Webb wants the authority to declare war against Iran

Update: At Mother Jones, (of all places), comes an analysis of the letter:

What's the significance of the letter? The answer has three parts:

1. Legally speaking, the letter has no significance whatsoever.
2. Moreover, it's legally false.
3. The legal aspect is essentially irrelevant. It's the political aspect that matters, and here it might have some impact.

Senator Webb has communicated to the President his opinion that the President has no authority to strike Iran without the consent of Congress. Apparently that authorization to fight international terrorism in 2001 has an expiration date. While I object to this belief, I am ambivalent about the Senator demanding this requirement.

The disgraceful way the Senate has been acting lately forces me to believe that, unless Iran detonated a nuclear weapon, Congress would weep and cry over ANY actions the President might take. So, the President should keep the Congress in the loop. Show them the intel. When action is needed, tell them that the strike will commence, unless THEY cancel it. If no action is taken, then if Iran develops and misuses nuclear weapons, THEY are responsible.

Another way, is to play it their way. They get to authorize the strike. They want the responsibility to declare war, since they feel that the previous authorization was not enough. So the President should go before Congress, lay out his reasons, regardless of secrets, and ask them to declare war. Bluntly lay out before the public on live TV that it is Congress that will determine the actions. Not him. That his hands will be tied if Congress does not authorize a strike. That Congress has to grow up and pay attention to something other than domestic politics. Then, no matter what happens, Congress can't bitch.

Or we can just ignore Webb for the pissant that he is.....

Notice that there are NO Republicans on this list, including RINO's. And no Senator Lieberman.
Oh, and no Dingy Harry Reid and no Obama. Didn't Obama object to even placing the Quds force on the terror list?

From Senator Webb's office:

Along with 29 co-signers, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia sent a letter to the White House today warning the President not to take offensive military action against Iran without the express consent of Congress. Designed to clarify any ambiguity as a result of a recent Senate amendment urging designation of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, the Senators also expressed concern that the administration's increasingly provocative rhetoric has undermined diplomatic efforts with Iran.

November 1, 2007

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

We are writing to express serious concerns with the provocative statements and actions stemming from your administration with respect to possible U.S. military action in Iran. These comments are counterproductive and undermine efforts to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy.

We wish to emphasize that no congressional authority exists for unilateral military action against Iran. This includes the Senate vote on September 26, 2007 on an amendment to the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment, expressing the sense of the Senate on Iran, and the recent designation of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, should in no way be interpreted as a predicate for the use of military force in Iran.

We stand ready to work with your administration to address the challenges presented by Iran in a manner that safeguards our security interests and promotes a regional diplomatic solution, but we wish to emphasize that offensive military action should not be taken against Iran without the express consent of Congress.

Sincerely,

1. Webb
2. Akaka
3. Baucus
4. Boxer
5. Brown
6. Byrd
7. Cantwell
8. Carper
9. Casey
10. Clinton
11. Dodd
12. Dorgan
13. Durbin
14. Feinstein
15. Harkin
16. Johnson
17. Kerry
18. Klobuchar
19. Kohl
20. Leahy
21. McCaskill
22. Mikulski
23. Murray
24. Reed
25. Rockefeller
26. Sanders
27. Stabenow
28. Tester
29. Whitehouse
30. Wyden