Sens. McCain and Graham just finished meeting with President Obama about Syria and are talking to reporters outside the White House. Cutting through all the self-righteous crap, you’re left with the fact that, despite their deep dissatisfaction with Obama’s Syria policy up to now, a limited strike on Assad is better than nothing, so they’ll go along with it. Read More

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U.S. Marines website hacked, purportedly by Syrian Electronic Army.

Putin with marine mammals.

A glimpse of the first same-sex wedding presided over by a Supreme Court justice.

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