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Sen. Levin’s Latest Trial Balloon [Karl]

Now that Rep. Jack Murtha’s slow bleed scheme to defund our troops in Iraq has been exposed for the cynical ploy that it is, Sen. Carl Levin—who had a Murtha-esque critique of troop readiness this past week—seems to have abruptly dropped the idea.

Sen. Levin’s latest trial balloon is amending the AUMF to exclude combat missions.

No, really.

So I’m wondering… under that scenario, what would be the new name for the AUMF?  The Non-Authorization for Use of Military Force?  The Authorization for Non-use of Military Force?  The Authorization for Use of Military Non-force?  The Authorization for Sale of Brooklyn Bridge?

24 Replies to “Sen. Levin’s Latest Trial Balloon [Karl]”

  1. Dan Collins says:

    Karl–

    In the interests of elegance, you could get rid of a couple of words and just have “the cynical ploy that is Sen. Carl Levin” in your post.

  2. JHoward says:

    Well, I see Levin has all the usual canards in there:  Self-fulfilling rhetoric, congressional vs presidential authority, blah, blah, blah.  Was he for it before he was against it?

    I’m just waiting to see what he does with separation of powers, constitutionality, enumerated powers, and like that.

    Of course, he is a Democrat.  Do they do that?

  3. JohnAnnArbor says:

    So, he wants to limit the possible options for the generals and troops.

    I’ll say it again: I remember when Levin was a respected senator from Michigan.  That was long ago.

  4. B Moe says:

    One thought is that we should limit the mission to a support mission — in other words, an antiterrorist mission to go after Al Qaeda in Iraq, to support and train the Iraqi army, to protect our own diplomatic personnel and other personnel in Iraq, rather than this unlimited mission which was described in the authorization for the use of force.

    What the fuck does he think we are doing over there?

  5. commander0 says:

    The Authorization for Sale of Brooklyn Bridge?

    They’ll get my bridge when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.

  6. burrhog says:

    Rep. Jack Murtha’s slow bleed scheme wasn’t exposed. Murtha was very straightforward in communicating his plan to commandeer the Constitution.

  7. McGehee says:

    Sen. Levin’s latest trial balloon is amending the AUMF to exclude combat missions.

    Up next from Sen. Levin: a law prohibiting policemen from loading their guns.

  8. rickinstl says:

    Up next from Sen. Levin: a law prohibiting policemen from loading their guns.

    Posted by McGehee

    The little known Barney Fife clause to the AUMF.

    above36 Levin’s IQ?  Naw.  Sperm count?  Please.

  9. Great Mencken's Ghost! says:

    This ain’t gonna happen either.  Even Levin doesn’t think it will happen.  He and his party just want to be seen calling for it to happen, to keep the nutroots sweet…

  10. Jeff Goldstein says:

    How can they not get up every morning, realize what it is they have to pretend to advocate to keep their base happy, and not run screaming from the party.

    These aren’t your parents’ Democrats.  Or maybe they are, if your parents were Democrats in, say, 1972.

  11. B Moe says:

    Or maybe they are, if your parents were Democrats in, say, 1972.

    Nope, in 1972 my old man was a Scoop Jackson Democrat who was pissed off we hadn’t invaded and kicked the shit out of North Viet Nam.  He wasn’t the only one around, either.

  12. wishbone says:

    Or maybe they are, if your parents were Democrats in, say, 1972.

    Hey, George McGovern swears he would have done better if George Wallace had not been shot.

    Of course, he wouldn’t have been the nominee if that had not happened either, so in a way, he’s right.

    On the topic…for once I agree with McCain–if you’re serious about aopposing the President, cut off the funding, if not, get out of the way.

  13. McGehee says:

    My dad was an FDR Democrat—which, considering he was seven when FDR became president, doesn’t exactly say much about his political astuteness. He converted to Catholicism to marry my mother, and thus became a JFK Democrat in 1960.

    He never became a Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton Democrat, bless him. And I think if he were alive today he’d happily be blasting both Bush and Murtha, along with McCain and Hillary and anybody else you’ve got.

    My mother once observed that she only ever saw him laugh out loud watching the Sonny and Cher show on TV. Maybe he would have voted for Sonny if he’d ever lived in Palm Springs.

  14. What the fuck does he think we are doing over there?

    B Moe, if I had a quater for every time I’ve yelled this at the tv…..

  15. Gray says:

    I had a quater

    It’s spelled “Qatar” and pronounced with a glottal ‘Q’ so it sounds kinda like “Gutter”….

    Sorry, I couldn’t resist.

  16. oops.

    this down here is just filler because i can’t leave just “oops” as a comment.

  17. Scott Crawford says:

    So I’m wondering… under that scenario, what would be the new name for the AUMF?

    How about “Senator Levin’s wet dream”?

  18. Drumwaster says:

    So I’m wondering… under that scenario, what would be the new name for the AUMF?

    The IMF?

    “As always, should you or any of your force be caught or killed, the Congress will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This tape will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim.”

    TW: They’ve been this way since85

  19. MarkD says:

    Other names:

    We were just bluffing on the use of force.  You forgot to say “Simon says.” We didn’t really mena for you to use it.  We can’t stand the heat, we want out of the kitchen.  Osama was right, we’re bugging out.

  20. A fine scotch says:

    How about calling it the:

    ‘I can’t believe this douchebag is president and not me so I’m going to circumvent the Consititution and cut him off at the knees during wartime to look more presidential to the nutroots although I totally “Support the Troops” TM’ Act of 2007.

    Can’t really put a cool abbreviation on that, but it’s for the troops and children!

  21. Major John says:

    By the next time I deploy, I will have the strongest neck in the ARMY.  Comes from shaking my head in wonder so many times…

  22. BJTexs says:

    Major John:

    Does that mean that you are a member of those “Stiff Necked People” that were talked about in the Old Testament?

    I can’t remember if that was a good thing or not… grin

  23. Major John says:

    BJ.  I will stretch enough to remain flexible-necked.  IIRC, being stiff necked was bad.  Well, in the Old Testament at least…

  24. BJTexs says:

    MJ;

    Yup, the old Israelites were labeled by God as the “Stiff Necked People.” Something to so with a Golden Calf and lots of whining and complaining.

    Sort of reminds me of Liberals … without the 10 commandments … and subbing Al Gore for the Golden Calf …

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