On the April 24 edition of Fox News' Special Report, Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume selectively cited the U.S. Constitution to suggest that, in an April 24 CNN interview, Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) incorrectly stated that Congress has a role in determining the future of U.S. Iraq policy.

Hume observed that “a paragraph of the United States Constitution that makes no mention of Congress” -- Article II, Section 2, paragraph 1 -- states that “the President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.” Hume then reported Murtha's CNN comment that overseeing Iraq policy is Congress' “job.” But Hume ignored another section of the Constitution, Article 1, Section 9, which requires congressional approval before the federal government may spend money on military operations or anything else. During his CNN interview, Murtha was discussing President Bush's criticism of the Iraq war supplemental funding bill, which will require that the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq begin no later than October 1, 2007, if, by July 1, the president certifies that benchmarks established in the bill are being met.

Another section of the Constitution also makes clear that the president and Congress share authority over the U.S. armed forces. Article 1, Section 8 grants Congress authority to “raise and support Armies,” “make rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces,” and “make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.”

From the April 24 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:

HUME: In a paragraph of the United States Constitution that makes no mention of Congress, the Founding Fathers decreed that “the President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States.” In a CNN interview today, Pennsylvania Democratic Congressman and leading war critic John Murtha was asked about complaints from President Bush that Congress was trying to micromanage the war in Iraq. Murtha's response, quote: “That's our job.”

The Republican take from Florida Congressman Adam Putnam, quote: “We strongly disagree. It is never appropriate for politicians in the gilded committee rooms of Washington to be dictating targets and tactics on the ground,” end quote.

From the April 24 edition of CNN's American Morning:

JOHN ROBERTS (co-anchor): The war of words over the war in Iraq is growing louder this week. Congress could begin voting tomorrow on the $124 billion war spending bill, which orders a phased pullout of U.S. troops. All of it sets up a bitter showdown with President Bush.

BUSH [video clip]: I will strongly reject a artificial timetable withdrawal and/or Washington politicians trying to tell those who wear the uniform how to do their job.

[...]

ROBERTS: You heard what President Bush said, that Congress shouldn't be micromanaging the war. What do you say?

MURTHA: That's our job, John. We have accountability. For six years, they had no accountability in the White House. Matter of fact, there's 126,000 contractors in Iraq. We've appropriated $1.2 trillion over a one-year period. It's time that this White House start to listen to people. People [have] been way ahead. People of Iraq want us out. People in the United States want us out. It's time for him to get a redeployment plan. If he doesn't do that, we're going to have the disaster he predicts just like we did when we went into Iraq.