President George H. W. Bush insisted that he had the power to send American troops into combat in the Middle East without congressional assent. Yet before authorizing force in Operation Desert Storm,...

President George H. W. Bush insisted that he had the power to send American troops into combat in the Middle East without congressional assent. Yet before authorizing force in Operation Desert Storm, he secured congressional authorization. President Clinton stated that he was prepared to invade Haiti without a congressional vote. Yet he bargained hard to avoid an invasion, and ultimately American troops entered without the use of force. Why the seeming double talk by both presidents?