I understand the point of declaring war. Frankly, I think Congress should pass a resolution formally declaring war on Al Qaeda and its affiliate networks. So I’m with Hayworth on the substance of the issue.

But if we’re going to argue, let’s base our arguments in fact. J.D. Hayworth had some trouble doing that during a local GOP gathering. Here’s what he said (video at the link):

I would also point out, that if we want to be sticklers, the war that Dwight Eisenhower led in Europe against the Third Reich was never declared by the United States Congress…Recall, the Congress passed a war resolution against Japan. Germany declared war on us two days later. We never formally declared war on Hitler’s Germany, and yet we fought the war. [And later, when an audience member disagreed] I think we should check it. Perhaps we made the rationalization — since there was the Axis alliance — that the attack of Japan was tantamount to the attack of the Third Reich. But as I recall in my history, Germany declared war on the United States, not vice-versa.”

Which brings us to the aptly named “U.S. Declaration of War Against Germany”. While it’s true that Germany first declared war against the United States, the United States did responded in kind. And formally.

Congress passed the declaration of war on December 11, 1941. The final Senate vote was 88-0, the final House vote was 393-0. Overwhelming margin of support, one might say.

Hayworth is now claiming that he was talking about Roosevelt’s message, but that doesn’t make any sense. He was clearly talking about declarations of war. He should just stick to, “Oops, my stupid mistake. Sorry.” And then move on.

Via HAH.