Governors usually get a pass on having to weigh in on developing foreign policy events — “I’ll leave that for Congress to decide” or “I don’t have all the intelligence” are common refrains.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal didn’t exactly wave the Syria question off Tuesday, but he stopped short of delivering an answer that would put him in a box.
There appears to be a three-step process for Jindal and other Republicans who want to avoid staking out a hard and fast position on military intervention that is politically unpopular.
Jindal certainly isn’t the first — or last GOPer — to use this maneuver.
Step one: Fault Obama for why we’re here in the first place.
“The administration’s foreign policy has made us weaker abroad.”
Step two: Question the specific goal of the mission. This allows the Republican to distance him or herself from the strategy being employed, if not the action itself.
“There are a lot of unanswered questions. The president has already said regime change is not the objective. So I’d like to see what the objective is.”
Step three: Ask for more information. This is even easier if you’re a governor without access to classified briefings, but it can also work for lawmakers who simply feel they haven’t been provided enough pertinent information.
“The objectives and methods of any intervention are “needed” and “deserved” by the Congress and the public . . . I think Congress needs to hear that.”
Follow Dave’s blog at TheRun2016.com
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