August 30, 2013
Pelosi: "We must attack Syria to find out if it will do any good" [rdbrewer]
Jonah Goldberg's G-File
"For the first time since the Brits grew exhausted with the Hurricane of Fists they were getting from the 13 colonies, the British parliament voted against the government on an issue of war. Obviously, this was not directly Barack Obama's fault. But he's hardly blameless either. This mess is part of the larger mess he created." [rdbrewer]
ABC: Obama’s Off-the-Cuff ‘Red Line’ Creates Syria Dilemma
"White House aides say President Obama’s drawn-out decision making process on military action against Syria is evidence of a thoughtful, responsible leader. But it could also be the sign of a tortured spirit, a reluctant president who never wanted to find himself in this position in the first place." Via @slublog. [rdbrewer]
Charles Krauthammer, WaPo: Shamed into war?
"Or more accurately, shamed into action. Which is the worst possible reason. A president doesn’t commit soldiers to a war for which he has zero enthusiasm. Nor does one go to war for demonstration purposes." [rdbrewer]
Another NYT Warhawk
HA HA HA HAHA HA HAHAHA HA HAHA HA HA HA HAHA HA Added: And another. Related: NYT's official editorial policy leaked: "Anything Obama wants our position is 'You're darned tootin'!'" [rdbrewer]
Richard Fernandez, PJM: Crow
"Yet a climbdown would represent a public and devastating humiliation of the man who once believe he bestrode the world. It would also represent a huge propaganda victory for Assad.... Yet how long before everyone starts to ask themselves a more fundamental question: who needs Obama? It is too early to tell how damaged he has become with this, his latest debacle. But it is not inconceivable that the British rejection will mark the end — or the beginning of the end — of Barack Obama’s presidency." [rdbrewer]
J. Arthur Bloom: Are the National Review’s ‘Editors’ just Rich Lowry?
"Senior editor Ramesh Ponnuru was the first to disagree with Wednesday’s editorial, and penned a dissent at The Corner. Prominent NR writer Charles C.W. Cooke immediately endorsed Ponnuru’s post, entitled 'A Dissent on Syria,' and hours later publisher Jack Fowler did as well... Even a reliable hawk like Andrew McCarthy has ruled out intervention in Syria, as has columnist Mark Steyn." [rdbrewer]