Andy Craig
@andycraig.bsky.social
@theunpopulist.net
Election law and policy, liberalism and democracy, and occasional pugs.
Election law and policy, liberalism and democracy, and occasional pugs.
The War Powers Resolution as Congress designed it requires withdrawal if both houses pass a concurrent resolution. SCOTUS gutted that with Chadha, so now it's subject to an inevitable veto. Instead of affirmative approval, presidents in effect only need at least one third in at least one house.
Schumer: "We have the War Powers Act ... if it's voted positively in both houses, then the president can't do another thing in Venezuela without the okay of Congress. Ww have to pass it."
January 4, 2026 at 5:13 PM
The War Powers Resolution as Congress designed it requires withdrawal if both houses pass a concurrent resolution. SCOTUS gutted that with Chadha, so now it's subject to an inevitable veto. Instead of affirmative approval, presidents in effect only need at least one third in at least one house.
Administrations have come up with lots of flimsy rationales for why their wars don't need congressional authorization over the years, but this might be the most transparently bad faith and facially absurd.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Why wasn't congressional authorization necessary?
RUBIO: It wasn't necessary because this was not an invasion. We didn't occupy a country. This was an arrest operation.
RUBIO: It wasn't necessary because this was not an invasion. We didn't occupy a country. This was an arrest operation.
January 4, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Administrations have come up with lots of flimsy rationales for why their wars don't need congressional authorization over the years, but this might be the most transparently bad faith and facially absurd.
Reposted by Andy Craig
It is wild how far this has advanced from last year.
The way this is getting framed has changed completely.
The way this is getting framed has changed completely.
January 4, 2026 at 1:07 PM
It is wild how far this has advanced from last year.
The way this is getting framed has changed completely.
The way this is getting framed has changed completely.
Reposted by Andy Craig
They are putting Americans’ safety in danger while destabilizing the region to enrich themselves.
Congress must act, and Trump must be impeached.
Congress must act, and Trump must be impeached.
January 3, 2026 at 5:15 PM
They are putting Americans’ safety in danger while destabilizing the region to enrich themselves.
Congress must act, and Trump must be impeached.
Congress must act, and Trump must be impeached.
At no point has the next thing been less insane than the previous. Perpetual escalation is baked in. These people are a one-way ratchet.
Better than 50/50 they invade Greenland, aim to make it a bloodless fait accompli. An attack on Cuba a near certainty. Bombing and/or raiding Mexico is plausible.
Better than 50/50 they invade Greenland, aim to make it a bloodless fait accompli. An attack on Cuba a near certainty. Bombing and/or raiding Mexico is plausible.
January 4, 2026 at 12:02 PM
At no point has the next thing been less insane than the previous. Perpetual escalation is baked in. These people are a one-way ratchet.
Better than 50/50 they invade Greenland, aim to make it a bloodless fait accompli. An attack on Cuba a near certainty. Bombing and/or raiding Mexico is plausible.
Better than 50/50 they invade Greenland, aim to make it a bloodless fait accompli. An attack on Cuba a near certainty. Bombing and/or raiding Mexico is plausible.
If lack of accountability for Iraq is part of how we got here, and it is, that problem includes Senate Democrats still having a leader who voted for the Iraq war.
January 4, 2026 at 11:43 AM
If lack of accountability for Iraq is part of how we got here, and it is, that problem includes Senate Democrats still having a leader who voted for the Iraq war.
"As with so many things, Trump didn’t invent a bloated, power-grabbing presidency, but he has brought it to its inevitable conclusion, the very thing most feared by the Founders: A madman able to plunge the country into war on a whim."
Trump’s Bogus Rationale for Invading Venezuela Is an Impeachable Offense
The Framers would have regarded this president as an out-of-control lunatic in desperate need of reining in by Congress
www.theunpopulist.net
January 4, 2026 at 9:30 AM
"As with so many things, Trump didn’t invent a bloated, power-grabbing presidency, but he has brought it to its inevitable conclusion, the very thing most feared by the Founders: A madman able to plunge the country into war on a whim."
Reposted by Andy Craig
"As with so many things, Trump didn’t invent a bloated, power-grabbing presidency, but he has brought it to its inevitable conclusion, the very thing most feared by the Founders: A madman able to plunge the country into war on a whim."
Impeachment is the remedy. Thank you, @andycraig.bsky.social.
Impeachment is the remedy. Thank you, @andycraig.bsky.social.
January 4, 2026 at 12:51 AM
"As with so many things, Trump didn’t invent a bloated, power-grabbing presidency, but he has brought it to its inevitable conclusion, the very thing most feared by the Founders: A madman able to plunge the country into war on a whim."
Impeachment is the remedy. Thank you, @andycraig.bsky.social.
Impeachment is the remedy. Thank you, @andycraig.bsky.social.
Reposted by Andy Craig
Yet another great read from Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social.
"This operation, an unambiguous act of war, was conducted without any congressional approval—or even any advance notification to key congressional committees, something explicitly required under the War Powers Resolution of 1973."
"This operation, an unambiguous act of war, was conducted without any congressional approval—or even any advance notification to key congressional committees, something explicitly required under the War Powers Resolution of 1973."
