In the nation’s capital, the easiest way to deal with the toughest issues is to sweep them under the rug.
It might be tackling the burgeoning national debt or ensuring the future of Social Security. But one problem hovering in the background has the biggest stakes – with thousands, even millions, of lives hanging in the balance.
It’s how presidents have gradually usurped war powers from Congress, moving ever further from what the framers of the Constitution had intended.
In his new book “Presidents of War” (Crown, 752 pp., ★★½ out of four), historian Michael Beschloss brings the issue to the forefront, chronicling the steady creep from the nation’s infancy to the Nixon administration’s handling of Vietnam.
It’s a dense read, best for serious history buffs. For everyone else, here are five key takeaways:
1. Blame presidents for taking us into war.
The ink was barely dry on the Constitution when James Madison, only our fourth president, waded in. He sought Congress’ agreement for the War of 1812 after he had essentially dragged lawmakers aboard the cause to end their waffling.
The war never had widespread support and it didn’t help matters that the British marched on a lightly defended Washington, D.C., and burned down the White House.
Presidents all the way through George W. Bush have discovered that voters will look favorably upon a wartime president – but only if battles go their way. When they don’t, they, not Congress, are likely to catch the blame.
Source: Read Full Article