« Some Comedy |
Main
|
Russia Does That Thing That Everyone Except the White House Brain Trust Knew They Were Going to Do »
September 10, 2013
Obama Would Have Failed to Amass Even 50 Votes for Syrian Air-Snub in Senate;
Rank Partisan Argument for War -- That Senators Have to Support This or His Presidency Is Over -- Failed to Move Votes
I don't know how the Tiger Beat Media can continue praising Obama as a demigod hero after this unmitigated debacle, but I'm also sure they'll endeavor to persevere.
“In their private moments, Mr. Obama’s allies said even the argument that his presidency would for all intents and purposes be over did not sway some unsympathetic Democrats, frustrated over how few victories there have been to hang on to in Mr. Obama’s fifth year in office.”
Imagine if Bush tried to whip votes for a War of Choice with the argument that people needed to support a war in order for him to maintain his domestic policy momentum on, say, cutting taxes.
Imagine it.
And yet the media reports this matter-of-factly, without any negative commentary, as if this is what presidents always do.
Meanwhile, Obama's classified briefings are pushing people off the fence -- but in the wrong direction, as far as Saving His Fifth Year of Political Legacy goes.
After listening to a classified briefing from five senior administration officials this evening, two more lawmakers came out in opposition to strikes against Syria, one went from undecided to leaning against, while another dozen hardened their positions from “lean against” to opposed…
Perhaps more troubling for President Obama are the tougher positions of many lawmakers who, until the briefing, had been only leaning against the resolution.
Obama has now asked for a vote on the Air Snub to be delayed.
AllahPundit asked what the hell would Obama talk about tonight now. I have thought the speech would be cancelled, but if it goes forward, I imagine he'll just improvise an Andy Rooney-style curmudgeonly rant.
"What's the deal with Red Lines, anyway? Why do they have to be Red? Red's a nice color. Why is being cast as the heavy? Stoplights are Red too. Red's being typecast as the villain, and I don't think that's fair.
"Now, you might say Santa Claus is Red too and he's nice. But is he? Santa Claus judges you and leaves you coal if you're bad. Once again Red is the Hockey Goon of primary colors.
"What about Green Lines? Maybe we should call them that. That sounds nicer. That sounds more positive. We could say, in a positive way, that if you cross the Green Line, you have given us the gift of permission to kindly share some cruise missiles with your army and your children.
"Have you ever thought about Alarm Clocks? I have. Now I'm going to talk about them for nine minutes because my nurse isn't monitoring my medication like she's supposed to and also she's stealing my pills to pay for her boyfriend's alpaca business."
Or something. I haven't thought this speech was actually going to happen for 24 hours.