I never thought I would see the day when an American president would dare to advocate committing our country to first strikes against other nations whenever the president thinks it is desirable or necessary to do so. President Bush insists the Constitution gives him, and not the Congress, the power to declare war. I was sickened to hear senators praise the president for his decision to “consult” with Congress and to offer a blank check resolution designed to nullify all future congressional participation in the decision to attack Iraq and other countries. The aging Sen. Robert Byrd seems to be our only aroused defender of the Constitution.

Bush began his crusade months ago despite the fact he and members of his Cabinet have admitted there is no evidence that Saddam Hussein intends to attack the United States or that he has assisted the al-Qaida assassins. But we can expect that “new evidence” will be manufactured soon if the president’s aggression resolution runs into trouble. I hope the American public will be less gullible in the future than they have been in the past.

It is not difficult to understand why our president insists on a regime change. Oil experts reported that Iraq’s untapped oil reserve is so massive they have been unable to measure it. Hussein has awarded the exploration and development contracts to firms in China, France and Russia. President Bush and his Texas oil friends are fit to be tied. The only way these contracts can be nullified is through a regime change. Full inspections will not do.

Hussein responded to Bush’s demand for inspections by agreeing to the United Nations request. Hussein correctly believed that oil interests in those three countries would exert as much pressure on their governments as our oil companies exert on ours.

China, France and Russia are leading the effort to have the United Nations accept full and unfettered inspections as the U.N. policy and not the Bush policy of regime change.

I am disappointed by the Democratic Party’s lack of leadership in Washington, as well as by the failure of media, business and university personnel to oppose what has been taking place.

We should insist that all candidates for national office declare themselves on this issue while demanding the matter be shelved until after the election. But that suggestion may be too democratic for a near majority of Americans who seem to think democracy, like our Constitution, is obsolete.

Clyde MacDonald

Hampden