Preening, Tribble-topped presidential aspirant Rand Paul is reportedly going to introduce a bill today to repeal the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) in Iraq. The White House is said to support the bill in theory:
“The administration supports the repeal of the Iraq AUMF since it is no longer used for any US government activities,” National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement, laying out the White House stance first reported by Yahoo News.
“We understand that some in Congress are considering legislation related to the Iraq AUMF, and we will certainly examine these proposals as they come forward.”
One US official said the White House has not actively sought to repeal the AUMF “because the effect would be entirely symbolic, and we have many more pressing priorities to take up with Congress.”
Yes, it’s symbolic, as Paul well knows, but it may serve to bolster his credentials among libertarians and a certain type of gullible liberal, which is obviously the point.
The AUMF debate occurred before Baby Doc entered public life, and he may very well have opposed it on the grounds that the money could best be funneled into the pockets of deserving billionaires. Does anyone know if he bothered to speak out on it at the time like another guy did?