Breaking: Obama to ask Congress for approval to Strike Syria

The truth is, left-leaning posters were exactly the same with Bush.

 

Absolutely. Polorizing issues one way or the other is one of the most fundamental problems we face today.

In this instance I was taking issue with the suggestion that not declaring war more immediately was proof of indecisiveness and/or poor leadership. Its a ridiculous accusation to make.

 

Nope, we were right about Bush.

 

Unrelated - just wondering - are you a Rockets fan or did you find this BBS by accident (or because you knew Clutch) and started liking it for the talk about politics?

Edit: Question answered - just did a search - you did post in the GARM many years ago.

 

Unfortunately but iraq was an easy call if you pay any attention to history. it was a totally stupid decision that i still cant believe was so widely supported

 

Hillary was supportive, remember!

*snort*

 

The ultimate hypocrisy of texxx in effect.

 

Absolutely not. He's a "known known" in Rumsfeld-ese.

 

We were. We also have plenty of hard evidence to support the notion that President Obama might as well have been a Bush staff member, around the time Senator Obama was typically opposing W. Their modes of operation in practice as president turned out to be just that similar. It's clear that either have/had agenda's paramount to those they address publicly.

There's a widespread acceptance of waiving personal responsibility, and focusing 100% on policing the perceived opposition. It's a big reason I'm always spouting out examples of bias when debating here. We could all stand to be more self aware and willing to acknowledge personal failure, rather than just "booing every flag" that doesn't work in your team's favor. Despite the current popular belief that a focus on wedge issues maintains, politics aren't competition where you'll be docked points for admitting you're wrong or that the other side got something right.

So many people don't know where their own beliefs begin, and where the policy of the party they instinctively threw their support behind ends. Maybe when people are willing to hold all parties equally accountable, they'll be more willing to support 3rd parties who actually share common objectives or beliefs beyond wedge politics.

 

Top Republicans warn Syria no vote would be 'catastrophic'

http://news.yahoo.com/mccain-says-vote-against-syria-strike-catastrophic-194241900.html


Two top Republicans warned Monday of catastrophic consequences if Congress votes against striking Syria and suggested the White House may be mulling a more robust military intervention.

Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, Republican hawks who have long advocated deeper US involvement in Syria's civil war, met President Barack Obama as part of his efforts to sell US lawmakers on military action.

McCain emerged from the meeting with a stern warning for fellow Republicans who may be considering voting against military action purely to damage the Democratic president.

"A vote against that resolution by Congress I think would be catastrophic," said McCain.

"It would undermine the credibility of the United States of America and the president of the United States. None of us want that."

Graham, who is facing a tough primary fight from his right for the Republican Senate nomination in South Carolina, warned of the wider consequences of a failure to back military action.

"I can't sell another Iraq or Afghanistan, because I don't want to," Graham said.

"(What) I can sell to the people of South Carolina (is) that if we don't get Syria right, Iran is surely going to take the signals that we don't care about the nuclear program.

"It weighs on the president's mind strongly about the signals we send," Graham said.

The two senators also offered what appeared to be indications of evolving administration thinking about its Syria policy.

Obama has stressed that any US action, expected to include cruise missiles, would be "limited" and "narrow."

But McCain suggested that more US muscle than expected might be deployed.

"We have been given some reason to believe that very serious strikes may take place as opposed to cosmetic," McCain said.

"We now need to see a lot of the details."

The plan could be intended to degrade President Bashar al-Assad's capabilities and upgrade those of vetted opposition groups, McCain suggested.

Graham indicated that the administration, which resisted arming Syrian rebels for months, may be prepared to build on a nascent plan to provide military support to some rebels announced after a previous, small scale chemical weapons attack.

"There seems to be emerging from this administration a pretty solid plan to upgrade the opposition," Graham said, saying regional players like Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan should play a key role.

 

When did John Mcain and Lindsey Grahm become "top Republicans" ?

Shades of Johnson...Vietnam..."dishonor"

These sound like talking points taken straight from the lunatic fringe of the Knesset.

If I wasn't American, I'd be errupting in mocking laughter.

McCain apparently didn't get the memo that the guys he met in Syria weren't exactly the only members of the rebel coalition.

Jordan already said they were out in terms of military force, and does anyone really not think that Turkey and the Saudi royal family don't have transparently ambitious ulterior motives?

Charles Taylor answered for genocide in Liberia and it didn't have to require the strenghth of the world's most powerful military to kill a bunch of civillians to achieve it. There are other ways to deal with things like this.

The only thing missing was the "do it to save Israel" card which is only for the constuients of these Senators in AZ and SC that don't know that Israel enjoyed complete air superiority even when Syria had an functional air force.

 

Good lord -- what a lot of madness.

Let's hope this is exactly where Graham and McCain cease to be considered "top" republicans in any way. This would be the closing embarrassment if they now lose the authorization vote.

 

Both?

 

WHO THE HELL IS IN CHARGE HERE?

What a comedy

 

Really hoping someone in this country has a spine and says no to another conflict. I'm proud of Obama for turning it over to Congress... I'll just leave it at that.

 

bigtexxx's hate for Obama and a certain race is so strong he would probably put a towel rag on and fight for the opposition.

 

oh not again.

are we back to the immature logic that if one criticizes Obama, therefore they must hate blacks?

think, people, think.

 

Both, and is that really so wrong?

 

You let me know when Mr Obama lies the country into a war that kills 4500 Americans and countless innocents and we'll discuss equivalency in party politics.

 

Perfect example. Justifying support for one war criminal by attempting to establish them as a lesser evil.

Classic.