Senator Jim Webb had an interesting interview with Rachel Maddow tonight. As many of you may know, on January 1st the United Nations mandate that legalizes the U.S. troop presence in Iraq expires. The Bush administration has been trying to negotiate a bilateral agreement with the Iraqis that enables U.S. troops to stay in Iraq. These negotiations are not going very well, and a deal seems unlikely at this point.
In the interview, Senator Webb talks about how this might play out in the months to come. He talks about asking the U.N. to extend the mandate until Barack Obama is sworn in as President. At that point the United States would negotiate a deal with the Iraqis that sets a clear timeline for withdrawal. Webb suggests that the Iraqi parliament and the U.S. senate should then vote on the agreement.
This is significant not just because we may see the beginning of a withdrawal from Iraq, but because of the possibility that this agreement will be sent to the Senate. All along Bush has denied that this agreement is a treaty for the simple reason that if he calls it a treaty the constitution states that it must be ratified by the Senate. If President Obama (man that feels good) follows Jim Webb's advice it will be a signal that he is willing to relinquish some of the extraordinary powers accrued by the executive branch over the past 8 years. Imagine that. A President acting in accordance with the constitution. Change is coming.
No comments:
Post a Comment