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Both Hillary and Obama passed the test in this hearing. Petraeus flunked. Essentially, he says, well, it all depends on a number of factors. His job is to assess those factors before he appears before congress. Petraeus is essentially saying: I'll decide when we leave, and I will give Congress no basis on which to assess my decision or opinion on this. Petraeus has given Congress the cold shoulder.
The U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8 assigns to Congress the following enumerated powers which concern raising and management of our military.
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
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;
. . . .
Note that no appropriation for the armies is to be for longer than two years. How can Bush enter into agreements that could pledge our armies in Iraq for longer than that.
The power of the president pursuant to Article II of the Constitution is as follows:
Section 2 - Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments
The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.
The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
* * * *
The president cannot make a treaty of any kind without the advice and consent of the Senate. Any attempt by Bush to circumvent this limitation won't be worth the paper it is written on.
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