Can Alan Grayson and Justin Amash Save America From Another Pointless War?

War... but  not as much as McCain

Boehner, Cantor and House Intelligence Committee chair Mike Rogers (R-MI) are all backing Obama's flimsy excuses to rush to war against Syria but will they and their Beltway Establishment allies-- who have certainly tossed out the so-called Hastert Rule on this one-- be able to swing the majority of Republicans into Obama's corner? Not likely, not even with Daddy Warbucks dangling big cash under their snouts. Many Republicans view their House leadership as decrepit and as much a part of "the Washington problem" as the Democrats. And despite support from the regular corporate whores, Boehner's endorsement won't have much impact on that group, as it didn't when the Amash-Conyers anti-domestic spying Amendment came up in late July. It nearly passed, 205-217. 94 Republicans voted with Amash against Boehner on that one. 134 Republicans stuck with Boehner. Amash has to do better this time because there will be a lot of pressure on the 111 Democrats who backed his Amendment. (83 Dems-- including Pelosi, Hoyer, Israel and Wasserman Schultz-- voted with Boehner.)

There have already been departures from both camps. This week, for example, Blue Dogs Jim Matheson (UT) and Collin Peterson (MN), both of whom were on the side of domestic spying, have said they're bailing on supporting Obama on war against Syria. Democratic freshmen in tough races-- who usually do whatever Steve Israel tells them to do and voted in favor of domestic spying-- are worrying that if they back war and the Republican challenging them opposes war, they'll lose next year. They should worry. Ami Bera (CA), Julia Brownley (CA), Cheri Bustos (IL), Bill Enyart (IL), Elizabeth Esty (CT), Lois Frankel (FL), Pete Gallego (TX), Joe Garcia (FL), Ann Kuster (NH), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY), Patrick Murphy (FL), Scott Peters (CA), Raul Ruiz (CA), Brad Schneider (IL), and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) are all in tight reelection races in swingy districts and all of them opposed Amash-Conyers and backed domestic spying. Many of them have either announced for or are leaning towards the pro-war position, putting their seats in grave jeopardy. Steve Israel will lead all of them into unemployment.

As Greg Sargent pointed out Wednesday morning in the Washington Post, Obama is working so hard to placate McCain, Graham and Netanyahu with harsher and harsher plans against Syria, that he could be alienating Democrats who haven't decided yet. His source: Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), a member of the leadership is always backs the Establishment position but who tries to pretend he's open to a progressive vision. He's a crass careerist who would like to either advance in the House leadership or grab the Mikulski Senate seat when she retires. But as DCCC Chair, he presided over the catastrophic losses of 2010 and was, at least temporarily, sidetracked with a Ranking Member Budget Committee position where he can play footsie with Paul Ryan all day.

“You’ve got some members of Congress, particularly Republicans in the Senate, who would like to use this resolution to open the door to large scale U.S. intervention,” Van Hollen told me. “That would be a big mistake. So to the extent that the administration tries to placate those voices, they’re going to get a lot of resistance from those of us, like me, who believe the scope needs to be significantly narrowed.”

No one in Congress has worked more effectively across the aisle on behalf of ordinary working families than Alan Grayson (D-FL). How many years had Ron Paul's bills to audit the Fed languished before Grayson finally came along and teamed up with him. Grayson brought along scores of Democrats willing to stand up to their corrupt Beltway Establishment and Paul brought scores of Republicans willing to stand up against their corrupt Beltway Establishment-- and they passed it. I hope Grayson and Amash team up at some point but right now each seems, at least, to be working effectively for a goal they both believe it-- international noninterference and a non-aggressive foreign policy. How effective each man is will determine whether or not the transpartisan corrupt Beltway Establishment gets its way on ware with Syria (and, perhaps, Iran, the ultimate goal of the neoCons). Amash will have plenty of help from his party's anti-Obama fringe and yesterday the Heritage Foundation announced their opposition to bombing Syria. Yesterday's Deseret News indicates that their strategy seems to be working, at least in Utah. The state has 4 House Members: Jim Matheson (D), Jason Chafetz (R), Rob Bishop (R) and Chris Stewart (R). The 3 Republicans voted with Amash against domestic spying and Matheson, as we mentioned above, stuck with Obama's very unpopular NSA agenda. This time Matheson has switched sides and it looks like Amash may be able to hold onto his 3 GOP colleagues.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, said Tuesday he's opposed to President Barack Obama's call for missile strikes against Syria because he doesn't "want to send a Hallmark card" to the Middle East nation.

"If we're going to go to war, go with everything we've got and win. A pre-announced, limited strike, I don't know that solves the long-term problem," Chaffetz said.

But he said while last month's deadly chemical weapon attack tied to the Syrian government is "a tragic, awful situation," it does not appear to be enough to warrant a military response from the United States.

"If there is a clear and present danger to the United States, then of course I want the president to act, and swiftly. But I don't see that in this case," Chaffetz said, adding he has not heard support for U.S. action from his 3rd District constituents.

Utah's only Democrat in Congress, Rep. Jim Matheson, said he was "not convinced we should be doing this," even though he condemned the horrific acts in Syria.

"There are a lot of unanswered questions," Matheson said, including what the strikes are intended to actually accomplish and what the U.S. exit strategy for the conflict is.

Matheson said he's "hearing a hesitancy about moving forward" from his constituents in the 4th District. "This is a complicated issue, to be honest with you. It really is."

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, said in a statement that he finds the situation in Syria "very troubling, leaving very little doubt that a critical line has been crossed."

But Stewart said before deciding how to vote, he wants more specifics on the strikes.

"Once I have all of the facts about the proposed military plan, I will make a decision as to the best way to protect our national security and strategic interest," the 2nd District congressman said.

Neither of Utah's senators have decided whether they support the action.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said he was pleased the president chose to seek congressional approval before proceeding with military action in Syria. Congress will be asked to back a resolution authorizing the strikes.

"Although I have yet to hear a persuasive argument that intervention in Syria is necessary to protect U.S. national security," Obama has "the chance to make that case to Congress and the American people," Lee said.

In 2012, Matheson beat Republican Mia Love 108,275 (49%)- 105,629 (48%). She's running against him again. Utah residents don't want another war, particularly not one led by a president they hate and distrust. If Matheson backed Obama, Love would win the seat hands down. This dynamic is going to play out all over the country. Any congressman who takes advise from Steve Israel on this deserves the fate they're courting.

A similar dynamic is playing out among candidates for Congress. Israel is advising DCCC candidates to lay low and not take any definitive public positions (and hope the voters are too dumb to notice). In the Massachusetts Democratic primary coming up October 15-- the winner of which will go on to Congress in December-- 4 of the leading candidates are ducking the question and refusing to take a stand. The one across the board progressive leader in the pack, state Rep. Carl Sciortino, has come out strongly against bombing Syria. Another Blue America candidate, Nick Ruiz in the Orlando area, sees it the same way as Sciortino. He's running against John Mica, a GOP old hack who's using the propagandistic phony-baloney rallying cry-- no boots on the ground-- to support Obama's position. Nick: "I just don't believe that a military strike now, and by us, is the right thing to do. We should engage the parties involved with stakeholders in the region, and collectively aid the displaced and victimized at the same time-- we can make a difference in the outcome in that way, and I believe we will have a more fruitful outcome, if we do. We have to evolve past the narrative of violence, as a global people. Which is not to say we should not defend ourselves or our neighbors if attacked. We should. The President is wrong on this issue-- but I respect our difference of opinion."

If you want to show support for candidates opposing an attack on Syria, you can do that here.