Just a note sent to one of my Senators

Thank you to Mr. Hewitt for pointing out that the Senate now feels itself fully enabled to put forward foreign policy and military command policy! Yes, that is what the Senate is trying to draft along with the House, some way to politely say that (and I do paraphrase):

'We do not have the courage to actually address the Congressional Authorization of the Use of Force and want to browbeat you into doing as we wish because we are spineless.'

What? They aren't saying that?

But that is the exact attitude they took on earlier when various Congresscritters admitted that they don't even know what the Congressional War Powers ARE. Quite the spineless bunch to put the Nation to war and then blame the President! I even had to write some of them on the subject, not that they ever pay any attention to mere Citizens. I believe that I have indicated that all of Congress is a group of gelatinous, spineless, wool covered, bleating masses Upon the Hill.

And that was WITH Republicans in control!

In any event I sent Sen. Warner a web-form mail which I promptly forgot to save a copy of... *sigh*. But some of the text was saved in a longer letter to Sen. Webb, which I now hereby reproduce so that anyone may gander at how I see things, my name redacted as I am not important to the matter but the actions of my Senators ARE:

January 20, 2007

The Honorable James Webb
United States Senate
C1 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510‑4604

Re: Troop Levels in Iraq

Dear Senator Webb,
I did not vote for you and disagree with you on many things, but I do not approach you today for those mere personal things but for the outlook you are now needing to give to the Nation. I do understand and honor your son's commitment to serve the Nation and your previous time in doing so when you, also, served in the US Marine Corps and as Secretary of the Navy. You have personally seen the destructive rivalries between Service factions and between elected Representatives in the House and Senate and the effect those have had upon the Navy and yourself while serving in the US Marine Corps.

When you take up to run for a United States Senate seat for the State of Virginia, you honor the Constitution and the outlay of Powers that the People grant via that to the various branches of Government. While protecting the Nations from other Nations is the outlay given to Congress to enact via its War Powers for the Armed Forces of the United States, Congress is given an entire set of War Powers that also encompass the calling of the People to protect the Nation via the 'Letters Language' so as to give Warrants to such individuals or US companies who demonstrate capability in these things to then address the Enemies of the Union that Congress asks for the Executive to lay out and that Congress then sets due bounty and reward out for those Warranted Citizens to address. Further, Congress may shield those Citizens taking up their own means and methods against these non‑National Enemies so as to protect them from actions of Foreign Powers that would seek to harm them for those activities taken on behalf of the Union.

The Actual conflict in Iraq was put forward by Congress in Public Law 107‑243 Authorization for use of Military Force Against Iraq, Resolution of 2002. This was a Joint Resolution signed on to by the majority of Congress and is the full and proper exercise of the War Powers to set the Federal Armed Forces of the United States under the Command of the Commander‑in‑Chief against a named foe or foes for the reasons stated in the Authorization. Please note that the 107th Congress set forward multiple paragraphs to commit the Nation to uphold Treaties, to address the illegal capture and detention of individuals, to address a regime that felt no compunction on turning weapons of War against its own population or, indeed, anyone it could get its hands on, that said regime would not keep its word to adhere to a duly agreed to Cease Fire, that said regime fired with intent to kill to break such Cease Fire, and that the regime, itself, by assisting many terrorist organizations across a broad spectrum was seeking to further spread terror and destruction against the civilized world for its own goals. If you do not like the reasoning of that Congress then the ones to address, on a point for point basis, is the Congress you now sit in. The Executive put forth its reasons for the need for force, but Congress put forth the actual reasons the Union goes to War and it is those reasons that stand for that commitment and not that of the Executive.

Agreeing to any 'Sense of the Senate' document in the area of troop allocation is not a place for the Senate to have any say at all. The Senate, in the Joint Resolution, has had its say in this matter and now agrees to ensure that the entire scope, depth and breadth of operations to defend the Union are put forward. Your own Marine Corps background will let you know that the US Marine Corps has been involved in multiple counter‑insurgency campaigns in its history along with the other services, and has the distinction of actually having WRITTEN the Manual in this area. The lessons learned by the US Marine Corps should not be forgotten, especially in areas when the Union would not properly outlay goals or commitment to actually understanding such conflicts, as in the 1915‑34 lost campaign in Haiti. In the previous successful campaign against the Moros in the Philippines, the US Armed Forces had won through the most hideous of conflicts it has been set to win, and did win it through long‑term determination to the satisfaction of Congress.

I find it disheartening that the members of the Senate do not understand that and will not put forth that the Nation is worth protecting, that the Enemies of the Union are worth addressing, that no means has been put forth for the People to join this fight so as to get those various Enemies and that the Senate does not believe in holding on to a People, who have been under the boot of tyrannical aggression for decades and who face neighbors wishing to return that and worse upon them, so that they may stand up side‑by‑side with the Union and address these foes together. Apparently throwing back the downtrodden into the lions den is now something fully honorable to the Senate of the United States.

Because that is what any 'Sense of the Senate' or other, similar legislation in this area actually means.

It means that you are unwilling or afraid to do your job that you were elected to do for the Nation.

I wish you no ill on a personal level, but actions such as these are destructive to the Nation, its People and its ideals.

A vote for such a resolution is a vote against the Constitution you are sworn to uphold, against the ideals of the Nation, against the People who entrust you to defend the Nation vigorously, and against the Nation as a whole.

I thank you for your time in this matter.

Sincerely,

[A Jacksonian]

Spelling and syntax left intact to show the poor capabilities of the writer as editor! Mailed that off, although I doubt it will ever see the light of day, there.

I really have had it with Congress being unable to understand the Powers Granted to it by the People and wanting to take over the rest of Nation with those few Powers we DID grant them. That goes for BOTH parties.

Feel free to use any of my letter for your own convenience and to let it spur ideas on. And my previous may also be of help, too.

It is a Free Country.

If you can keep it from those seeking to take power and rule... not govern.