The President should absolutely get approval from Congress before taking military action, as required by the Constitution. The President reminds me of the kid on the play ground who draws the line in the sand. When the bully steps over it, he smiles and says, "now we're on the same side.".. In other words, he was not prepared to back up his threat of consequences. Lines should never be drawn and bullies should never be called out unless you are willing to back up the threats.