President Barack Obama, in the midst of what may be his biggest foreign policy crisis, the planned bombing of Syria over the use of chemical weapons on innocent civilians, has displayed wisdom, coolness, and good judgment in calling for a Congressional discussion and vote, even though he has the authority as Commander in Chief to take action in the name of international law and common decency, morality, and ethics!
The Congress should be called back by Speaker of the House John Boehner immediately to meet on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, six days early, as this is a crisis which requires debate and vote as soon as possible!
But even if it goes another week, until debate begins, this move by Obama insures that no one can say he took reckless action in a hasty manner!
Of course, the Congress COULD decide NOT to back military action, but that is extremely unlikely, as the Senate is controlled by Democrats, and there are Republicans, a lot of them, who will back Obama, including John McCain and Lindsey Graham in the leadership, but others as well, even if some Democrats refuse to do so!
And in the US House, most Democrats will back the Commander in Chief, and not all that many Republicans, certainly not a majority, are necessary to back Obama!
But what will occur out of this controversy is that the Republican Party, already engaged in its own “civil war” between the so called “establishment” and the Tea Party lunatics, will now see the party rent asunder, cracking into pieces, which will affect the 2016 nomination battle, and the long term future of both groups within the party, with a good chance the GOP, as we know it, will NOT survive!
It will be fun to see the McCain-Graham and other mainstream conservatives fighting against libertarian Rand Paul, and likely Ted Cruz and others of the Tea Party group, and will force Marco Rubio to show if he has “cajones”!
The rhetoric will fly fast and thick, and will show up the Tea Party as dangerous, reckless, lunatic, delusional, and other colorful adjectives, and Rand Paul will see his isolationism, his naivete, his stupidity, his delusional nature, demonstrated for all to see!
And the nation and Barack Obama will come out looking intelligent, knowledgeable, courageous, principled, and we will thank ourselves for the fact that Barack Obama is our Commander in Chief in tough times, as was the case with Lincoln, Wilson, FDR, Truman, JFK, Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Clinton before him!
Glad to see him do this. There’s been a lot of outcry for him to do so.
We are fortunate to have him as our President–Joe Biden as Vice President–John Kerry as Secretary of State–and Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense! We are in good hands!
I can tell you which side this Republican will be standing.
Really? I have NO Idea! LOL hahaha
We think alike Professor Feinman! Brilliant move on the part of our President!
Kerry was impassioned and presidential in his speech and I was impressed.
It will be interesting to watch the clown show put on by the republicans in the next couple weeks.
It’s interesting to hear the pros and cons on the various news programs tonight of the president’s decision today.
Interestingly a Colonel Jacobs , a guest on MSNBC stated that President Obama more or less threw Kerry under the bus today because Kerry gave such a strong case for intervention. He went on to say that now world leaders will not believe Kerry carries the President’s message. Jacobs hinted that Obama made an end run around Kerry. He continued saying that if the resolution does not pass it will weaken the President.
I don’t see it that way but Im no expert. I believe Kerry said exactly what the President wanted him to say, he made the case for intervention, then the President made his decision to make congress get involved as adults or look like idiots.
We all know the congress will damn him no matter what he does. I think President Obama is saying ok boys and girls, put up or shut up! I would love to be listening in to all the phone calls going on between all the republican congress members right about now! LOL! They have to make a decision!! They are not used to making any decision other than obstruction!
How about the implications for the Syrian rebels who thought the US was going to send in the cavalry in the next few days?
Your further thoughts on this?
How about you Engineer?
Everyone, what do you think happens if Congress votes No on any intervention?
I do think the congress, on their own, should come back to DC now and not wait until Sept. 9 possibly 9/11 to make a decision?
Anyone else’s head spinning?
Huh? Engineer, you’re a Republican?
Engineer is a moderate Republican, Maggie. He has so stated before on this blog!
Maggie, I think Obama will do what he has to do, whether or not Congress goes along with him. He is promoting consultation, but remember foreign policy and military policy are the prerogative of the President, not Congress.
I think Congress will go along by majority vote, but nothing will stop what the President intends to do, and I totally disagree that Kerry has been thrown under the bus, far from it!
The Congress should come back on September 3, but don’t count on it!
The Syrian rebels will have to wait for us to intervene, and we still need to make sure that they are a safe group to support.
Hello Professor,
I’ll be on the internet blog radio tonight at 6:00 PM and the discussion will be on the Syrian War.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/here-be-monsters/2013/09/01/the-sunday-show
I sent the talking points of John Nash’s “Game Theory” as the aspects I want to pass on. Hope you can tune in.
