In Washington, little appetite for a vote on Iraq

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http://hamptonroads.com/2014/08/washington-little-appetite-vote-iraq

In Washington, little appetite for a vote on Iraq
By Julie Hirschfeld Davis
The New York Times
© August 20, 2014

WASHINGTON

Mingling with Senate Democrats at the White House earlier this summer, President Barack Obama had a tart comeback to the suggestion that he should seek a vote of Congress before deepening U.S. military involvement in Iraq.

“Guys, you can’t have it both ways here,” Obama told the group, according to Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. “You can’t be ducking and dodging and hiding under the table when it comes time to vote, and then complain about the president not coming to you” for authorization.

The president’s comments were tinged with humor, Kaine said, but they reflected a serious reality that administration officials say has informed the president’s decision not to seek authorization to carry out airstrikes against militants in Iraq: Most lawmakers have little appetite for such a vote.

“This is not about an imperial presidency, it’s about a Congress that’s reluctant to cast tough votes on U.S. military action,” said Kaine, who prompted Obama’s remarks because of an opinion article he wrote for The Washington Post declaring that the president needed congressional authorization for military action in Iraq. “We should not be putting America men and women’s lives at risk if we are not willing to do the political work to reach a consensus that it’s necessary.”