Selective amnesia: Democrats forgot Obama’s bombs

Objectively, the world is now a safer place. President Donald Trump gave the order to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities. The operation was completely successful, not a single shot was fired at the American military, and the objective was met. Even so, Democrats have lashed out against the president, claiming that he should have asked Congress for permission before carrying out the operation. Some have even said that the action deserves impeachment.

Democrats' double standard is outrageous. Former President Barack Obama had an administration full of controversy over his bombings and military operations in other countries; long incursions that even led to lawsuits in court. At that time, almost all Democratic legislators rallied around Obama. Today, they seem to have forgotten that at the time, they repeated that the president did not need congressional authorization.

According to a report by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), in 2016, which was the last full year of Obama's presidency, the United States dropped at least 26,171 bombs in 7 countries - Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan. That gives an average of approximately 72 bombs per day during that year.

In 2011, former President Obama not only bombed Libya, but also targeted regime change. Hillary Clinton was secretary of state and was one of the cabinet members who most strongly supported military intervention in Libya. At the time, Democrats soundly rejected the idea that the government should have to ask Congress for permission to launch such an attack on another nation.

Bill Clinton also conducted several military operations, none receiving congressional approval. During his presidency, Clinton ordered bombings in Iraq, Yugoslavia (Serbia and Kosovo), Sudan, Afghanistan, Bosnia and Somalia. When questioned about this, he argued that "limited" or "short duration" operations did not require prior congressional authorization.

While the Constitution ensures that Congress has the exclusive authority to declare war, it has been 80 years since Congress last did so. All of the attacks that the United States has carried out on other countries, such as those carried out extensively by former President Obama, did not require a declaration by Congress.

On several occasions, operations carried out by different administrations have even reached the Supreme Court without the court making a substantive ruling. In 2011, several congressmen sued former President Obama for the intervention in Libya, which lasted longer than the 60 days established by the War Powers Resolution. However, the case was dismissed for lack of standing. On that occasion, as in Campbell v. Clinton (1999), the Court refused to decide on the constitutionality of using force without congressional authorization.

To this day, the Supreme Court has never issued a ruling compelling a president to stop a bombing for lack of congressional approval. The Court has never ruled substantively in cases on the matter, and the Democrats know it. They should also remember Clinton's and Obama's military operations, but they have become accustomed to inconsistency and attacking Trump for any reason.

Even as President Trump conducts one of the most brilliant military operations in decades, Democrats are unable to acknowledge it.