David Brooks: Obama"s Decision To Go To Congress "Very Unfortunate"

DAVID BROOKS: Well, first, internationally, it looks a little more unilateral, so it looks a little more Bush-like, to be honest.

Before, Russia seemed isolated. Now we’re looking not isolated, but with a smaller coalition, as Mark said. In Congress, I think it’s bad. I think the decision to go to Congress was a very unfortunate decision, because it made it much bigger than Syria itself.

Now it’s a test case for Obama’s credibility, credibility around the world, and credibility at home. There is a common assumption that he can rally public opinion, he can lean on Congress, and ultimately they will force Democrats to say — they don’t like the policy, but they will say you can’t let Obama go down and have his credibility destroyed.

I’m really dubious that that’s going to be the case. I think Republicans are going to be largely against. That’s really clear. The Democrats in their hearts, they’re against. The noise from their districts is going to be solidly against. Pelosi is very good at rallying votes. But I think this is a — going to be an uphill fight for them, and if he loses, it will be really bad for the administration.

JUDY WOODRUFF, PBS NEWSHOUR: You agree it was a mistake to go to Congress?

MARK SHIELDS: No, I don’t think it was a mistake to go to Congress, Judy.

I think I have never seen any president on the eve of initiating military action that is war action, that is hitting another country with less popular support, less public support, less political support, and less international support than the president had a week ago, when we met.

The idea of doing it then, I don’t — I mean, it just amazes me — and with all respect to David — people on the left who say, oh, ignore the Congress. The Congress is lousy.

I mean, would they have the same attitude if a President Ted Cruz were there? I mean, it is the constitutional order for a president to do that. And when you’re making a decision, there’s none more grievous than that to go to war. To involve the Congress and the country in that decision, I think is absolutely imperative.

It’s the only way there’s going to be any sense of national support, let alone unity, for this action, which is controversial.

JUDY WOODRUFF: You don’t agree?

DAVID BROOKS: Well, no, I don’t.

I mean, I certainly agree, if Syria was the main thing. I think, when you go to war, if Syria was the main thing we were worried about, and if we actually had a plan to actually change something materially for the good in Syria, then going to Congress would be fine, and that would be a good thing to do, to get popular support, so the president isn’t isolated, so you get enough people on board in the beginning, so they’re there at the end when things get complicated.

That would be fine. But this really isn’t about Syria. The policy is not going to do anything materially to affect Syria. We may lob a few missiles in there. That’s just face-saving. Let’s face it. The real issue is the broader credibility of the president, the international credibility of the United States, especially vis-a-vis Iran.

This is really about Iran more than Syria. And by going to Congress and potentially getting slapped down, then our credibility vis-a-vis Iran is in shatters, and the president’s credibility at home is in shatters.

And so I just — on substantive ground, I think Mark is right. On Machiavellian ground, I think it was a mistake.

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David Brooks: Obama"s Decision To Go To Congress "Very Unfortunate"