Spencer Ackerman at Talking Points Memo picked out an interesting detail from a letter President Bush just sent to Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.). In addition to writing that he’ll veto any measures to end the war in Iraq, Bush added that he will veto any congressional attempts to limit his ability to take military action against Iran. This could be the usual executive prerogative-thumping, but does it hint at an anticipated showdown over Iran? And if so, what does the White House think the congressional Democrats are cooking up? (And just as importantly, what the heck is the White House cooking up?)
To get a sense of what Congress could—and couldn’t—do to tie Bush’s hands on Iran, check out this recent MJ article by Jonathan Schwarz. If anyone in Congress is serious about preempting a strike on Iran, he concludes, they have to act sooner rather than later: “If the Democrats continue to sit tight as the White House decides its next move, the administration will have won the first battle of the next war without firing a single shot.”
