During todays debate when asked if he had the authority as president to bomb Iran without Congress he said he would have to consult the lawyers first. I understand what he was saying and frankly I understand the appeal politically of not taking the George Bush style diplomacy BUT at the end of the day it didn’t come off too well.

At the end of the day in my experience for every few lawyers you find who would tell you the president does have the authority you could find a few lawyers who say the opposite. The constitution is kinda vague. Congress seems to have the authority but its been argued for some time now that the president is the commander-in-chief and has the right. Its also been made pretty clear legally that the president has the right to protect the nation if an imminent threat comes about. That can be pretty vague.

So not only was it a bad answer politically (we want the knee jerk ‘I will save America’ reaction ‘at any cost’) and legally but if you want to be president I think most of us would enjoy knowing that you have an idea about these things.