The Morning Dispatch: The House Says ‘No Thanks’ to War With Iran

Plus, more on Mike Lee, and Democrats get testy over the articles of impeachment.

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Happy Friday! As our launch week draws to a close, it appears the news is taking a little breather: Things are seemingly slowing down a bit with Iran, and the Senate is still waiting around for Nancy Pelosi to send over articles of impeachment. Here’s hoping the lull keeps through the weekend so your Morning Dispatchers get a spare minute to see their families (or watch the Packers l̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ beat the Seahawks).

Quick Hits: What You Need To Know

  • The commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’s Aerospace Force said that Tuesday’s missile strikes on U.S. forces in Iraq were intended to destroy military infrastructure, not to kill. There were no casualties.

  • The passenger aircraft that crashed in Iran Tuesday night, killing all 176 passengers, was shot down by Iranian anti-aircraft fire, American officials said. Iran denies shooting down the plane, while President Trump said it could have been “a mistake” on Iran’s part.

  • Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has signed on to a plan introduced by Sen. Josh Hawley that would change Senate rules and allow lawmakers to dismiss impeachment articles before the House sends them over.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Pat Riot

    While Republicans--on both sides of this debate--are focused on the Constitutional aspects of this Resolution, they are probably missing the *political* aspect.

    To whit, war with Iran is insanely *unpopular*.

    Insanely. As in, Democratic voters don't want it. Trump voters don't want it. The only voters who want it are John Bolton and a few thousand of his friends in the right-wing blogosphere.

    Trump backed down from Iran because he quickly detected that his move was unpopular and an escalation would sink his popularity. He vowed to allow *NATO* to take over the problem for chrissakes! Somehow the war hawks missed that as a subtle "FU" from Trump to them.

    It's in that context you judge Pelosi's move in the House: she is putting her party on record as the one that will stop us from going to war with Iran. Regardless of what happens with this Resolution, that's the message that has been sent, and it's a popular one for sure. Advantage Pelosi and the Demos here...

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  2. Avatar photo
    Paul Montagu

    Well said, Mr. Hayes, except this: Go ‘Hawks!!

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    1. Avatar photo
      CynthiaW

      Sportball?

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  3. Avatar photo
    Kevin Durant?

    “Thursday’s resolution thus served a clear purpose: It telegraphed to the White House that Congress, as things stand now, has no inclination to authorize further hostilities with Iran. That doesn’t necessarily make a difference now, but if things get worse it may matter very much indeed.”
    —————————————
    Signaling that you are weak is one thing. Signaling that you are weak when you already have troops in the area is impeccably stupid.

    So yes, WHEN things get worse this resolution will matter quite a bit for two reasons:

    1) it will be the main reason that things got worse

    2) it will look utterly insane because Congress will immediately be forced to take the opposite position in reaction to things getting worse

    If your goal is to avoid fights, your best move is to have huge muscles and carry a crowbar

    Your worst move is to wear dolphin shorts and a propeller hat while secretly carrying a knife

    Nobody picks on the guy with muscles so he gets in zero fights

    The guy in the propeller hat gets in a lot of fights, and he wins because he has a knife......but the goal is to AVOID fights and now you’ve got blood all over your dolphin shorts

    Great work, geniuses

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    1. Avatar photo
      CynthiaW

      I've got to figure out a way to use the dolphin shorts image in conversation.

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  4. Avatar photo
    CynthiaW

    Should I have heard of Michael Shannon?

    Anyway, as the mother of a large family, I am in favor of the default, "No!"

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