A look at Congress before Video 1 of the Power Game

But first the news:

• America’s Scorecard in Iraq, NYT Feb. 8, 2009
• Holbrooke Says Afghan War ‘Tougher Than Iraq’, NYT Feb. 9, 2009
• Leader of Afghanistan Finds Himself Hero No More, NYT Feb. 8, 2009
• A Hard-Liner Gains Ground in Israel, NYT Feb. 9, 2009

• National Intelligence Estimate, The Analysis: On the ‘Polarization’ of Iraqis and Their ‘Ready Recourse to Violence’ NYT Feb 3, 2007
• Hamas Fighters Appear to Tighten Hold in Gaza NYT Feb 3, 2007
• Science Panel Calls Global Warming ‘Unequivocal’ NYT Feb 3, 2007
• John Pilger, Iran; A War is Coming, Feb 1, 2007, published in New Statesman, Feb. 3, 2007.

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Previous year:

• 'State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration,' by James Risen, reviewed in NYT, Feb. 5, 2006
• Cartoon protests rage in the Middle East (Al Jazeera, Feb. 5, 2006)

read Little, pp. 163-185 - esp p177-8

John F. Kennedy (1961-63) on nationalism - another New Frontier

• Senator JFK on Algeria 1957, contrast with Eisenhower support of monarchies.
• But Bay of Pigs 1961
• Cuba missiles crisis Oct 16-28, 1962 (eventually Turkey-based Jupiter missiles would also be removed)
• New relationship with Arab nationalism, Badeau to Cairo (where High Dam USSR), PL 480 wheat and thaw in US-Egypt, JFK honeymoon...
• Walt Rostow economic development "take-offs"...restraint of US in Arab Cold War...
• Yemen coup 26 Sept 1962 - Nasser's unity of goals (after Syrian UAR breakup 1961) and support of Yemen's new REPUBLIC; Nasser's forces to the rescue seen as threat to OIL MONARCHIES... So US recognition of Republic of Yemen? And disengagement of Egypt and Saudi Arabia? US recognized Yemen Dec 19, 1962.
• Kennedy New Frontier: assurances to Saudi Arabia, show of US air power (Egypt had bombed Najran), and "...I am confident that Saudi Arabia will move ahead successfully on the path of modernization and reform..."

• Recall, for instance, that the Senate defeated League of Nations treaty...three times in 1919-20
• Expansion of presidential power: 1936 Supreme Court case United States vs. Curtiss-Wright Corp. used to justify FDR's Exec Agreement to send 50 destroyers to Britain in September 1940 .
• 1940-41: Lend Lease Act of March 1941 was barely passed...
• Selective Service Act passed by 1 vote!

The Senate and treaties:

• treaties (which require Senate vote) have largely been displaced by exec agreements that do not require any Senate ratification.
  • According to a 1984 study by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, "88.3 percent of international agreements reached between 1946 and 1972 were based at least partly on statutory authority; 6.2 percent were treaties, and 5.5 percent were based solely on executive authority."(Senate online source)

Congress to declare war? (Constitution I:8) - cf Perpetual Peace (1795)

• June 1950 Korea War - "usurpation" of congressional war power or a police action?
• Enehower: Indochina? No, but covert actions (Iran, Guatemla, Cuba) OK.
• Gulf of Tonkin Resolution of Aug 7, 1964.
• Look, too, at how Congress has tried to display its authority since the 1970s - with the War Powers Resolution (Joint Resolution of Nov. 7, 1973) requiring notice within 48 hours but up to 90 days of fighting without a congressional vote.
• Look at Louis Fisher, Expansion of the President's War Power, for further details about congress vs. president.

You should also examine congressional cttees relevant to foreign policy, i.e. Richard Lugar Senate Foreign Relations Ctte...re South African sanctions in 1985 or so, also Philippines Aquino/Marcos crisis....and J.W. Fulbright (d. 1995).
You may also find current chairs of important committees

And here, if you care to download, is part I of Hedrick Smith's Power Game video - (360 megs)