Roll Call’s Steven Dennis does have a point. I certainly wouldn’t look good if all of those Congressmen demanding to be consulted on a strike in Syria were photographed lounging on the beach this weekend while the president slips on a suit and tie on a Saturday to announce his plan to seek congressional approval. That would be like catching Secretary of State John Kerry out on his yacht while Egypt burned, or learning that rookie U.N. Ambassador missed an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Syria because she was at a comedy film festival in Ireland.
A pal notes: what the hell is congress doing in recess until sept 9th, anyway? Most schools start in Aug. AC works fine in Capitol.
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) August 31, 2013
Sen. Marco Rubio was among those asking that Congress be called back into session immediately rather than waiting until Sept. 9.
.@MarcoRubio "Congress should return to Washington immediately" #Syria
— Lisa Mascaro (@LisaMascaro) August 31, 2013
.@marcorubio: "I agree with the decision to seek Congressional approval before taking military action in Syria…" (more)
— David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) August 31, 2013
.@marcorubio: "…And I believe Congress should return to Washington immediately and begin to debate this issue…"
— David M. Drucker (@DavidMDrucker) August 31, 2013
Sen. Chambliss: "The president should have demanded Congress return immediately and debate this most serious issue."
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) August 31, 2013
Sen. Isakson: "I wish [Obama] would have called us back to vote on this immediately rather than waiting until Sept. 9"
— Niels Lesniewski (@nielslesniewski) August 31, 2013
Add Susan Collins to the Call Congress Back Early Caucus
— Steven Dennis (@StevenTDennis) August 31, 2013
In the meantime, the president and vice president aren’t letting a beautiful Saturday afternoon go to waste.
From the pool: Obama and Biden are now playing golf.
— Carrie Dann (@CarrieNBCNews) August 31, 2013
Obama putting boots on the golf course. Playing today with Biden at Fort Belvoir.
— Roger Simon (@politicoroger) August 31, 2013
SYRIAously, Obama is on the golf course now?
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) August 31, 2013
Normally don't care when or how much Obama plays golf, but today might have been a good day to skip the course.
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) August 31, 2013
After putting the #Syria question in Congress' court, POTUS and VPOTUS now putting golf ball in play at
— Major Garrett (@MajorCBS) August 31, 2013
POTUS and VPOTUS playing golf at Ft. Belvoir…sorry for earlier #truncatedtweet
— Major Garrett (@MajorCBS) August 31, 2013
By my count, this is the 6th time Pres Obama and VP Biden have played golf together.
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 31, 2013
Now watch this drive: Pretty amazing Obama would make big statement on Syria, then head straight to golf course. But that's what he's done.
— Byron York (@ByronYork) August 31, 2013