Political Quotes

“you can tell the Senator from Pennsylvania and I are friends because I am happy to have his extended questions, because his questions always shed light on the subject. I agree with everything he said so far. Let me be specific. When there is a Republican President, the Republicans argue the President doesn't need congressional authority. When there is a Democratic President, all of a sudden the Democrats support the President's unilateral war-making power. Let me give you the argument that could be made by scholars as to why the President has the constitutional authority to act absent our approval. They would argue that our actions in Kosovo are not an act of war. But as the Senator knows, the war clause does not require an act of war; it requires a use of force, a use of force that constitutes an offensive action. They would argue that this is defensive in nature. Presidents do that all the time. Remember why President Reagan invaded Grenada. To save medical students. That was the reason. That was the thin reed upon which he held his entire rationale, because everyone acknowledges that if it is an emergency or it is to defend American citizens and their property, it could be done. In Kosovo, the argument could be made that there are U.S. personnel on the ground who would be in harm's way. If we do not take action, the roughly 40,000 Serbian troops near Pristina could threaten the small number of American forces in Macedonia.”