Even for the biggest Republican cheerleaders of President Obama’s new strategy for combatting the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, apprehension persists about the commander in chief’s follow through.
House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers is lobbying his Republican colleagues to support Obama’s request for congressional authorization to arm and train Syrian rebels as part of his broader plan to defeat the Islamic State.
But during a private meeting of House Republicans on Thursday, the Michigander was critical of the tone Obama struck during a primetime address to the nation laying out his Middle East battle plan.
Rogers lamented Obama’s decision to use a speech intended to reassure Americans that the U.S. will defeat Islamic State to repeatedly emphasize that military action will be limited in scope. Obama was adamant that his plan calls for no U.S. ground troops to be deployed — a decision that enjoys wide support among congressional Republicans.
But Rogers, according to members and aides who attended the meeting, said Obama’s choice to emphasize this fact signals a hesitant approach undermines the prospects for success leaves much to be desired compared to President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II.
“Mike Rogers said it best when he said it to the Republican conference: Can you imagine Roosevelt going before the American people and listing all the things that he would not do to the Japanese?” Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., told reporters on Thursday. “A president doesn’t lead by going out and saying all the things he’s not willing to do. That just emboldens the enemy.”
Another House Republican in attendance said the meeting was generally devoid of the kind of political grandstanding and reflexive rejection of Obama policies that often characterize such gatherings.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, explained why he favored supporting the president’s request for authorization to arm and train Syrian rebels. Opposition among the rank-and-file was muted, with most using the session to talk through the potential risks and rewards of the strategy.
Many House Republicans, perhaps a majority of the conference, appear ready to back Obama.
But as the Washington Examiner reported on Thursday, deep frustration remains with the president regarding what Republicans charge is a lack of determination to prosecute the war against Islamic State over the long term, in the midst of likely setbacks that usually accompany military operations. Republicans also question whether Obama’s strategy can get the job done and want the president to take a more comprehensive approach.
“A lot of our members don’t feel like the campaign that was outlined [Wednesday] night will accomplish the mission that the president says — and that is to destroy [Islamic State,”] Boehner told reporters. “A lot of our members think a lot more needs to be done.”
