After President Barack Obama asked Congress for new war powers to fight the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, MSNBC rounded up the reactions of several potential 2016 presidential candidates from both sides of the aisle, including former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley.
The reaction among Republicans was generally that the three-year authorization for the use of military force against ISIS shouldn’t have a time limit, should have identified the enemy as “radical Islam,” and that it shouldn’t have a restriction against the use of ground troops.
O’Malley’s concern was the opposite. In a Facebook post O’Malley stated that “[t]he new AUMF should address ISIS specifically, and mitigate any unintended consequences by including clear language on the use of ground troops and the length and terms of engagement.”
Well, you can’t please everyone, or, in some cases, anyone.
On the other hand, Marylanders have been feeling better about O’Malley since October, when his approval hit a record-low 41 percent. The Washington Post’s most recent poll recorded a 47 percent approval rating.
