[akv]

IMHO any POTUS has a tough job, though Obama given the nature of his flashy rhetoric and utter lack of spine has talked himself into the type of pickle of a situation where he steps on his crank no matter what happens from here on out. I don't know how cagey Mccain or anyone on the hill needs to be to see a political short squeeze.

Politically, there is no downside for congress to vote this down, let Obama finally own something, because this will be ugly either way, there has already been a great deal of blood and there will be more. There is more to this than politics, if it was just the Assad regime and AQ wanting to duke it out, let Allah sort it out, we might even fence it off and drop in bayonets a la the Hunger Games.

However, I do feel America's enemies many of whom are developing or possess their own WMD will be emboldened by inaction. I don't for a second understand how a limited scale and scope strike accomplishes anything or is even possible, it's not just a matter of unknown unknowns, doesn't history or plain common sense tell us the enemy gets a vote once shots are fired? How can any of these talking heads predict how this ends, the Mid East has always been been a perpetual hornet's nest. Iraq and Libya have reinforced the lessons vaccums don't exist in nature, subsequent regimes can be even worse, and the bulk of the middle east isn't ready for democracy.

Personally I think this can only end with US boots on the ground to secure /ensure the WMD don't end up under AQ control, and congress must set clearly defined operational goals and objectives before once sending them in harms way. What is the objective in Syria, ending the Assad regime, eliminating the WMD?

If Congress wants to be cute they can say okay Mr. Obama since US credibility is now on the line as good Americans we will help walk your talk, but we are broke so we must tack on an addendum to repeal Obamacare to pay for Syria. Obama's narcissism will require a military strike with or without congress, at which point if events escalate to the point of requiring boots on the ground, Congress can come to the rescue " and reconsider given new circumstances"

I'd like to think our elected officials are on this issue finally more concerned with national interests here than re-election, Either way I wouldn't open up a lemonade stand next to the Russian consulate in Damascus anytime soon...