Engineer, thanks for what you are doing, and for your wisdom!
The media is having a meltdown over this.
http://www.thepeoplesview.net/2013/08/media-industrial-complex-has-meltdown.html
I think the liberal media has lost all credibility, and that we have allowed media to make the story, rather than report the story. This is the problem of electronic media–rush to judgment—far worse than any print source has ever been able to do so quickly, and in a destructive manner.
Obama is doing the right thing, and we are not intervening in the war itself, just taking a stand for international law and morality and ethics, and if we do not do that, then we are bankrupt as a nation in world affairs, and it has nothing to do with Great Britain, as they are no longer a world power, and the vote in their Parliament confirms that sad fact, that they will regret in the future!
Hello Professor,
The show went very well. Good intelligent discussions on the subject…..and I was the most conservative voice. 🙂
Engineer, define what you mean by “most conservative voice” with a smile! LOL
The liberal members of my family are shocked about this and concerned about his decisiveness.
Obama is showing brilliance, Jane Doe, so tell them not to worry. It will work out, and be a great political ploy as well, effectively splitting the opposition and harming Rand Paul at the least, a good thing!
Funny to see you progressive war hawks clucking around with Kerry “throw my medals over the white house fence” and obama the do nothing senator Nobel Peace Prize laureate president and Biden “impeach Bush for moving without congressional support. LOL obama panics after seeing Briton will have nothing to do with his 18 month fading red line crossing. Even funnier watching you progressives rubbing elbows with the loony McCain and Lindsey Graham. Putin is snickering at our bumbling poor excuse for a leader.
The g20 meetings will be very interesting.
Hello Professor,
The topic this week was the potential Syrian involvement for the U.S. The other guests were against any involvement in Syria but it was a good discussion and all points were brought out. I took the viewpoint that something had to be done but with a measured “Game Theory” based plan before we enter into the involvement.
The other guests were:
Joseph Holsworth, author of the book, “The Devils of Eden.†He is a vet who’s written about his experiences in Afghanistan.
Joseph Holsworth’s novel delivers a perspective unique to modern war and contemporary America. The author does not infuse the story with the common glorifications that so often accompany military writings. He instead writes with an authentic sense of humility and carries a humble tone, reflecting his dismal outlook toward his involvement in the war. The story is as raw and unforgiving as it is curiously humorous and satirical. The Devils of Eden tells the story of a young reconnaissance paratrooper deployed to Afghanistan toward the beginning of the occupation. The young soldier becomes quickly disenfranchised by the war effort as he continuously sees that the glory of war is but an alluring poem to the ears of young men eager to kill for god, country, or whatever else. This novel is unrivaled in its time and will serve as an honest depiction of America’s involvement in Afghanistan for generations to come.
Kim G host and producer of AWOP (a world of progressive) radio
Kim, also known as A Progressive Girl, founded A World of Progress while living on a mountaintop in Tennessee. Her aim then as now is publish voices that need to be heard, progressive voices seeking solutions, political and otherwise, that benefit all and not the privileged few. Kim now lives in Asheville, North Carolina, with her partner and two dogs.
Rick Spisak, commentator and host of PNN – progressive news network
Progressive News Network each week interviews Progressives from across the state of Florida. Progressive News Network gets the story direct from activists who every day work to cultivate a better FLORIDA.
Our air, and water, our justice system, our voting system, our education system – showcasing how everyday Activists bring tomorrow’s Florida to life.
Join our senior correspondent Rick Spisak and his guests for the good news, direct from the activists who breathe life into the FUTURE! – solidarnosc!
It was a very good exchange of civil ideas.
Thanks for the info, Engineer! Appreciate it!
@Davy No Nothing,
It is against my morals to let brutal dictators get away with genocide.
People are dying and about to die, and all you, as well as the media and Democrats in general, are thinking about is Obama? As if this issue is about Obama and not the country? I have been listening to the media and politician and it seems that all they care about is how this affects Obama? Have you all gone mad?
@Leia: Is that how you felt when Saddam was taken down? Or are you like many young libs you came to realize war is cool when Obama initiates them?
Eugene Juan Peron Roberto
I am not supportive of the Iraq war because that was based on lies.
Eugene Juan Peron Roberto
Unlike some liberals and progressives you’ll encounter, I’m not completely pacifist. I believe that military force should be the last option. With Syria, my first preference would be to send the weapons inspectors back in, with a new mission: find and destroy Assad’s chemical stockpiles, as well as his delivery capacity. But that would take a resolution of the UN Security Council, and Russia (and probably China) will stand in the way. As much as I hate it, I feel that we’re at that last option point now.