Joe Peyronnin

Hofstra Journalism Professor

As President Obama tries to rally support for a strike against Syria, he finds himself in a high stakes diplomatic chess match with no good outcome in sight. Obama's puts at risk the future of his presidency and his legacy.

Chris Weigant

Political writer and blogger at ChrisWeigant.com

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee just voted to approve a resolution to attack Syria on a vote of 10-7. But the breakdown of the voting reveals that this was in no way a party-line vote.

Richard (RJ) Eskow

Writer; Senior Fellow, Campaign for America's Future

For 12 years now they've been touting NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a model for the politics of the future. They have yet say the same about populist Bill de Blasio. And yet, it could be argued that de Blasio is already a more significant political bellwether than Bloomberg ever was.

Rep. Gwen Moore

U.S. Representative for Wisconsin's 4th Congressional District

Wisconsin was once known for its BadgerCare program, and Republican governors like Tommy Thompson helped build it into a robust model for other states. That was all before Governor Walker got his hands on it.

Jon Soltz

Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, Iraq War Veteran

Missile strikes, as limited and justified as they may be, are an act of war against the Assad regime. Yet, I get no sense that the United States has any clear idea of our strategic or operational end state.

Ethan Rome

Executive Director, Health Care for America Now

As Republicans come to terms with the futility of their incessant efforts to repeal, defund, undermine and otherwise trash Obamacare, they're turning to a new last-ditch strategy: make it harder for people who desperately need health care to get it under the new law.

Jim Worth

Author, 'Final Audit'

We're told that Syria is much different than Iraq. If the word 'wolf' comes to mind, ignore it. These are the same people that wanted to attack Iran less than a year ago because they were eerily close to a nuclear weapon.

Janine Boldrin

Freelance writer, military spouse

After twelve years at war, military families are proficient in saying goodbye. However, that doesn't mean it is in everyone's best interest that we keep saying it.

Nancy Doyle Palmer

Journalist and screenwriter

I wanted to enjoy This Town and I think Mark Leibovich has talent and insight. I promise I tried. But I worry about the tone, intent and soul of a book like this. Probably because the place I find myself these days makes me see things differently.

Fr. Edward L. Beck

Roman Catholic Priest

In his 1965 address to the United Nations Pope Paul VI said, "If you wish to be brothers, let the weapons fall from your hands. One cannot love with offensive weapons in his hands." That goes for all weapons.

Edward Wasserman

Dean, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism

It would indeed be sad and telling if the strongest reckoning from those wars, the sternest punishment, should go not to their architects, nor to those who waged them wrongly, but to a lowly grunt whose only sin was to try to get the rest of us to pay attention to them.

Erin Havel

Author, 'The Malformation of Health Care'

Many parents are unable to care for their children, but are unwilling to release their parental rights to family members or adoptive parents. What does this have to do with Obamacare? A lot.

David W. Kearn

Assistant Professor, St. John’s University

Some have argued that the president's decision to seek Congressional approval has weakened his office and undermined U.S. standing in the world. But with an ambivalent public and a bitterly polarized Congress, there has been very little for him to work with.

Russell Simmons

Founder, GlobalGrind.com

Mr. President, our country's recent history makes it very difficult for you to obtain the world's approval that we should attack Syria based on any sort of moral authority.

Matt Baume

Writer, online strategist and video producer, American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER)

County by county, New Mexico is struggling toward marriage equality. At last count, six counties are issuing licenses to gay and lesbian couples.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Author and political analyst

One risk was obvious. And that is that with or without Congress's authorization, waging war against a nation that has not directly attacked or poses any direct threat to the United States again tags the U.S. as the dreaded, and in the Middle East, hated aggressor and bully.

Jeff Danziger

Political cartoonist syndicated by the NYTimes worldwide