On MSNBC, Former Dem. Senator Blasts Obama’s ‘Dithering,’ ‘Creating Uncertainty’ on Syria

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey (D-NE) joined MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell on Wednesday where he offered a frank and unflattering assessment of President Barack Obama’s handling of the crisis in Syria. Kerrey told Mitchell that Obama had sacrificed the element of surprise early in his handling of the crisis only to dither further by seeking Congressional authorization for military action.

“The president, as he said last week, he had the authority to do this,” Kerrey said. “He can make a case not to do it, he can make a case to do it, but I don’t think you can make a case to dither for another week.”

“Since when does the element of surprise become unimportant in a tactic?” he continued. “The uncertainty is a real problem, and we’ve created that uncertainty.”

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Kerrey admonished the White House for going to Congress to have an extended and “painful conversation” as they seek a War Powers resolution for something the administration claims is not a military action

that requires a War Powers resolution.

Mitchell said she was confused by the White House’s decision to dail up the anti-Syrian rhetoric and released declassified intelligence last week only to scale it back this week as they seek a rsolution in Congress for military action.

“The only way you can explain it, it’s indecisive,” Kerrey agreed. “A lack of understanding what the impact is going to be when you make it look like you’re going to attack and then you don’t.”

Watch teh clip below via MSNBC:

[Photo via screen grab]

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