George Will: It’s ‘Astonishing’ Obama Doesn’t Want Congressional Support Against ISIS

Will’s Take: ‘Astonishing’ Obama Doesn’t Want Congressional Support for His Actions Against ISIS (National Review Online)

On Wednesday’s Special Report, George Will said it is astonishing that President Obama does not want support from Congress as a precondition for his action against the Islamic State in Syria. “One year ago the president said, “I cannot act in Syria without Congress because I am the president of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.” Now, he says, ”Not important”,” Will said. “There seems to be a distinction of constitutional dimensions between going to war in the air, not requiring Congress, going to war on the ground, requiring Congress.”

Will went on to say there is no way to read the text of the Constitution in a manner that gives the president the power to wage war against a country “that he [the president] thinks might someday pose a hypothetical danger to this country.” Leaving aside the constitutional questions, Will said, he would think Obama should want company on his plan because it deals with an inherently difficult problem.