Republicans already split on how to address Syria vote

[Galraedia]

Source: Raw Story

While President Barack Obama said on Saturday he would ask Congress to sign off on a strike against the Syrian government, Republican lawmakers had mixed reactions to the plan, with House Homeland Security Committee chair Rep. Peter King (R-NY) accusing Obama of sidestepping his duties as commander-in-chief.

“He should not be passing it on to Congress,” King told WCBS-TV on Saturday. “I should not be waiting until Congress comes back on September 9th.”

But Talking Points Memo reported that House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and other Republican leaders argued just the opposite in a joint statement announcing the House would take the matter up for a vote after coming back from recess.

“Under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war lies with Congress,” the statement read. “We are glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria in response to serious, substantive questions being raised.”

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/31/republicans-already-split-on-how-to-address-syria-vote/

[zbdent]

1. I long for the day when the "liberally-biased media" has two Republicans on the Sunday talk shows

with one saying "Obama's rushing into this without all the facts" while the second says that Obama's taking way too long to act on his "line in the sand" comment ...

[Raksha]

27. Not everyone wants it.

I don't want it, and most of my friends who have expressed their opinions don't want it either. I understand over 90% of the American people don't want it--definitely over 90% of DU.

I'm aware that a whole different set of values applies inside the Beltway Bubble though.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

2. everyone wants to go to war but no one wants to take responsibility for it

[gopiscrap]

4. Exactly

[n2doc]

5. Seems like the pattern for things since 2010.

SS and medicare cuts, Debt ceiling, etc.

[oberliner]

15. I think it's the other way around

Hard to tell though.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. good point. i guess it could easily go the other way.

[Raksha]

28. My reply #27 was meant to be a reply to this post.

I don't know how to use the self-delete function.

[gopiscrap]

3. This ought to be good!

[Ghost Dog]

6. "serious, substantive questions being raised.”

What woud these be, precisely?

[StrictlyRockers]

7. Why did this headline make me laugh out loud?

Checkmate, Obama. Well played.

[tarheelsunc]

8. What if he really didn't want a war with Syria?

What if Obama started this Syria talk so he could pass the baton the Congress and watch them self-destruct. If there are two things Republicans love, they are war and blocking things Obama supports, and they can't have both this time. Now, either they vote "yes" and it's the Republicans sending us overseas again, or they vote "no" and are seen as inhumane hypocrites for authorizing a meaningless war but not authorizing one that at least is partially merited. I know how a lot of people here feel about the multi-dimensional chess theory, but it seems like a perfect scenario.

[DWinNJ]

14. Either way

The republicans are going to form a circular firing squad on this one.

Get ready for a majority who are going to be like King and be completely ignorant of the fact that this is the way it is supposed to be done. In 2003 they decided to abdicated their responsibility and we ended up rushing into Iraq without justification, without strategy and without adequate equipment.

[Raksha]

29. I am not going to forgive Obama for this one--

not even if he wins at four-dimensional chess for a change. Too many lies and too much deception involved.

[arewenotdemo]

41. Same here.

He wouldn't listen to Gates or even "consult" with Congress when he attacked Libya, killed Qaddafi, and turned that nation over to Islamist brigades.

He's been training and arming Islamists in their attempt to overthrow another secular Arab regime in Syria.

I haven't seen a single word of condemnation from Obama for any of the atrocities committed by the rebels in Syria....car bombings, executions, you name it.

And it's no surprise that the secular Egyptians have no love for him given his support of Morsi and recognition of the Egyptian Brotherhood.

If Obama is in any kind of bind, 99% of it is his own making.

And just for the record, I'm a lifelong Democrat going back to McGovern in 1968, and voted for Obama twice. But I didn't think the guy I voted for would one day be using the PNAC playbook to make the dreams of Elliot Abrams and Paul Wolfowitz come true.

[L0oniX]

50. I don't think I will ever vote again. I'm not going to be suckered again. n/t

[BlueToTheBone]

54. lol nt

[SummerSnow]

51. and if they vote no, Netanyahu wont be happy

[Cooley Hurd]

9. King is jonesing to kill Muslims.

He is a very transparent fucking hate machine.

[MNBrewer]

10. Then he should vote yes.

And let the President have his military strike with Congress's blessing

[Cooley Hurd]

12. That won't prevent his usual bloviating...

...and, FOR GOD'S SAKE, I wish he'd release that poor otter from his scalp!!!

[Cha]

44. lol luckily I don't have to see Peter King but I think

I remember what you're refering to. Poor thing.. he just asks for it.

[Billy Love]

11. Good. If they split

then U.S. cannot get involved.

Let's hope the Republicans go sane for once.

[DWinNJ]

16. They're past being sane

It would be more like doing the right thing for the wrong reason

[Raksha]

30. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason - that's my take on it too.

[customerserviceguy]

53. Yep, with you on that

I am disappointed that I'm not reading that Democratic congresscritters are at least wary about giving this to the President.

