Thursday, September 5, 2013

Tale of Two St. Petes: As Obama visits Russia, US voters dubious on Syria strike

While President Obama was in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Thursday, trying to sway skittish allies to back a military strike on Syria, thousands of miles away in St. Petersburg, Fla., residents were leaving little doubt that Obama has a lot of work to do if he's to gain their support for military action. 

Lawmakers in and around the coastal city say their constituents are almost uniformly opposed, or at least cautious, on a strike. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., who represents the city, wrote to Obama saying her neighbors are "extremely wary of military action." 

Republican Rep. Rich Nugent, who represents a nearby district, told FoxNews.com his office has gotten 1,800 calls and emails opposing action in Syria, and only 17 in favor. 

"You usually don't see any kind of split like that," Nugent said. The overriding concern, he said, is that America could get drawn deeper into the fight. 

The lawmakers are not alone. House members across the country are fielding thousands of calls and emails from constituents telling them to oppose the Obama administration's push for a military strike. Though Obama is winning on one front -- he's gotten the endorsement of congressional leaders, and of a key Senate panel -- he's clearly losing when it comes to the battle for public opinion. 

Via: Fox News

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