These Republicans just can't stop themselves. They love playing with fire. Ari Rabin-Havt of the American Prospect:
Representative Duncan Hunter of California submitted an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would authorize the “use of force against those responsible for the attack against United States personnel in Benghazi, Libya.”
The amendment will likely come up for a vote in the House of Representatives this week.Hunter's legislation represents an official Authorization for the Use of Military Force [AUMF] under the War Powers Act permitting the president of the United States “to use all necessary and appropriate force against those organizations or persons the President determines planned, authorized, or committed the attacks against the United States facilities in Benghazi, Libya that occurred on September 11 and 12, 2012, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such organizations or persons.”
This dangerous AUMF is the functional equivalent of a declaration of war in response to the Benghazi attack. It cites no specific enemy and its open-ended nature means that any future president, not only Barack Obama, could use it as a pretext for military action. It is also unnecessary; under the War Powers Act the president, if necessary, can launch an offensive for up to 60 days without congressional authorization.
