When the well-known hawk, Richard M. Nixon, won the presidency, in part, by promising to end the war, he continued it for four more years. He, too, used hired-gun lawyers to dredge up flawed precedents to justify what became "Nixon's War." For instance, in defiance of the constitution, an assistant attorney general, William H. Rehnquist, argued that as commander in chief the president could initiate war on his own.
Finally, in November 1973 with the War Powers Resolution, congress made a half-hearted effort to curb the now disparaged presidential war power. This, as well as public pressure, compelled Nixon to terminate hostilities. Later, for other abuses of power he had to resign the presidency in disgrace. He claimed to have acted like other strong presidents who had lied, waged war covertly, and had skirted congress. True enough, but he had abused his power more than had his predecessors and even claimed that a president's criminal behavior became legal because of the office held.
In this ambiance, congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1974 that placed minor restraints on the president's use of covert military operations but also for the first time it openly accepted his assumed right to launch such ventures. Accordingly, almost as soon as Ronald Reagan entered the White House he directed the Central Intelligence Agency to engage in domestic spying, clandestine foreign paramilitary operations, and surveillance of Americans abroad. Undeterred by the War Powers Act and with a widely acclaimed machismo, he thrust American military might against small, weak nations in Central America, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caribbean. Despite his simplistic thinking, his mangling of history to justify his ventures, and his violations of law, he left office a hero to many Americans and to the strong presidency cult.
Finally, in November 1973 with the War Powers Resolution, congress made a half-hearted effort to curb the now disparaged presidential war power. This, as well as public pressure, compelled Nixon to terminate hostilities. Later, for other abuses of power he had to resign the presidency in disgrace. He claimed to have acted like other strong presidents who had lied, waged war covertly, and had skirted congress. True enough, but he had abused his power more than had his predecessors and even claimed that a president's criminal behavior became legal because of the office held.
In this ambiance, congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1974 that placed minor restraints on the president's use of covert military operations but also for the first time it openly accepted his assumed right to launch such ventures. Accordingly, almost as soon as Ronald Reagan entered the White House he directed the Central Intelligence Agency to engage in domestic spying, clandestine foreign paramilitary operations, and surveillance of Americans abroad. Undeterred by the War Powers Act and with a widely acclaimed machismo, he thrust American military might against small, weak nations in Central America, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caribbean. Despite his simplistic thinking, his mangling of history to justify his ventures, and his violations of law, he left office a hero to many Americans and to the strong presidency cult.