Jon Stewart asks why Congress only cares about stopping Obama from waging peace

Republicans in Congress have been very vocal about their perceived duty to approve (or, probably, reject) President Obama's prospective nuclear deal with Iran — and every other international treaty he has put before them, Jon Stewart noted on Tuesday's Daily Show. But waging war — which Congress is supposed to declare — is a whole other story.

"Turns out, when it comes to bombing countries, or sending advisers to countries, or drone-striking countries, Congress is a girl who just can't say no," Stewart said, "but when it comes to cooperating with countries, treaties," just hold your horses. Why, he wondered, are Republican lawmakers so "cautious and unwilling to cooperate with the global community on non-military agreements?" If you listen to them, Stewart said — and he provides the clips — they seem concerned with "the unintended consequences of trying to make peace," because "you never know the blowback peaceful cooperation will have."

It's not all the fault of congressional Republicans, Stewart conceded: After all, the Constitution requires a two-thirds Senate majority to approve treaties but only a simple majority to declare war. Alas, "we're the Edward Scissorhands of countries," he sadly concluded: "We want to love, but we only know how to hurt." —Peter Weber

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