Monday morning, 22-term Democratic Congressman Charlie Rangel of New York, as reported by Tal Kopan at the Politico, said that President Barack Obama's drawing of a "red line" on Syria is "embarrassing," and that he is against "putting our kids in harm’s way to solve an international problem."
Rangel is the third most-senior House member of either party. If a senior Republican congressperson similarly criticized opposed a Republican or conservative president in a matter such as this, there would be widespread establishment press coverage. In this case, there's very little. This is not unusual for stories detrimental to Democratic Party interests, as the rest of the establishment press all too often seems content to say, "Oh, that was already in the Politico, so we don't have to cover it."
Here are several parargraps from Kopan's item, wherein Rangel also expresses displeasure with having the entire matter pushed onto Congress:
Charles Rangel says no to troops in Syria
Rep. Charles Rangel on Monday called the situation for the United States on Syria “embarrassing,” saying America should not put its troops in harm’s way because of a “red line” drawn by the president.
The New York Democrat was responding to a question on MSNBC about whether he’s concerned that if Congress doesn’t support President Barack Obama’s move to authorize a military strike in Syria, it will send the wrong message.
MSNBC host Mara Schiavocampo asked Rangel, “In terms of that red line, the president was clear about that a year ago. Are you concerned if there is not action once that line has been crossed that it will send a message to the world about United States’ influence and their strength in the face of countries openly defying them?”
“I love Obama, and you’ll never find a truer Democrat than me,” Rangel responded, “but this whole idea of any president of the United States drawing lines saying that if any country does something that he considers wrong that the nation is going to war, it’s unheard of, drawing a red line. So, of course, it’s embarrassing. I wish it didn’t happen. ...
... Rangel said he was glad the president realized the situation is not urgent and he hopes the time for discussion Obama is urging will have positive results.
... I hope that other people in the international community would come forward and take this great decision off of the Congress because we have to make it. Take it off of the Congress and provide some solution where we are not putting our kids in harm’s way to solve an international problem that we feel bounded, not by law, but because the president has drawn a red line,” Rangel said.
So it would appear that in RangelLand, the situation's not urgent, Congress shouldn't have to decide, and the "international community" should bail the U.S. out of making any kind of decision.
Searches on Rangel's last name at the Associated Press and the New York Times return nothing relevant. Searches on Rangel's last name at Google News sorted both by relevance and by date, return no evidence of coverage by establishment press outlets.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.
