It was Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul who pressed Secretary of State John Kerry to answer if the administration was prepared to take Congress’ vote on intervention in Syria seriously. “You are making a joke of us” if the resolution isn’t binding, Paul told Kerry, saying the whole process was just theater.
In an interview televised this evening, President Obama reiterated that he hasn’t yet decided what he’ll do if Congress doesn’t back him up on his plan for an “unbelievably small” action to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
BREAKING: Pres. Obama: ‘Fair to say that I haven’t decided’ on what action to take if Congress doesn’t approve military strike on #Syria
— NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) September 9, 2013
Obama tells NBC it's "fair to say that I haven't decided" what action to take if Congress votes against military strike against Syria
— Simon Carswell (@SiCarswell) September 9, 2013
Kerry had said the idea of doing nothing in Syria was an idea “too dire” to contemplate, but it appears the president’s plan just doesn’t have the numbers in Congress. We’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out: Harry Reid had said earlier today that a vote would be taken Wednesday — the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks — but that’s been delayed. If that’s not a sign that the Senate Majority Leader doesn’t have the numbers, what is?
BREAKING: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delays Senate test vote authorizing military force in Syria
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 9, 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid delays Senate test vote authorizing military force in Syria.
— Ken Thomas (@KThomasDC) September 9, 2013
One other tidbit out of the president’s round of interviews today: the Russians have given Obama an out of this whole “red line” business. Russia has offered to take Syria’s chemical weapons off its hands and dismantle them. If that course can be verified, the strike would “absolutely” be put on pause.
#Putin just offered #Obama a lifeboat, a diplomatic solution that allows the postponement of a vote on military action he may well lose.
— Philip J. Crowley (@PJCrowley) September 9, 2013
Obama tells ABC If Assad gives up his CWs military strike would "absolutely" be on pause, considers proposal "modestly" positive development
— Simon Carswell (@SiCarswell) September 9, 2013
BREAKING: Strike on pause if Assad turns over chem weapons? Obama tells @DianeSawyer, "Absolutely. If in fact that happens."
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) September 9, 2013
Obama doesn't have a choice but to accept Russia's "deal," and Putin knows it.
— (((AG))) (@AGHamilton29) September 9, 2013
I can't believe Obama's acting like he's going to take this Russia deal. Maybe he just has to.
— David Freddoso (@freddoso) September 9, 2013
If he takes the deal, it's much better than a war. It's also really embarrassing.
— David Freddoso (@freddoso) September 9, 2013
Though really, launching into this war would also be more embarrassing.
— David Freddoso (@freddoso) September 9, 2013
Being president is hard, Obama asks Putin to fill in the last 3 1/2 years.#stillbetteroff
— Frank ❌ (@FusionFrank) September 9, 2013
https://twitter.com/conncarroll/status/377200138504396800
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