January 4, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Yet another great read from Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social.
"This operation, an unambiguous act of war, was conducted without any congressional approval—or even any advance notification to key congressional committees, something explicitly required under the War Powers Resolution of 1973."
"This operation, an unambiguous act of war, was conducted without any congressional approval—or even any advance notification to key congressional committees, something explicitly required under the War Powers Resolution of 1973."
Reposted by Andy Craig
Is the Senate possess’d of this?
January 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Is the Senate possess’d of this?
Reposted by Andy Craig
And here I stand both to impeach and purge
January 3, 2026 at 8:11 PM
And here I stand both to impeach and purge
Reposted by Andy Craig
"But Wiles conceded that attacking targets on Venezuela’s mainland would force Trump to get congressional approval. 'If he were to authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress.'"
- WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Nov 2, 2025 interview
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...
- WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Nov 2, 2025 interview
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...
Trump’s Inner Circle, On the Record (Part 2 of 2)
Susie Wiles discusses the Epstein files, Pete Hegseth’s war tactics, and “retribution” against Letitia James.
www.vanityfair.com
January 3, 2026 at 1:35 PM
"But Wiles conceded that attacking targets on Venezuela’s mainland would force Trump to get congressional approval. 'If he were to authorize some activity on land, then it’s war, then [we’d need] Congress.'"
- WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Nov 2, 2025 interview
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...
- WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Nov 2, 2025 interview
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/t...
You don't gotta hand it to North Korea, but I do kind of appreciate the impeccably timed "quick, while the Americans are distracted" games.
North Korea ‘has fired ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan’
North Korea ‘has fired ballistic missile towards the Sea of Japan’
South Korea’s military report projectile launch, which follows Kim Jong-un calling for doubling of output of tactical guided weapons
North Korea has fired a ballistic missile towards the sea off its east coast, according to South Korea’s military leaders.
The South Korean joint chiefs of staff said: “The North has launched an unidentified ballistic missile toward the East Sea,” referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 4, 2026 at 12:22 AM
You don't gotta hand it to North Korea, but I do kind of appreciate the impeccably timed "quick, while the Americans are distracted" games.
Chuck Schumer is the Keir Starmer of George McClellans.
Asked about the possibility of impeachment, Schumer says "we hope that we can have support from our Republican colleagues to put a brake on this long before it gets that far"
January 4, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Chuck Schumer is the Keir Starmer of George McClellans.
The special forces bros thought this would look like some stunning impressive triumph like Entebbe or bin Laden, and that is absolutely not how it is going to be remembered.
NYT:
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
January 4, 2026 at 12:11 AM
The special forces bros thought this would look like some stunning impressive triumph like Entebbe or bin Laden, and that is absolutely not how it is going to be remembered.
Surely Venezuela can afford the going rate for a pardon. This is gonna end up with ransoming him back like some medieval king.
January 3, 2026 at 11:20 PM
Surely Venezuela can afford the going rate for a pardon. This is gonna end up with ransoming him back like some medieval king.
I don’t think there has ever been an American war this rock bottom unpopular from the very start.
January 3, 2026 at 11:02 PM
I don’t think there has ever been an American war this rock bottom unpopular from the very start.
Reposted by Andy Craig
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
January 3, 2026 at 9:42 PM
New Interview: www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a...
Reposted by Andy Craig
Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.
January 3, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Just woke up even angrier. Impeach, convict, remove. Draft articles now. Either we have a representative government or we don’t. Do not shut up about this until there’s a vote.
Reposted by Andy Craig
Their messaging is so fucking incoherent. Maduro was an illegitimate leader who lost in 2024, which is why we're replacing him with his VP instead of the person who won in 2024. We did this to stop fentanyl, which is why he's indicted for cocaine.
We're also occupying Venezuela via Zoom call.
We're also occupying Venezuela via Zoom call.
January 3, 2026 at 9:18 PM
Their messaging is so fucking incoherent. Maduro was an illegitimate leader who lost in 2024, which is why we're replacing him with his VP instead of the person who won in 2024. We did this to stop fentanyl, which is why he's indicted for cocaine.
We're also occupying Venezuela via Zoom call.
We're also occupying Venezuela via Zoom call.
Reposted by Andy Craig
The last time Gabbard mentioned the nation of Venezuela was in early 2019. It’s a big mystery why she’s apparently out of the loop.
January 3, 2026 at 8:52 PM
The last time Gabbard mentioned the nation of Venezuela was in early 2019. It’s a big mystery why she’s apparently out of the loop.
Reposted by Andy Craig
these guys pulled up a big right-wing account on Twitter so they could watch their insane crime spree get discovered in real time
January 3, 2026 at 8:42 PM
these guys pulled up a big right-wing account on Twitter so they could watch their insane crime spree get discovered in real time
Reposted by Andy Craig
It's a mystery as to what happened to her.
January 3, 2026 at 8:40 PM
It's a mystery as to what happened to her.
Feels a bit under-noticed that the Director of National Intelligence has basically been exiled to Siberia.
January 3, 2026 at 8:37 PM
Feels a bit under-noticed that the Director of National Intelligence has basically been exiled to Siberia.