Polling members of Congress from Tennessee and Virginia late last week to help out with a USA Today story on the chances of President Barack Obama winning approval for military action against Syria, I found several lawmakers saying they were undecided.
But they generally didn’t say it that simply.
Here’s a sampling of the statements they offered:
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, a Republican from the Chattanooga area: “Having spoken to constituents across the third district, they have made it clear that they are war weary. While the actions taken by the Assad regime are absolutely deplorable, we must have a clear objective before engaging in military action. I applaud President Obama for engaging Congress, but we have not seen comprehensive plan from him. I will continue to listen to my constituents and review materials as we approach this critical vote.”
Asked if that meant he was undecided, Fleischmann’s press secretary said he was “leaning no.”
U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia’s 6th Congressional District: “I have many questions and concerns regarding potential U.S. military action in Syria. At this point, while I remain skeptical of U.S. involvement in Syria, I will be carefully reviewing the classified intelligence to learn more about this attack and the Administration’s proposed response.”
U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat from Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District: “Any failure by the international community to strongly condemn these crimes against humanity could have dire consequences for the people of Syria, our allies in the region, and for the legitimacy of international law. However, I believe the precedence that will be set by engaging Syria militarily without the support of the United Nations, or at least an alternate coalition demonstrating an international consensus, would be problematic.”
And then there’s U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia. When I asked his office for his position, an aide referred me to Warner’s statement from Aug. 31, when he said yes to Obama’s decision to consult Congress but said nothing about the merits of military action.
“I commend the President for the decision to seek authorization from Congress,” Warner said. “The decision about whether or not to use military force in response to the Syrian atrocities raises significant issues that should be considered and debated by Congress. This debate will help define how America views its role as a world power.
“The tone that we use while having this discussion also is vitally important. These are issues that should not break down along typical partisan lines, and the debate will provide an opportunity to demonstrate that America’s elected leadership can come together to resolve serious issues. People across the country and indeed around the world will be watching closely as the world’s greatest democracy debates, and then decides, these important questions.”