General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: That was pretty goddamned incoherent, frankly. [View all]JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)Also ... do you actually think the US diplomatic corps have not been working on Syria's Chemical weapons LONG before Assad used them? You don't think, at a minimum, after the "red-line" question a year ago, they didn't engage counter parts around the globe on exactly that issue? What do you think those folks do all day.
As for Congress ... Obama didn't punt. He's forcing this do nothing congress to take an actual position, not shout from the sidelines, but actually take a position.
Tonight, in his speech, Obama knocked some of the elements of the Unitary Executive theory off the table. Very smart. Needed to be done.
Obama could have performed limited strikes, and he's be fine. Assad on the other hand, might be dead.
Assad needed a deal far more urgently.