Posted on 09/05/2013 9:08:44 AM PDT by Timber Rattler
Virginia Congressman Jim Moran (D) readily admits that the residents of his congressional district in Arlington and Alexandria don't agree with his support for an air strike on Syria.
"The vast majority of my constituents are opposed," Moran admitted in an interview Thursday with WMAL's Mornings on the Mall. "You have to make a call in terms of whether you're going to be fully representative of your constituents, or you're going to try to show some leadership on an issue like this, and this is one where I feel strongly enough," he added.
Moran says the U.S. has no choice but to respond to what he believes is clear evidence of chemical weapon use against civilians in Syria.
"If we don't what are the consequences? I think the consequences are dire, not as much for today, but for our children tomorrow. I don't want my kids and grandkids living in a world where weapons of mass destruction are the new norm of war-fighting," he said.
The 22-year Congressman believes his constituents oppose a strike on Syria because they feel burned by the U.S. war in Iraq, which killed or injured thousands of American soldiers.
"They were in favor of the Iraq invasion when I was opposed to it, and I felt just as strongly that the facts and history would bear out my judgment," said Moran, who believes the same line of thinking was behind Great Britain's decision not to get involved. When WMAL's Larry O'Connor asked Moran if he believed Britain had abdicated its responsibility by opting out, he responded, "Yes actually, I do."
"I think that their decision is largely a repercussion from the Iraq war, and I think the opposition on the part of the Congress and the people of the United States is largely the ramifications of the Iraq war, which turned out to have been a mistake," said Moran. "There's no question in my mind that had Britain not supported the Iraq war and been misled by (then-Prime Minister) Tony Blair, that they would have been more than anxious to stand alongside us in this Syria conflict," he added.
Moran told WMAL many of his colleagues in Congress are also reticent to give their support for an attack because they fear similarities to the Iraq war. If Congress ultimately votes down an authorization to strike, does Moran believe the President will go forward with the strike anyway?
"I just don't know," said Moran. "I would have thought that he would have upheld the credibility of the United States and the viability of his Presidency by acting as he thought was necessary, rather than leaving the fate of our reputation and his Presidency in the hands of a Congress that has proven itself at every turn to disappoint him and the American people," he added.
WMAL Ping
Moran is in a very safe district. It is a virtual sinecure. He had a messy divorce. He needs the money.
Sadly, he probably actually BELIEVES that history HAS done so, in fact Iraq, until Obama screwed it up, turned out to be OK.
The people supporting this tend to be people who don’t mind seeing Israel suffer. Since that is the most likely bad outcome of an attack, they probably see that as an argument for doing so.
That is exactly what he should have done. Bush would have done it. Heck, Clinton would have done it, once he zipped his pants up.
Obama is a coward. He always second-guesses himself, he never takes responsibility, he is easily swayed by the last person he listened to.
At this point, he has treated the entire thing like a criminal investigation, so he should continue that way, and bring Assad up on war crimes to the tribunal. Or implement an embargo, or something that actually hurts them.
I don’t want to see our military used as a punishment tool for criminal activity.
>Another one who puts loyalty to Obama and party before loyalty to his constituents. RATS like to think they’re smarter than their lowly constituents.<
Ahem. Northern Virginia (or NOVA, to the rest of us) put our commonwealth’s electoral votes in Obama’s column. NOW they don’t agree with Dear Leader, yet the detestable ‘Rat they continue to elect to the House of Representatives gives them the finger?
Too bad, so sad. Put some ice on it.
Yeah, RAT voters are getting what’s coming to them big time. It’s the only redeeming thing about this crazy mess we are all in.
that would make sense if his real target was Assad or even his supporters. His real target is the republican party and he’s trying to trap them. Put them in a position for the media to blame them no matter what happens. It’s all about winning a few seats in 2014.
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