I would not say that about EVERYONE.
You've got to realize that a President is not going to handle the office like a regular moronic American would, they're the leader of the most powerful and influential country in the world, and as such have a certain name to uphold. They're not going to dampen that, or risk nuclear war, over a petty event...it would have to be one that would put national security in very grave danger.
ONE?! Try several thousand.
Irrelevant, the point is they knew that we'd retaliate. One is part of several thousand, anyway.
There is almost no way the US could be destroyed because of even a few months of delayed approval in Congress.
A nuclear warhead being dropped on prime US targets (the city I live in is the #1 nuclear strike target in the country) could wipe out our entire infastructure. Look how much just a hurricane hurt us, gas prices, trading, etc. Midwest farmers aren't able to use the Mississippi River for exporting and stuff now, even something as local as that is hurting the entire country. If they were to launch catastrophic attacks on prime military and economic locations (DC, NYC, Norfolk, etc.) we'd be screwed. Sometimes we need to forego set rules and do what's best for the country. If Thomas Jefferson had waited for Congressional approval, we wouldn't have gotten the Louisiana Purchase so cheaply, and maybe not at all.
Somehow, I knew you would respond like that Trust.
Well, I do have a reputation of being right to uphold.
The problem here is congress should have to vote on a nuclear drop.. Allowing the president to do it without any apporval is like letting Steve Jobs disband the iPod and hoping nobody notices.. Stupied.
And let something that could have a very short time gap for action (for example, the time we were alloted to plan the assasination attempt on Saddam) get stuck in Congressional debate and possibly tabled (or is the term 'floored'? I don't remember.)
I am sure we have had presidents in the past, who, with this new polocy, would have dropped a nuke, and I am sure it will be shot down by the next president, because "the public" will figure it out.
I doubt it, we've definitely had the chance to drop a nuke in the past, and the time that we did, it was (imho) for good reason, but that's a seperate debate entirely.
Bush needs to push some more of these radical changes and put some power back into the Executive Branch. It's his last term, he's not going up for reelection, now's the time to pave the way for future presidents.