Thursday Open Thread 9.5.13

“In a world in which threats are more diffuse and missions more complex, America cannot act alone. America alone cannot secure the peace.”

— President Obama, in his Nobel Peace Prize speech in 2009.

In all this Syria discussion, we kinda forgot that the end of the world is imminent in mid-October. Yeah, remember about the budget deadline (October 1) and debt ceiling deadline (October 15). Republicans all summer were saying that they would shut down the government and default on the debt if President Obama did not repeal Obamacare. For the last two weeks, they have kinda shut up about that, maybe because of a point First Read makes:

“Would a Congress that authorizes military action in Syria shut down the U.S. government and default just a few weeks later?”

Actually, in my opinion, of course the Republicans in Congress would. They would vote for military action, and then make their Obamacare demands and then say that the President hates our military and our troops because he won’t repeal Obamacare.

Maybe Congress will save itself from itself. Politico:

“Sources tell us the House and maybe even the Senate would not approve the Syria military strike if the vote were held today. The support of the top leader in each chamber is doing little to overcome what a number of members call surprisingly unconvincing private briefings by the White House, State and Pentagon.”

An ABC News whip count finds 199 House members either opposed or likely to oppose the resolution. The Washington Post has 174 likely to vote against.

Mmmmmm…. if Republicans in Congress vote this Syrian Authorization down, they will feel like they have humiliated the President. Thus giving them cover to reach budget and debt deals. Hmmmmm.

F*cking genius, that President Obama.