Congress Set to Bow to Obama on ISIS War

[DonViejo]

Josh Rogin

Congress says it wants to have a role in authorizing Obama’s ongoing war against ISIS. But the White House is using a series of maneuvers to make sure that never happens.

In recent days, leading lawmakers in both parties have been talking tough about forcing the Obama administration to devise and then reveal its strategy to “degrade and destroy” ISIS, as President Obama has promised. There have been public calls for hearings and votes on whether Congress should formally give Obama the authority to do what he’s already doing in Iraq and what he might soon want to do in Syria.

But behind the scenes, there’s no clear plan for Congress to exert its will or even make its wishes known. Lawmakers, staffers, and officials told The Daily Beast that the administration’s refusal to tell anyone its strategy and work with Congress on a bill to authorize military action means the task of passing such a bill is a Sisyphean effort likely to fail. The Hill may not even be able to muster a vote, they say.

“Members will certainly have discussions about the path forward on [ISIS] when they return next week, but how could Congress vote to authorize some action when the president hasn’t even made a compelling case to the American people about what our national objective and strategy should be?” a senior House GOP aide told The Daily Beast.

There’s widespread frustration in both chambers and both parties about President Obama’s admission that “we don’t have a strategy yet” to deal with ISIS in Iraq and Syria. But now the lack of strategy is actually protecting Obama from oversight because Congress can’t authorize or reject what it can’t understand.

more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/05/congress-set-to-bow-to-obama-on-isis-war.html

[JustAnotherGen]

1. One

I don't believe that President Obama doesn't have a strategy yet.

Two - he wouldn't show his hand if they are still formulating the plan.

Three - I want the most peaceful solution with the least loss of life.

I'm a bit of a pacifist so I don't a full on war with another terrorist organization - that mentality has put a lot of innocent people in the grave in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.

[leftyohiolib]

2. 4 this comgress wants him to fail so badly that if potus tells congress what

he intends to do congress will leak it to the press so that everyone will know

[JustAnotherGen]

3. ding ding ding!

Another winner!

He cannot under any circumstances let House or Senate Republicans in on what is going on.

The only people/person they hate more than the President are the American people.

[global1]

6. The Repubs Want To Know So That They Can Take The Opposite Side Of Whatever He Decides.....

not knowing what he intends to do makes them uneasy because they don't know if they will wind up saying something that basically agrees with what he will do. They don't want to be on his side.

I'm thinking that Congress wanting to act on this issue is there way of backing him into a corner. If they authorize that he can go into Syria after ISIL/ISIS - and he doesn't do it - they can criticize him.

[global1]

4. A Good Leader Doesn't Always Resort To The Sword.......

There is this notion that to be a leader one has to go to war. I really like President Obama's style of not overeacting to a situation and really thinking it through and formulating a plan when all the facts are in and all the assessments are done.

It really upsets me to hear people say that the President isn't leading.

Look at what that bonehead Dubya got us into.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Amen to it all!

I've appreciated his level head and patience during this adminstration.

That's not blindly following the leader. it's fact - patience is his hallmark.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Well, Rogin's sources are invariably McCain, Graham, and House R's

on the armed services committee. He's their personal secretary, getting their opinions out and taking swings at Obama. Obama only said he didn't have a strategy YET on whether to strike in Syria, but they of course want to make it seem like he has no idea what to do in Iraq either--even though we're already following a clear strategy there.