As a United States Marine who served my country, I condemn Senator Edward Markey's selective outrage over presidential military actions and his blatant disregard for consistently applying constitutional principles for the good of our nation, not just his political party.

This position might carry some credibility if it were applied uniformly, no matter who's in the White House. But Senator Markey's record spanning nearly 50 years in Congress, from his start in the House back in 1976 to his time in the Senate since 2013, reveals he is a massive hypocrite, laser-focused on party politics with zero concern for our men and women in uniform or the American people he claims to serve.

Take President Obama's 2011 Libya intervention, the most egregious War Powers violation in modern history, dragging on for 210 days without a shred of congressional authorization. U.S. forces were dropping bombs and launching missile strikes, yet Obama claimed we weren't engaged in "hostilities." Where was Markey's righteous indignation then? Silent as a stone. And that's no isolated incident. Over his decades in office, Markey has never once called out his own party's presidents for overstepping, from unauthorized drone strikes to other military escapades that put our troops at risk without proper oversight. It's always crickets when it's a Democrat in charge.

This isn't about red jerseys or blue jerseys. It's about people over politics. Governing should be about the folks who elected you, not politicians who cheer blindly for your team. Massachusetts deserves better than a lifelong politician who plays favorites with our nation's security.

[Editor's note: You can read Sen. Ed Markey's (D-Malden) statement that Deaton is responding to below:]

Trump’s military attack on Iran is illegal and unconstitutional. It was not approved by Congress and holds dangers for all Americans. Trump’s illegal actions raise the threat of escalation into a wider regional war with grave risks for U.S. troops and civilians in the region. Trump has consistently exaggerated the imminence of Iran’s nuclear threat, even after insisting the United States ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program during his illegal Operation Midnight Hammer attack. Even Secretary of State Marco Rubio admitted Iran is not enriching uranium. There was time for diplomacy before this attack, and there still is. Congress must immediately vote on Senators Kaine and Schiff’s bipartisan War Powers Resolution and do its constitutional duty.

A diplomatic solution remains the best way to permanently and verifiably prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. This is a crisis of Trump’s creation. Americans do not want another endless war in the Middle East. They do not want to see young men and women sent overseas for endless warfare while families at home cannot afford health care. If Trump does not stop this war now, Congress must. No more war with Iran.