Nation: Congress v. the President

THE more implacable Capitol Hill opponents of the Viet Nam War have for years sought—with no success—to turn the dispute into a conflict pitting Congress's authority to declare war v. the President's right as Commander in Chief to wage war. Now, because the Nixon Administration underestimated the domestic reaction to its Cambodian expedition, doves who have stressed constitutional arguments have the fulcrum they have been looking for.

By failing to inform Congress of his plans, Richard Nixon gained recruits for the opposition, particularly in the Senate. By overreacting to the challenge from a...