I’ve been on vacation for the last week (actually still am). So I’ve only half or less heard all the commotions and developments in Syria. Besides the wonderfulness of being on vacation, being absent from all this has felt like a blessing.
I’ve generally been opposed to our getting involved in Syria’s civil war at all, especially as the rebel groups have become increasingly radicalized. In the present situation, which has its own special dynamics because of the use of chemical weaponry and President Obama’s extremely unfortunate ‘red line’, I’m uncertain what I think is the right thing to do.
But below are a few general points that I think are important to keep in mind. Read More
If you’re checking in on your holiday weekend and missed the President’s announcement on Syria, you can read the full statement here.
Whatever concerns you may have about President Obama ceding too much power to Congress, you have to admit that if he wanted to ignite a civil war between the isolationist and interventionist wings of the Republican Party, he could hardly have picked a better way to do it.
Their common opposition to all things Obama is probably not enough to keep them from tearing themselves apart over the Syria vote.
If so much wasn’t at stake, this would be a lot of fun to watch.
If you expected House Republican leadership to be magnanimous about President Obama seeking congressional approval for Syria action, you would be wrong.
I can’t help but think that the British House of Commons’ vote against military intervention in Syria forced President Obama’s hand. It’s difficult to imagine him making today’s dual announcement — that he will strike in Syria to confront its alleged use of chemical weapons but will seek approval from Congress first — had Parliament not voted the way it did. Read More
Justice Ginsburg to officiate same-sex marriage in DC this weekend. You won’t believe the name of one of the grooms.
Mitch McConnell campaign openly touting his support for the Violence Against Women Act that he has consistently opposed.
Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have started a probe — “probe” — of the entities tapped to help enroll people in Obamacare at the local level. And it’s now got Democrats hopping mad.
The leading Democrat on the committee, Henry Waxman, is accusing the Republicans of intimidation and obstruction. But even HHS, which is usually reserved, is criticizing the move as “a blatant and shameful attempt to intimidate groups who will be working to inform Americans about their new health insurance options and help them enroll in coverage, just like Medicare counselors have been doing for years.”
Sahil Kapur reports.
We’ve posted the just-released four-page U.S. intelligence assessment on the chemical weapon attack in Syria. Read it here.