Can you blame them?
With the November elections approaching, Congress will leave town to go home and campaign without bothering to take an on-the-record vote on whether or not it supports President Obama's military campaign against ISIS—and that has senators and representatives falling over each other to say that they are embarrassed and ashamed by their political dithering.
For example:
"I find it an act of cowardice, but not astonishing," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
"Is it embarrassing? Yes," said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.). "It's an election year. Self-preservation trumps national security." [...]
"I think we should complete discussions on this now. Absolutely," said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). "This is what we're paid to do."
"Why wouldn't you vote?" asked Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.). "Either you're for it or against it, and if you can't defend either being for it or against it, you don't have any business being here in the first place."
And who could forget what GOP congressman Jack Kingston of Georgia
said on this topic?
“It’s an election year. A lot of Democrats don’t know how it would play in their party, and Republicans don’t want to change anything. We like the path we’re on now. We can denounce it if it goes bad, and praise it if it goes well and ask what took him so long.”
Such a shame it is to have all these members of Congress feeling let down by the institution in which they serve. And it's hard to argue: There should be a vote, and accountability, right? And if only they knew someone in a position of power, maybe they could do something about it instead of bellyaching to the press.