Controlling "The Decider"

Congress is struggling feebly to control Bush's reckless adventurism, but the challenge of reasonably controlling the commander in chief during warmtime is extremely difficult. Congress is not an institution that can manage anything - that's not its function.

The power of a dishonest executive to distort and blame is nearly unlimited, as exemplified by the antics of Rice and Cheney.

They can, and should, explicitly prohibit the President from attacking Iran without further approval from Congress.

Congress does have one other crucial power, and that is the power to remove the Officers of the Government. Congress should start assembling the evidence that Bush, Cheney, and Rice systematically lied to the American people and the Congress in order to start the war. It is still too soon for impeachment, but the investigation needs to begin, and if the evidence warrants it, articles of impeachment brought. That can only happen with substantial support from Republicans, so the evidence will need to be persuasive.

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