As far as I can tell, the only difference between what the President is trying to pull here and what goes on when the cops are staring down someone who has a gun to a hostage’s head is the scale. The President is standing there, and his message comes down to this: “OK, Congress. Give me the money, no strings attached, or the troops get it.” It’s extortion by threat on a massive scale, and the military are the ones being threatened.
A sadly necessary introduction (Questionable Authority, via silveradept)