Happy Friday the 13th. Hopefully nothing unlucky has happened to you today.
Greg Sargent on the criticism of Obama’s actions on Syria by pundits and Republicans:
I continue to be puzzled by an enormous imbalance we’ve seen in much of the commentary — from neutral analysts and Republican lawmakers alike — about Obama’s handling of Syria. On the one hand, the basic take has been that Obama’s handling of the process has shown him to be weak and inconsistent. He changed his mind on whether to go to Congress….He changed his mind again on using military force, instead opting to pursue a diplomatic solution when the possibility presented itself…
[But] Regardless of motive, wasn’t going to Congress the right thing to do, and wasn’t that preferable to him bombing without Congress?…Many of these critics won’t say whether they think exploring the possibility of a diplomatic solution was the right thing to do given that this possibility arose. This is particularly jarring when it comes from those who also say they can’t support war.
…Ultimately what this whole dodge comes down to is that one can’t admit to thinking that going to Congress and pursuing a diplomatic solution are the right goals for Obama to pursue, without undermining one’s ability to criticize Obama for betraying abstract qualities like firmness and consistency we all know a president is “supposed” to possess…. After all, if Obama’s changes of mind have now pointed him towards goals you agree with, how was changing course a bad thing?
CNN: “With the clock ticking towards two crucial deadlines, a new national poll indicates congressional Republicans would shoulder more blame than President Barack Obama for a possible government shutdown. [..] Only a third would consider President Barack Obama responsible for a shutdown, with 51% pointing a finger at the GOP – up from 40% who felt that way earlier this year.”
Some more polling goodness:
NEW JERSEY–US SENATE–Rutgers-Eagleton: Newark Mayor Cory Booker (D) 64, Steve Lonegan (R) 29.
SOUTH DAKOTA–US SENATE–Harper Polling: Former Gov. Mike Rounds (R) 52, Rick Weiland (D) 38.
ARKANSAS–US SENATE–Global Strategy Group (D): Sen. Mark Pryor (D) 47, Rep. Tom Cotton (R) 41.