Quoting from Sen. Jeff Merkley’s Feb. 28 email to me: “When the founding fathers drafted our Constitution, they intentionally gave the responsibility of declaring military action to the United States Congress. The principle is simple: If the federal government is going to send our sons and daughters into harm’s way, the people should get a say in that decision, through their representatives in Congress.
“Unfortunately, the Trump Administration is hinting at a military intervention in Venezuela that would violate this cornerstone principle. That’s why I’m introducing a Senate resolution that would prohibit any such military action in Venezuela without explicit congressional approval.”
Well, senator, did you introduce such a bill when in October 2015 President Obama — in violation of our Constitution— dispatched 50 U.S. troops to Syria, ultimately reaching a total of 503 before he left office? No.
How about after February 2013, when Obama sent 50 more U.S. troops to fight in Nigeria, bringing the total to 535, and resulting in the recent deaths of four U.S. soldiers? Or the numerous other “special forces” deployments made around the world by Obama, which could only be described — in your words — as military interventions?
No, you didn’t.
Senator, you are a sanctimonious hypocrite for standing by with no objection when a Democratic president violated the Constitution and put our sons and daughters into harm’s way.
Pat Driscoll, Vietnam vet
Eugene