Trump ends iran war, sparks capitol hill battle
President Donald Trump declared Friday that the conflict with Iran has ‘terminated,’ triggering a scramble on Capitol Hill and defying congressional deadlines.
White house justification falls flat
The administration’s claim, relayed via a Politico exclusive, hinges on a ceasefire with Tehran, effectively halting the 60-day statutory war powers deadline. But Republicans and Democrats are pushing back, arguing that the administration must wind down the campaign now that it’s reached that benchmark. Secretary of Talking About War Pete Hegseth, apparently eager to test the waters, reportedly previewed this ‘hooey’ to Congress before it reached the public eye.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a man who’s seemingly vanished into the Witness Protection Program, dismissed the deadline as irrelevant. “The United States was not at war in Iran,” he stated bluntly. A simple proposition, perhaps, but one that ignores the reality of port blockades – an act of war under international law, as John F. Kennedy recognized during the Cuban quarantine.
A legacy of argument
The story goes back to 1982, when I was a rookie journo at the Boston Phoenix, covering a congressional race between Margaret Heckler and Barney Frank. Frank, already a legend in Massachusetts Politics, was infamous for his acerbic wit and volatile brilliance. He’d irritated Beacon Hill power players, who sought revenge by pushing him for a reelection fight against Heckler. She’d been elected in 1966, a stunning upset over a 22-year incumbent, Joseph Martin – a man who’d served as House minority leader and Speaker. Frank, fueled by a relentless campaign, decisively defeated her. I remember meeting him in his Newton apartment, finding him immersed in a bathtub, a cigar clenched between his teeth – an introduction to the delightfully chaotic world of Barney Frank.
He’d go on to become one of the first openly gay national political figures, fighting a fierce resistance against the excesses of the Reagan administration and defending President Clinton against Ken Starr’s relentless ratfucking operation. But more than anything, he relished a good argument. I recall a discussion during that campaign swing about the ABSCAM scandal – a murky affair involving several congresscritters. I suspected entrapment, and Frank, the liberal firebrand, readily agreed. We went back and forth for half an hour, a spirited exchange that perfectly captured his essence. Congressman Dick Armey, a man aptly named, ‘slipped’ and called him ‘Barney Fag,’ a particularly juvenile insult. Frank’s response? He checked with his mother and she told him nobody had ever called her ‘Elsie Fag.’ A masterstroke of chutzpah, strategically deployed.
Beyond the headlines
Over the years, we remained in touch. The last time I saw him was on the day he announced he wouldn't seek re-election, retiring to Maine. This week, we learned he’d entered hospice care due to congestive heart failure, facing his final days alone. Perhaps he’d laid off the damn cigars – a small, but significant, point. The administration, predictably, insists on its right to circumvent the 60-day deadline. Let the President explain it.
Meanwhile, a glance at the broader picture reveals a grim reality: Iranian and Lebanese citizens grappling with conflict, ICE detainees facing indefinite detention, the lingering trauma of Epstein and Swalwell, the horrific shooting in Texas, Michigan, and Virginia – and the resurgence of measles and Legionnaires' disease. It’s a relentlessly unsettling tableau. Let’s not forget the devastating floods in Southern Africa and Ireland, the polar vortex gripping the Midwest, and the ongoing struggles against disease and displacement around the globe.
A final thought
Frank’s legacy isn’t just about political battles; it’s about a refusal to accept the status quo, a willingness to challenge authority, and an unwavering belief in the power of argument. And frankly, after all these years, I still think he was right.