Goal to Oppose Strike Against Syria Bringing Together People Who Normally Have Opposing Views

Opposition to Syria

strike brings together

liberal Democrats,

libertarian Republicans


By David A. Fahrenthold and Paul Kane, Friday, September 6, 1:24 PM

Opposition to Syria strike brings together liberal Democrats, libertarian Republicans

Rep. Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) waited for the laughter to die down.

At a town hall meeting with tea party supporters, somebody had asked Yoho about a rumor: Was it true that he — a conservative veterinarian in his first term who loudly opposes President Obama’s agenda and any compromise with the White House — was working together with Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.), Congress’s leading liberal loudmouth?

The laughter stopped.

“I wish I could tell you it wasn’t true,” Yoho recounted saying. “But it is true.” He recalled hearing gasps.

Today, Yoho and Grayson are among a group of unlikely allies in Congress: liberal Democrats and libertarian Republicans, united by their opposition to a military strike against Syria. The Democrats in the group have lost faith in war. The Republicans have lost faith (or never had it) in Obama.

In this case — as Obama seeks approval for a limited kind of warmaking — their doubts have aligned. The result is an ad hoc coalition of Congress’s unwilling.

This odd bipartisan bloc most recently emerged in July, in support of an amendment to rein in National Security Agency spying. They lost that vote. But this one may be different. For now, this alliance of the far left and far right seems to be stronger than the coalition that actually supports a strike against Syria. Even though — in the House at least — their opposition includes the leaders of both parties.

“What you’re hitting on is this general consensus — across the political spectrum — that we just need to mind our own business. And that’s not a liberal or conservative concept. It’s just a universal law of life,” said Grayson, who has taken it upon himself to organize the effort to reject a military strike.

“We’re gonna win,” Grayson predicted. “Pretty sure.”

Converting Congress

What’s made the Yoho-Grayson coalition so much stronger now is their ability to win converts among the normally establishment figures from each side of the aisle.

Their strength is most obvious in the House (in the Senate, supporters are opponents of a strike are roughly equal, with the majority of the Senate still undecided). In the House, 103 members are believed to be solidly against a strike on Syria. And, at last count, about 100 others seemed to be leaning toward “no.”

That’s not quite a majority — in all, it’s 12 votes short of the 217 needed to defeat the resolution authorizing strikes. At last count, 142 Representatives were still undecided.

But it’s a whole lot more than the other side has mustered.

The members in favor of a military strike include the top two Republicans — House Speaker John A. Boehner (Ohio) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.) — as well as the top two Democrats, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny H. Hoyer (Md.). But the list is not much longer: Just 20 other members are with them, according to the Post’s unofficial tally.

So this is a remarkable moment in American politics: a demonstration that the power of parties may be ebbing after a period of strong partisan discipline. A Republican speaker and a Democratic president are now united behind a common legislative goal.

 Rev. Donna Rougeux, ARCWP Responds:

An unusual phenomenon is emerging as people who have normally opposed each other are joining together in agreement to either oppose or advocate for a military strike against Syria. This is happening in congress with the democrats and republicans and it is happening with ARCWP and the Pope. Even though Pope Francis does not support the ordination of women in the Roman Catholic Church, ARCWP supports Pope Francis in his statements and actions to oppose the possible military strike on Syria. 

It seems that there is momentum building around those who oppose a military strike. The majority of people are saying to our President that we do not support this military action. Adding to the power behind this momentum is the unplanned and unexpected partnerships that are forming between people who are normally in opposite camps. Could this be the Holy Spirit leading us to our full humanity of being created in the image of God? If God is Love, is God calling us to solve our conflicts in peaceful ways?