President Obama is facing growing pressure from Congress to detail his strategy for addressing the spiraling violence in Iraq, after he pledged on the South Lawn last Friday that he'd review ways to assist the fragile and threatened Iraqi government.

The president plans to meet on Wednesday with top Capitol Hill leaders to discuss the crisis. A White House official said the meeting would be "part of his ongoing consultations with congressional leadership on foreign policy issues, including the situation in Iraq."

A spokesman for Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said the senator specifically has asked the president "to provide us with a strategy and a plan and it's his hope that those will be provided at the meeting."

Mike Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner, said the speaker expects to hear "a coherent strategy to ensure that Iraq does not descend further into lawless barbarism."

Sources confirmed that Obama plans to meet with Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and McConnell.

Since at least Friday, the administration has been weighing various options for how to blunt advancing Sunni militants with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria -- those options are said to include air strikes, U.S. special forces and other contingencies. Amid the deliberations, the U.S. has dispatched ships to the Persian Gulf, to be on standby in the event of an evacuation, and has sent almost 300 American forces in and around Iraq to help secure U.S. assets.

But critics say it's not enough.

Former U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker told CBS News that Secretary of State John Kerry -- who was helping host a conference in Washington this week on protecting the oceans -- should be "on a plane right now for Baghdad."

"We need to work with the Iraqis at the highest level -- that would be Secretary Kerry backed by the president -- so that they can demonstrate the national unity -- Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite -- that is going to be essential if there's going to be any hope of turning back the ISIS threat," he told CBS.

Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, also criticized Obama for heading to Palm Springs, Calif., over the weekend to play golf while the Iraq crisis escalated. He told Fox News that Obama should call in Crocker and other officials who worked on the Iraqi war for their advice.

"The administration must act quickly to provide assistance to the [Nouri al] Maliki government before every gain made by U.S. and allied troops is lost, and before [ISIS] expands its sanctuary-from which it can eventually threaten the United States," McConnell said Tuesday.

Lawmakers, though, are deeply divided over the prospect of America getting involved anew in the fighting in Iraq, a little more than two years after the formal end of the war.

"Where will it lead and will that be the beginning or the end?" Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said, when asked about air strikes. "We don't know that. This underlying conflict has been going on 1,500 years between the Shias and the Sunnis and their allies. And I think whatever we do, it's not going to go away."

Shelby was one of the 77 Senate Republicans and Democrats who voted to give President George W. Bush the authority to wage war. Casting the strong bipartisan vote on Oct. 11, 2002 were Democratic Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware, Hillary Clinton of New York and Harry Reid of Nevada.

Senators from both parties appeared almost unanimous in their view that al-Maliki should leave power, even as many called for assistance to his government in battling militants.

ISIS has conquered several cities in Syria and Iraq.

"I support almost anything that would curtail" ISIS, said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. "That's a very dangerous situation."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who spoke by telephone over the weekend with White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, said not many forces would be needed for an effective operation in Iraq and they'd only be for close air support. He said no combat troops are needed, but some personnel should be on the ground to identify targets for air strikes.

"That would be a handful of probably special forces, forward air controller people," he said, expressing frustration that the administration hasn't done more.

Among the newer senators, Mark Kirk, R-Ill., expressed support for air strikes, but Tim Scott, R-S.C., had his doubts.

"The president's comments about he doesn't know who to strike doesn't give me `a warm and fuzzy,"' Scott said. "The option should remain on the table, but clarity should come first so that I can have an understanding and appreciation. If they don't have an understanding and appreciation, I certainly don't have one."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/18/obama-under-pressure-to-detail-iraq-strategy-set-to-meet-hill-leaders/

Obama has his priorities all F'd up. He is going to have over 15,000 Al Qaeda linked terrorists marching into Baghdad and he has the perfect opportunity to have a trap set waiting for them and to take them out in masses when they come close to the city.

We have one big hairy vagina for a President.

I think it is much more important to keep your golf game up than get us involved in another war. We need to just stay the hell out of it....let them fight.

"The more complex the mind, the greater the need for play."

Spock

If we all took more time out to play golf. Maybe there'd be far less war mongering

I agree!

Thanks 1956deluxe

I take it that we're both fans of the most beautiful and yet frustrating of pastimes that is golf?

Yup, my backyard is the 17th Tee!

Good show! That would be my idea of heaven lol

I prefer the 19th Hole.

Maybe they need more golf courses in Africa.

