The declarations of 1812 and 1898 are beyond question the two most important declarations in the history of the U.S. Congress. The former established the controlling precedents; the latter navigated to the furthest reaches of congressional autonomy, only to discover that congressional autonomy consisted mainly in playing political games. Unfortunately, concluding that the Congress is exceptionally adept at deferring to the president and seeking partisan electoral advantage does not take one very far. Neither is an insight of any great value. This is true especially in the current dysfunctional state of affairs because presidents enjoy playing games even more than the Congress. When a disinclined Congress and a reluctant public stand between a president and his war, his natural reaction is to ignore the real substance of the conflict, switch to a more public relations friendly rhetoric of diabolism, and seize every opportunistic event that passes his way. Soon, the formula takes effect; opposition and resistance are overcome, and the war begins.