Today is the 7th of October, the 60th day after Obama started attacking IS with bombers or cruise missiles or whatever.

That may sit well with many US citizens. I, unknowing German in a German city far away, am unsure, but leaning toward agreement.

But at least one US citizen isn't happy, a constitutional expert who used to work for Clinton, whose outspoken irritation and arguments I heard on the radio, during NPR's OnPoint, today.

He reminds/instructs us that the US have a federal law since the Seventies, which says the president may use excessive force if the country is clearly threatened (is it in this case?). But (and it's a big BUT): He or she has to get the US Congress's approval within 60 days.

Obama is the 1st president to apparently ignore this law, since it - set up after the end of the Vietnam war, as a "lesson learnt" I assume - took hold. To my surprise, Bush jr. adhered to it - twice! - after 9/11.

So, basically, the USA have a very clear definition of when the country can go to war. (The 3-letter word is not mentioned in the law, but there's a longer exact description - something about "hostilities" etc..) Which is pretty good. Even better: It's clearly defined what the president can & cannot do on his own.

By "good president" Obama - so far - ignoring this law, he's setting a pretty terrible precedent. If it is further ignored - by him, by members of Senate & Congress - as it has been up till now, another "bad president" may just emulate him in future, to spread some sort of untoward mayhem. ("If Obama did it, so can I.") Congress would then have to basically impeach that guy.

The radio hour gave a possible explanation: In four weeks' time, the US mid-terms are on. So Obama, whose popularity is very low at the moment, doesn't want to boost Republican candidates by giving them the chance to make him come to (their) heel. That seems a bad excuse to me, since those same candidates as a rule called for more military intervention against IS.

A sad story to end this day with. A sad development of a once-great man.