1. a) What is President Obama doing to convince Congress (and the American people, of whom over 70% oppose intervention in Syria) to support his call for a military strikes against the Assad regime? Be specific.
b) What arguments is President Obama using to get the support of Congress and the American people? Be specific.

2. Why is President Obama's attempt to get the support of Congress such a challenge?

3. a) Why are the majority of Democratic and Republican members of Congress expected to vote against military action on Syria?
b) For what reason might members of Congress vote in support of President Obama even though they oppose a military strike?

4. A CNN poll released yesterday shows that even though eight in 10 Americans believe that Bashar al-Assad's regime gassed its own people, a strong majority doesn't want Congress to pass a resolution authorizing a military strike against it.
More than 70% of Americans say such a strike would not achieve significant goals for the United States and a similar amount say it's not in the national interest for the country to get involved in Syria's civil war.
a) Do you agree with the majority of Americans on these two points? Explain your answer.
b) Ask a parent the same question.

5. What does Rep. Mike Rogers (Repub.-MI) chairman of the House Intelligence Committee say is the reason for President Obama not having the support he needs in Congress?

6. How is President Obama expected to respond if Congress does not vote to authorize a military strike against Assad?

7. Read the comments below made by a Republican and a Democrat:

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich. said it's "an uphill slog" for President Obama to get enough lawmakers on board to authorize his request for military intervention in Syria. "They really needed to start two years ago on this process and really haven't done it, so they don't have strong relationships in Congress today," Rogers said of the administration. "And, candidly, [they] have done an awful job explaining to the American people what is in our national security interests in any level of engagement in a place like Syria."

Rogers said he backs a "very limited" strike in the civil war-torn country amid mounting evidence that President Bashar Assad used chemical weapons against his own people. But the President's campaign for such a move - including his surprise announcement during August recess to seek congressional approval, a move typically reserved for boots-on-the-ground scenarios - has been "mystifying."  "I completely understand why people are skeptical of this," Rogers said. "You have a reluctant commander-in-chief, first of all, who's trying to come to the American people and say, 'I'm going to do something but I'm not going to do a lot; I'm not sure exactly what we're trying to do.' I mean, that's what the American people are hearing. And hearing that, I'm skeptical as well."

Though feedback from his constituents has been overwhelmingly against striking Syria, Rogers said, his vote on the resolution "cannot be about Barack Obama; it has to be about what is in the best interests of the United States of America. "...If we just make it about us," he said, "being Congress or the American people, against our frustrations against this president, we miss the big picture about what is in the best interests of U.S. national security interests. Small and effective now save big and ugly later. So we're either going to pay this price now or we're going to pay a bigger price later.

Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., always a big supporter of the President, said there is "no doubt about it," that the bulk of Americans oppose U.S. involvement in Syria. Cummings said "it's possible" he could still get behind the president's request.   "He's got to show, first of all, that this is in our core national security interests, and why it is," Cummings said. "He's got to show that if we don't completely degrade Assad's capability, how do we make sure we still deter him from using these chemical weapons? And then he's got to show us that this will not end up in a scenario where we are finding ourselves in deeper involvement in a civil war over there in Syria. These are difficult issues he's got."

Do you think the expectations of these two congressmen are reasonable?  Explain your answer.

CHALLENGE QUESTION: Watch President Obama's address to the nation tonight. Do you think he adequately makes the case for military intervention in Syria? Explain your answer.