THAT’S DEBATABLE:Has the president misused the executive branch in his decisions?

GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, a potential presidential candidate, recently said that some lawmakers are suggesting impeachment proceedings for President Bush partly in reaction to his war policy. “Any president who says, I don’t care, or I will not respond to what the people of this country are saying about Iraq or anything else, or I don’t care what the Congress does, I am going to proceed — if a president really believes that, then there are — what I was pointing out, there are ways to deal with that,” Hagel said. Do you think the president has gone too far to empower the executive branch at the expense of the legislative branch when it comes to his war policy and other issues?

While it may be more effective for the president to be conciliatory and inclusive in his military decision-making process, he has the Constitutional power to make the decisions that he has. There are no grounds for impeachment over his military decisions in Iraq.

The Founding Fathers were the ones who empowered the executive branch with command of America’s military and dominance over foreign policy.

The president may have an arrogance problem, but he doesn’t have a legal problem with his rights to make military decisions.

Dana Rohrabacher

Congressman

(R-Huntington Beach)

No. Congress voted to give the president authorization for the war. It is important to remember that Presidents Madison, Lincoln, Wilson and Roosevelt all had to manage wars despite negative public opinion at some point during a conflict.

John Campbell

Congressman

(R-Newport Beach)