Doesn't the War Powers Resolution enacted in 1973 give the President the right to send troops offensively without the "Declaration of War" of Congress? So long as there is a set time (which may be adjusted as need be), the President must give regular reports to Congress on the actions of the deployment (requirements, achievements etc).

Well, it does if your name ends with Clinton, or Kennedy or Johnson but not if it ends in Bush, Reagan or Nixon.

:)

Drew

Seriously though. This is I believe what Bush used to go to Iraq. If I remember correctly the President can use this pretty much anytime he perceives (through use of intelligence analysis etc) a threat against the United States or interests, nationals etc of the United States.

It appears so though it is an often debated provision. What is so frustrating to me (and so I bring it up often) is that even Congress is not powerless once a military action has been entered in to. They can cut off funding at any time and there is nothing a president can do in so much as they don't fund wars.

-Drew

Well and then the quandry faced by Congress is they leave our military out in the cold, how good does that look on them?

That then brings up the matters of a:losing face in the international community, b: hurting the morale of the Armed Forces, c: (as stated by Dragoness) looking weak, bad to the electorate.

The problem with that is, our troop morale isn't great, what hubris to suggest we should put soldiers lives in danger to "save face", besides, we haven't been able to put a lid on the violence, we smacked down a toothless military, but woke up an angry, oppressed populace. If we can't control a Nation thats about the size of California, what do you think the big nations are thinking about us right now?

When polls show that over 60% of the Iraqi population feel that violence towards Americans is justified, you aren't bringing democracy to anyone, you're just infuriating people, which makes for a handy dandy terrorist recruiting tool. In a country where a guy can be treated bad in the morning, talk to a tribal leader by lunch and be blowing himself and everyone near him to pieces by dinner, over staying our welcome could be a bad thing.
I agree with Drew here, Congress has all the ability to stop the funding, with the only caveate being cash to bring the troops home safely.