As an MSNBC panel discussed congressional reticence with President Obama's strategy pertaining to ISIS, the Rev. Al Sharpton jumped in with a challenge to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to call floor votes on congressional authorization for action against the terror group.
But while Republicans control the House, Democrats run the Senate and hence Sen. McConnell has no power to call a floor vote.
The ever-partisan Sharpton, however, seems to have been trying to make political hay out of the controversy, hitting Republican congressional critics of the president for not putting their money where their mouth is:
MSNBC Presidential Address Coverage
September 10, 2014
9:31 p.m. Eastern
RACHEL MADDOW: Here's a thought experiment. Let's say Congress decides that they are going to vote. They're going to have a big debate, they're going to vote on whether or not to authorize this use of force and they vote no. Would the president -- they vote it down. Would the president feel constrained by that vote to not go ahead with it? He'd then be going ahead in defiance of Congress. He's saying he welcomes it, so it would be nice, but if I don't get it, I'll go ahead. If they told him no, would he feel constrained by that to stop what he's planning on doing with or without them?
CHRIS MATTHEWS: He must think that because he didn't ask for it. He must fear a rejection and he would have to honor it, like he did with Syria.
MADDOW: Well, it's Congress' decision whether or not to vote. It's not the president's decision on whether or not Congress votes.
MATTHEWS: No, but once it happened. Once it happened it would [unintelligible]
Rev. AL SHARPTON: But if we're going to play the mind game, then why don't they do that?
MADDOW: Exactly!
SHARPTON: If in fact those that are opposed to the president feel they have the votes, they should then convene and vote and tell the American people, we've said something needs to be done, we don't care what the polls say, we're voting against this president. It's for them to convene and to say Mitch Mcconnell and John Boehner can call the vote. We should be asking why won't they call the vote if they think the president is out of bounds.
[...]
9:53 p.m. Eastern
SHARPTON: I think that if Mr. Boehner is serious, then he's the Speaker of the House, call a vote. I think John McCain should go to the floor of the Senate tomorrow, call a vote. It's very interesting how McCain even said, "Yes, I think it should be a vote, I don't know why the president doesn't call it."
He's in the Senate. They're the heads of the committees. They have the numbers to call votes. I mean, what are we talking about here? It's like everyone is dancing around what they should do. The president laid out his four-point strategy tonight, whether one agrees or not. They're talking about a vote they can call.
