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Bill Kristol explained yesterday on the NBC political commentary show “Meet the Press” that he believes Republican lawmakers will support President Obama’s decision to strike Syria in a military action. Obama has called for a military response to the gas attack the Syrian government perpetrated against its own citizens in August. Over 1,400 men, women and children were killed in that attack.
Although urging a military response, Obama decided to leave the final decision on whether to pursue such action to Congress. Since the majority of congressmen are Republicans, there is a fear that Obama might not get the support he needs for the Syrian strike. But Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, a conservative political journal, reassured Obama supporters that Republicans would indeed back the president.
“I think the Republican Party will step up and do the right thing and support the president against a chemical-weapons-using, terror-sponsoring, Iran-backed dictator,” Kristol said on “Meet the Press.”
Kristol also said that he wished that Obama had attacked Syria in 2011 and/or 2012. He added that he thought Obama’s decision to give Congress the last word on whether to use military force or not was the right one. Kristol compared this with George H.W. Bush’s decision to have military action authorized by Congress and the UN before taking action in the Persian Gulf in 1990.
