Obama's doing the right thing

As war drums beat for action against Syria, Americans will learn how few true supporters Obama really has.

The left will howl against military action, simply because it's military action. The right will also howl because, by definition, anything Obama does is wrong. Well, I'm one of those Obama supporters. I support his cautious deliberation, as well as the nasty air-strikes-and-more that we all know are coming.

There are many good reasons to stay out of Syria. First of all, no action against Syria will be "quick surgical and effective," as pundits in 2002 blindly believed Bush's invasion of Iraq would be. Secondly, any Obama action against Syria will be in essence helping al-Qaida, since Syria's always been an impediment to al-Qaida's goals in the Middle East. Thirdly, any military action against Syria will be lengthy, costly and bloody.

Nonetheless, Obama's line in the sand regarding chemical weapon use seems to be a valid, and just because Reagan helped Iraq gas Iranians in the 1980s doesn't mean Obama should stand aside by while Syria unleashes neurotoxins against its owns citizens. But right now, America has its own neurotoxins to deal with: the political hot air blowing from all directions, as the president tries to stay above the stink line and actually get something done.

Christianne Thompson