Maybe if there's a veto-proof majority in both houses of Congress against this, he'll seriously reconsider his position as moral guardian of the world.

[Billy Love]

13. Oh hey, King, you idiot - he is following the Constitution mandate to request permission

and you're just saying he's sidestepping as a commander-in-chief.

And you a Homeland Security chairman? Don't make me laugh - you'll lose that seat in '15.

[Cryptoad]

19. + 1000 nt

[Liberal Veteran]

17. How dare Obama ask Congress to do its own job!!!!

[Cryptoad]

18. How dare Obama ask Congress

to come off their 6 week paid vacation !

[elleng]

21. No surprise.

[Iliyah]

22. The Tea Brats

of the House hate Pres O the most. Anything he appears to want or do they will equivalently go against him. Then you have the warmongers who also hates Pres O but loves money more. Who will win the tuggle war?

[kestrel91316]

23. That's wonderful news.

[davidpdx]

24. So he does the right thing by consulting Congress

and then the idiots come out of the woodwork and say he should have just done it. Damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.

[Cryptoad]

25. you got it backward

GOP is damned if they do and damned if they don't

[davidpdx]

38. I see your point

But if they vote yes, then Obama will have to take responsibility as commander in chief if something goes wrong. The best case scenario is Congress says no and Obama sends Carter over to broker a deal.

[Cryptoad]

47. No the BCS is

to fly a drone up Assad's ass! then leave them to fight their little civil war!

[reformist2]

26. I don't like that Obama wants to bomb Syria, but I do like the way he's dividing the Repugs!

[totodeinhere]

33. I think you'll find that both parties will be divided over this.

There will be bipartisan coalitions on both sides of the issue.

[jmowreader]

31. You realize what would happen

If Obama were to drone Syria without consulting Congress, Peter King would file articles of impeachment for violating Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.

Since Obama is going to consult Congress before droning Syria, Peter King says he shouldn't be "passing it on" to Congress.

[AKing]

32. That's exactly what they would do and tie up the Dems thru the 2014 election..

No thanks Wingnuts

[Thinkingabout]

34. Yep, the GOP will be on the defensive this time, they can't vote for what the president wants for

Fear they will be primaried, if they vote to strike Syria then there will be blood on their hands. Remember when the GOP would brag about shooting first and asking questions later, now it is time for the GOP Bubbas to step up to the plate. Obama was blasted for strikes in Libya without Congress voting on it, now they sang their song and it is time to face more music. If Obama is not really wanting to strike Syria then a no vote will do the trick. If they vote yes then he will have to make the final plans. We know theUN is not going to act. Don't want to bet on the outcome.

[Cha]

45. You'd need a crystal ball.

[jimlup]

35. Whatever the outcome ...

I think Obama's move of asking for congressional approval will work out well for him politically. The Republicans will fall all over themselves trying to figure out how to make the commander and chief look bad and as a result they will come off as the ass-clowns they truly are.

[cstanleytech]

37. Bingo!!! nt

[heaven05]

36. I hope

they use clubs on each other. Neanderthal troglydites have them you know.

[fujiyama]

39. I think it was a brilliant move for several reasons

It forces Congress to share in the responsibility of foreign policy decisions. Obama is understandably sick of congressional republicans trying to have it both ways on all issues. They would have attacked him had he launched strikes without approval and they are now attacking him for asking for it? He knows they were planning to just use this event as another political club to whack at him with. Well, let them whack each other.

The NSA story showed how disingenuous congress is. They've abdicated their duty as a body of the government in providing oversight. Even when being briefed, only a small percentage even showed up.

I honestly think giving this much time is too much. Congress should be debating this Monday. Personally I am dead set against intervention, but the republicans' hypocrisy is shockingly transparent and they should be given no political cover on this. They need to squirm and I want to see the isolationist Rand Paul wing go at it against the Hawkish neo-con McCain wing. And then they'll be idiots like Cantor, who only care about MIC contracts.

[Iliyah]

40. Good post - fujiyama!

Also I have noticed Rand Paul's isolationist bloggers on the DU as well.

[Tumbulu]

42. Brilliant ! nt

[freshwest]

43. Beat me to it. Brilliant.

[Sunlei]

46. I want Congress to get back now, and call for an International military tribunal. Not a war.

'after recess' is to late, they need to get back now or meet online together. Work with the other countries for limited strikes on rocket and missile launchers.

[bluedeathray]

48. Yeah, the blame goes both ways too...

Obama is no fool.

[L0oniX]

49. The repukes can't be seen as agreeing with Obama. What a conundrum for them.

[Berlum]

52. "Should we be jerks, or should we be a-holes?" - Republican Debate

[ZombieHorde]

55. Hopefully, their anti-Obama bias will be stronger than their blood lust.

So far, their anti-Obama bias has been extremely obnoxious, but hopefully some good will come from it in this regard.