The prospect of military action in Syria is causing fragmentation within the already-divided Republican Party. National Review’s Robert Costa, an invaluable source on Capitol Hill, shows us just how that could play out when it comes time for the GOP to make a decision:
One key element to understand right now: House GOP leadership may stand w/ O, but they priv think this is *his* issue to solve
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
@igorvolsky In other words, R hawks want O to be more forceful. O's red line waver and Geneva cite doesn't exactly excite them
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
@brianbeutler yes. I hear WH is quietly trying to work w/ some pt people in House GOP leadership, but they say, "do you even have Sen Dems?"
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
Boehner and Cantor juggling a lot right now w/ Syria… McCarthy wary, Class of '10 wary, Bush-era hawks are aging backbenchers
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
House Rs tells me many older members aren't as hawkish as you'd think. Why? Their pals got burned by Iraq/war vote and lost '06 seats
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
DeMint used to run this semi-secret mtg of House and Sen conservatives. Paul now hosts a regular breakfast w/ sim crowd + libtrn types
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
Lamar, Cornyn, and Enzi — all up in '14 — are leaning no on Syria
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
Did you know that Rand Paul is mtg w/ lots of Reagan and Bush 41 officials? http://t.co/qMucJ5CXqM
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
Grassley leaning no, Iowa GOP brass opposed… hawks may play in Iowa in '16, but the grassroots may not be w/ them
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
McCain's role here is interesting. Has influence over party's FP msg, big spokes, but when it comes to whipping colleagues, not so much
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
Winds from tea party's war weariness, voters' skepticism, Paul's rise, and Obama's weakness swirling around undecided Rs
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
@EJDionne My bad there. I meant their perceptn of O's weak hand. As one R told me, some hawks think he's slipping & they won't jump to help
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
Paul's play has two stages: 1) behind scenes, try to get House Rs to "nay" 2) if House vote fails, pressure O to not act w/o Congress
— Robert Costa (@costareports) September 5, 2013
This level of insight is a rare commodity in Washington. Costa’s NRO colleague Kevin Williamson certainly appreciates it:
https://twitter.com/KevinNR/status/375614867668860928
And so do we.
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