David French

Well, the Iran war is a really good example of why the law matters so much.

So under traditional just war doctrine, you're not supposed to be able to go to war.

You should not go to war under the old school just war doctrine unless you're going to war under the command of the lawful sovereign.

for a just reason and to pursue just ends.

Has that happened here in the United States?

And the answer is no, because American law requires for the declaration of war that that's a role reserved to Congress.

So,

That doesn't mean that a president can't respond immediately when there is an attack on our forces or there's an emerging urgent and immediate situation that requires military force.

But even in those circumstances, the president is supposed to go to Congress immediately to get ratification and support of his actions.

It is actually very important to the ability of the United States to wage war and to wage war effectively.

Because if there's one thing that we know from history, it's that democracies that have achieved public support for a war are among the most powerful entities we've seen in the world.

So even if you thought it was wise to attack Iran, for example, the fact that we didn't do the constitutional process

undermines the entire war.

I am in Nashville, Tennessee right now.

Oh, my gosh.

Is that home or?

And that's been home.

That area has been home for a very long time.

But we're also up in Chicago helping my oldest daughter with her kids while she goes to law school.

Grandbabies have a powerful gravitational pull.