There are two points I would like to make in this diary about Syria, but before that, I think that Rand Paul is batshit crazy on most policy issues that he takes. With that being said, the Republican Party is going through a huge internal fight between the Neo-Cons and the Libertarian Wing, and the Rand Paul libertarian wing will be right on the Syrian issue. This is an issue that Progressives and Democrats shouldn't let become a partisan "left vs right" issue like the NSA program where spineless Democrats stood up for the NSA because Democrats have the White House.
Two points:
Meteor Blades writes:
As of Wednesday afternoon, 92 lawmakers—76 Republicans and 16 Democrats—have signed a letter demanding that President Obama seek congressional approval before taking any military action in Syria. Circulated by Republican Scott Rigell of Virginia, the letter states: "We stand ready to come back into session, consider the facts before us, and share the burden of decisions made regarding U.S. involvement in the quickly escalating Syrian conflict.” Congress is not scheduled to be in session again until Sept. 9.
Then the
Huffington Post writes:
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released a statement Wednesday on the United States' potential intervention in Syria, calling for an "open debate" in Congress and warning that the United States has "no clear national security connection" to the conflict.
"We should ascertain who used the weapons and we should have an open debate in Congress over whether the situation warrants U.S. involvement," reads the statement. "The Constitution grants the power to declare war to Congress not the President."
Paul continues, "The war in Syria has no clear national security connection to the United States and victory by either side will not necessarily bring in to power people friendly to the United States."
On the Syria issue, Rand Paul is the voice of reason, and President Obama nor his administration should be making unilateral decisions to have any involvement in Syria. If the President goes forward with attacking Syria and risks igniting a powder keg in the Middle East, his legacy will become closer to George W. Bush's. If Democrats and Progressives want to grow a spine, they won't let Syria become a partisan "Blue vs. Red" issue.