HOW OBAMA COULD WIN THE SYRIA VOTE

Politico:

Calling the current version a "blank check," Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) listed a few ways to narrow the [administration's] draft resolution, such as including a ban on use of ground troops and an expiration date in the legislative language.

"We want to make sure that any authorization is structured, is framed, so that it is very clear we are talking about a targeted, discreet response to the use of chemical weapons," added Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.).

Maybe -- maybe -- the president could win this vote if persuades Republicans that a more limited version of the resolution is absolutely unacceptable, and he simply won't allow himself to be constrained ... in a way that, in fact, is perfectly acceptable to him. Maybe if he makes Republicans think they can humiliate him by voting for a narrower resolution, he'll get a resolution he can actually live with. I don't think they'd fall for this, but apart from that, I can't imagine what they would vote for.

Or, of course, there's a much simpler way for the president to get this resolution passed: just a provision defunding Obamacare. Simple!

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UPDATE, TUESDAY: What was I saying immediately above?

.@ewerickson seems to think he's a member of Congress and that Syria and Obamacare are somehow related: https://t.co/AiywhGvDED

— Corbin Hiar (@CorbinHiar) September 3, 2013

Mr. President, you consider defunding Obamacare, I'll consider voting for your cruise missiles to Syria.

— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) September 3, 2013