Boehner Threatens to Pull Plug on Libya

John Boehner took a harder line on Libya than usual today, saying that Congress might yank funding for the non-war if the White House Office of Legal Counsel doesn’t support President Obama’s argument that his actions are legal. “The ultimate option is … the Congress has the power of the purse. And certainly, that is an option,” Boehner said, according to Politico.

Obama has argued that since US troops are not in harm’s way, the operation doesn’t require congressional approval. Boehner says he finds that logic dubious. “It doesn’t pass the straight-face test in my view that we’re not in the midst of hostilities,” he said. “I think it’s time for the president to outline for the American people why we are there, what the mission is, and what our goals are.” (More John Boehner stories.)