Democracy Now! with video (13:43):
The New York Times recently broke the story that President Obama rejected the views of top administration lawyers when he decided he had the legal authority to continue U.S. military participation in the war in Libya without Congressional authorization. Obama continues to face congressional opposition to the ongoing Libya attack. To examine the legal dimensions of U.S. military intervention, Democracy Now! interviews Glenn Greenwald, a constitutional law attorney and political and legal blogger for Salon.com.
"The idea that presidents can start wars on their own, without any congressional authorization, violates not just the law but the Constitution," Greenwald said. "So sure, in theory, when the president violates the law and the Constitution, that's an impeachable offense. At the same time we have set a very low standard for our tolerance rampant presidential law-breaking." Republican House Speaker John Boehner has called on the White House to further clarify the legal basis for the war in Libya or face a cutoff of war funds. Last week, a bipartisan group of lawmakers filed a lawsuit accusing President Obama of violating the War Powers Act of 1973.
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