Bill Press: Obama's Acting Like Bush, 'And We Are All Engaged In One More Illegal War'

June 18th, 2011 11:56 AM

Hand it to Bill Press. He's one of the rare liberals who's upset at Obama's dismissal of the War Powers Act. On his radio show Thursday, Press went after the White House claims that there were no American "hostilities" in Libya that Congress needs to ratify: 

Let me tell you something: I don't buy it, and I don't think the American people ought to buy it. First of all, the War Powers Resolution says -- I got it right in front of me -- "In the absence of a declaration of war in any case in which United States armed forces are introduced into hostilities" -- they say these are not hostilities. We're bombing Libya! What the hell is that? "Or in any case in which United States armed forces are introduced into the territory, airspace, or waters of a foreign nation."

Press insisted the U.S. is the largest force in NATO, and is spending hundreds of millions. He said Obama was betraying his mantras as a MoveOn-pleasing candidate:

I can't believe that Obama would take this position. As candidate Obama, we loved it when he accused George W. Bush of ignoring the War Powers Act and said as president he would comply with it. And here he's got a chance to, and he's thumbing his nose at it. This reminds me of when George Bush said that Iraq was a different kind of war -- remember? Alberto Gonzales said, because this is a new kind of war, the idea that the Geneva accords applied and we could not torture people was -- remember his word? -- quaint. Quaint. Old-fashioned. This is Bush-isms that Obama is using today saying Libya is a different kind of war and it's not really a war therefore it doesn't really matter and we don't have to comply with the law of the land.

Press complained that if Bush had done this, Democrats would be raising hell. He even complained the news media isn't reporting on this betrayal enough!

This is just another case, I think, of a president trying to act above the Constitution, above the law. Barack Obama doing it just like -- I hate to say it -- just like George Bush did, dammit! And this is supposed to be different.

...If the president doesn't, and he says he not, seek authorization by Congress by tomorrow, he's in violation of the Constitution and we are all engaged in one more illegal war.