President Barack Obama.
President Barack Obama has decided to place the ball squarely the Court of the Congress on whether to strike Syria for alleged use of chemical weapons on his own people. Cable TV is abuzz with talking heads coming to their own conclusions on how that is perceived not just in America but all over the World. Experts are making the case that the President certainly has the power to strike at Syria without Congressional approval . In fact the President as Commander-in-Chief does have Authority to approve Drone strikes and other Military action without Congressional approval. They argue he has the power to authorize a strike on Syria without conferring with Congress.
I am willing to bet that the President, a Constitutional Lawyer, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient knows exactly what his authority is . Congress for it’s part is urging the President to confer with them before taking action. But is the House of Representative of the United States asking the President to consult with them for the right reason? Is the Congress and the Republican House in Particular asking the President to consult as a way to neuter the president? Why is the Congress with approval numbers barely out of the single digits, now wants in on decisions of Foreign Policy?
House Speaker Re. John Boehner:
Is Obama doing the right thing by essentially abdicating his responsibility as far as NY Republican Peter King is concerned? Is the President setting a bad President for future Presidents? Will future Presidents have the same racial constraints of Barack Obama. Have the decision of the British Parliament played a part in the decision of mister Obama? Retired General Barry Mcaffery of the first Iraq war, said on MSNBC, he is pleased with the President’s decision to go to the Congress , yet it will be interesting to see how Democrats in that body vote to authorize war, and Republicans vote for anything Obama.
We will have to see how these questions gets answered in the days and weeks ahead. I am willing to bet that the members of the Republican Congress cannot be trusted to put politics aside ever, for a democratic President and certainly not for this one this one. Whatever the decision of the Congress, I am sure Obama has thought through the possibilities, he was surprised by the vote in the British Parliament, it is difficult for an American President to go to war when it’s staunchest ally say we don’t want any part of it. Obama saves some face in his red-line threat to Syria . Now he gets to say the Congress tied my hands. Republicans in Congress wants to govern, now they have a chance to.