Yup, just give Al Qaeda the entire country. That's great logic. OH, BTW yesterday they gained control of the remaining Chemical and Biological Weapons Iraq had left.

You peacenik's sure think things though. You really think they are going to stop at Iraq's borders hold hands and sing Kum-By-Ya? No they are preparing for their next attack which will be against US.

It is such a threat that it's got our bitter enemy Iran coming to the table and asking for our help because even they realize what is going to happen.

Iran can't afford to have a State of Chaos next door,it would invariably sooner or later infect their System!

Wait a damn second here !!

Iraq has chemical & biological weapons !??!

Are those not weapons of mass destruction ?!!?

And have progressives been saying Duh-bya lied about those WMD and
Iraq never had them when he invaded, ya know, lied to America about them

But now obummer is using the same reason to launch another
attack on Iraq ... ya can't make this up folks !!

Iran and Russia will choke these spoiled children out long before they gain any real power. They can have the Iraqi sandbox to play in, the Billion from the bank, and oil fields controlled by the US puppet masters. All that has little to do with them at this point. It will move their enemies away from their ally Syria. The moment they form their Caliphate in Iraq.....BOOM! The US already made it a wasteland by trying to impose democracy on a nation that doesn't understand the concept of it. No big hassle for them to finish the job and take control of a few rebels assuming control of Iraq and its resources. And just like Russia and Crimea, Iran controls Iraq..... and they didn't have to fight the US or its allies to get it!

Of course Israel then attacks Iran and wah-lah! WW3 and we're all invited!

Al Qaeda and ISIS could never attack the US....IMPOSSIBLE!.... only it's allies. Our "leaders" made this mess with our joke of a foreign relations policy. Bush and Obozo were the perfect puppets to make it all possible..... the wild card and the race card in a stacked deck to promote a scenario of distraction as it played out as planned long ago for control over the ME.....with now tiny Israel, Mossad, and the central banks calling the shots!

No more resistance to a UN world order..... Agenda 21 in maturity!


The loss of independence and ALL national sovereignty!

GOLF CHANNEL

Former President George W. Bush says President Obama shouldn't be criticized for playing golf.

In an interview with the Golf Channel, the former commander in chief said the game presents an outlet from the pressures of the job.

Bush, in an interview with the Golf Channel, said too many people unfairly disapprove of how often Obama plays the game.

"I see our President criticized for playing golf. I don't. I think he ought to play golf," Bush said.

"I know what it's like to be in the bubble," added Bush, "I know the pressures of the job and to be able to get outside and play golf with some of your pals is important� it gives you an outlet."

Obama, who has played 146 rounds of golf according to CBS News, has been chastised several times by fellow lawmakers for how often he plays.

Obama's taste for the sport pale in comparison to those of other past Presidents.

Former President Dwight Eisenhower reportedly played 800 rounds of the sport.

President Bush: "I quit playing golf for the troops."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/13/bush-i-gave-up-golf-for-t_n_101595.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10910868/Iraq-crisis-Obama-may-launch-air-strikes-without-Congress-amid-calls-for-Maliki-to-go-live.html

Iraq crisis: Isis jihadists 'seize Saddam Hussein's chemical weapons stockpile' - live
Latest developments and news from the Iraq crisis, as Saudi Arabia warns that Britain and US must not meddle in Iraq

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/saudiarabia/10911281/Iraq-crisis-Britain-and-US-must-not-meddle-in-Iraq-warns-Saudi-Arabia.html

Iraq crisis: Britain and US must not meddle in Iraq, warns Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia will oppose any US and British or regional intervention in Iraq against the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, the country's ambassador to London tells the Telegraph

Two-faced little Swine,considering they shat their Pants when there was a possibility for Saddam to turn on them after Kuwait!
But,more Oilsales for them with Iraq in Chaos!

hey, just made up a new term


the golf card,,,,lol

so many people use it to distract from real issues,, huh?

Yea, whats up with the golf deal? Better that he's playing golf than writing executive orders that bypass the constitution..

I say let him play all the golf that he wants.

don't forget,he has a Phone and a Pen!

President Bush kept playing golf for 2 months after he said that.

Instead of golf, he took off a lot to his ranch and chopped wood?

I am sure Bush felt guilty about all the troops that were dying....and for what? He found no "Weapons of Mass Destruction" that he said was the primary reason to invade Iraq.

Very sad indeed.