassified material supporting this perception (that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction) and Congress overwhelmingly voted to protect constituents."

Actually, two thirds of the Demo-crats in the House of Representatives voted against the 2002 Iraq War Resolution, including current House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who sat on the Intelligence Committee, which reviewed the intelligence documents.

There is no doubt that, by abdicating their congressional responsibility to question the president's decision to launch an invasion of another sovereign nation, which wasn't an impending threat to our nation, Rep. Simmons and the Republican majority at that time allowed President George W. Bush to commit a war crime.

Why they put a hyphen in the word "Democrats" in the 5th paragraph, I have no idea.

[Larkspur]

1. And another letter writer responds to Heidi Simmons ...

Don't Blame The U.S. Constitution For War

It was very touching for Heidi Simmons, Rob Simmons' loyal wife, to write a letter to the editor of The Day defending her husband regarding his alleged positions and actions related to the Iraq debacle. (“Don't even think that Simmons is pro-war,” April 4.)

However, the next time she considers publicly expressing her opinion or defending her husband's actions, I respectfully suggest she does some basic fact checking.

Ms. Simmons says, “Congress cannot, by virtue of constitutional stipulations, decide whether to go to war.” I'd like to ask Ms. Simmons which Constitution she's referring to. An early draft that was rejected? A proposed, revised Constitution that President George W Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney wrote after a rough day of falling off bikes and shooting old lawyers in the face?

Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitutions says, in part, “The Congress shall have the power ... to declare war ...” Where is the stipulation that Ms. Simmons sees in the Constitution? I looked for an hour and couldn't find anything remotely resembling such language.

I admit there's lot of blame that can be apportioned for the illegal, immoral Iraq war. But it's not the Constitution that's responsible.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

2. Kick

Great letters !

[NewJeffCT]

3. good letter

as I stated on MLN, if you read further, Congress seems to have most of the power in regards to the military:

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

the first paragraph is clearly granting the right of Congress to put in things like "timelines"

the second is right there as what Murtha wants in having any forces deployed be fully trained & rested.

[Liberalgirl788]

4. Defund the War

Our Democrats need to get a spine! Defund the War and bring home the troops. It's that simple! Bring then home, NOW !!!!