text:
The American public doesn't have much appetite for a military strike in Syria.
People don't fully understand how America has a national interest. They're not well-versed on who's fighting whom. And they wonder why this country is not spending precious federal dollars on boosting the domestic economy rather than engaging in faraway conflicts.
And, said Ipsos pollster Julia Clark, "they're a little bit burned by mismanaged expectations" of American missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Support for military action would jump, according to polls, if it was proven the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on its own people. But even that boost wouldn't fully erase the deep skepticism.
"No question people would have a highly negative reaction to the use of chemical weapons. But there is just limited support for involvement in the Middle East and in Syria," said Carroll Doherty, an analyst at the Pew Research Center.
An NBC News poll conducted Wednesday and Thursday found half of Americans do not support military action in response to the Syrian regime's use of chemical weapons. By 41 percent to 27 percent, they do not think the use of military force will improve the situation for Syrian civilians.
Members of Congress are hearing the same kinds of doubts, one reason they're clamoring for President Barack Obama to lay out his case clearly before embarking on any military mission. The public agrees – nearly four in five want Obama to get congressional approval before acting.
In a rare display of bipartisan agreement, House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California echoed the same concerns as those of Republican House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio.
"There needs to be more consultation with all members of Congress and additional transparency into the decision-making process and timing," she said, "and that the case needs to be made to the American people."
Even strong supporters of military action agreed.
"In this case the person who's ultimately responsible is the president," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. "He has to explain to the American people what our national interests are; you know, why we would consider doing something like this. It cannot be a press release."
Traditionally, Americans rally around a president as he orders military action. But if the underlying backing was not there previously, that support evaporates quickly if the mission goes awry. Bush got support in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, arguing that military action was an important way of preventing more such attacks.
Today, the American self-interest is less clear.
"Our troops aren't being attacked. Our nation isn't being attacked," said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore.
Ipsos' Clark added that many people are confused by the Syrian situation: "It seems murky to them."
The mission becomes clearer if evidence is strong that chemical weapons were used; in that case, the U.S. can make an important statement.
"We should be making it clear that chemical and biological weapons are off limits," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md. "There are international norms, and if we don't enforce those norms it will come back to haunt us."
Even then, military action would proceed on fragile political pillars.
Foremost among public concerns is war weariness. An Aug. 19-23 Ipsos-Reuters poll found 60 percent said the U.S. should not intervene in the Syrian conflict. Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday acknowledged the wariness.
"We know that after a decade of conflict, the American people are tired of war," he said in remarks about Syria. "Believe me, I am, too. But fatigue does not absolve us of our responsibility."
The public reluctance at the start of a mission is somewhat unusual. The Iraq war began with strong bipartisan support in 2003. Pew found nearly three in four people in April 2003 thought using military force in Iraq was the right decision. But as the basis for the war turned out to be faulty and the conflict dragged on, opinion turned sharply. Five years later, 37 percent thought the U.S. had done the right thing.
"I don't think there's any question Afghanistan and Iraq affect opinion," said Corker.
A Pew survey in June found that two-thirds thought the U.S. military was "already too overcommitted."
There's also uneasiness about the expense of a military conflict. Automatic spending cuts slashed federal budgets this spring, and more cuts are due to take effect in October – cuts that will hit the Pentagon particularly hard.
"Our military has no money left," said Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. "Will the president pay for this operation with more furloughs and by grounding squadrons again? By continuing to raid the already underfunded base defense budget, Administration Obama further undermines future military readiness and capabilities."
To pollster Clark, the message is clear.
"There's a lot of confusion, and this is something people don't know a great deal about," she said. "To many, it seems like another Middle East quagmire."


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Raven has plenty of charisma ... wonderful ring psychology ... and he's a warrior. Not to mention he's smart. Try an IQ of 143. And, under his real name of Scott Levy, he holds a degree in criminal justice from University of Delaware.
So it hardly seems fair that he was never pushed to the top of WWE or WCW.
"Who knows why?" Raven, who will perform in Ottawa on Oct. 2, said on the phone the other day. "Wrong place, wrong time? I know I deserved to be, but I'd drive myself crazy trying to figure out why it didn't happen. You can't change history."
In his first WWF stint, he was cast as Johnny Polo, a manager.
"Ten years ago, I was a different character," he said. "I was 30 lbs. lighter.
"The second time, as Raven, I guess it was a political decision (to keep me down)."
In a stint with WCW, Raven would walk out.
"(Eric) Bischoff told me if I wasn't happy with the company, I should leave. So I said, 'see you' and I walked out the door. I left behind a six-figure salary."
Besides doing independent bookings, Raven's one of the stars of NWA:TNA.
"I'm young for this business. Look at Ric Flair, he's 56. As long as you can keep going, age isn't a factor.
"Your career will have its ups and downs, unless you're the Rolling Stones."
Raven's character, that of a tortured soul, has teetered on the brink of good and evil. His deliciously wicked character has made him a fan favourite at times in his career.
"They cheer and cheer, but I'm still able to make them hate me at the right moment," he said.
So how would he like to be remembered when all is said and done?
"I'd like people to remember I was one of the only truly defined three-dimensional characters ... who was always entertaining, who always had a point of view, who always made what he did interesting, and who always made opponents look better than they were."
It'll be a treat when he steps into the ring in Ottawa, where he'll face Gangrel in Universal Wrestling Alliance's Bloodbath show. Other scheduled matches are: Petey Williams and Bobby Rude from TNA facing Kwan Chang and Jacob Caine; Jaime D and She Nay Nay vs. Yce and a mystery partner; Caster McFear vs. "Showtime" Shawn MacMillan vs. VIRUS; Max Alexander vs. Sean "Hangover" MacGregor; Colin Oliver Carnage III vs. Tim Jim Jimbob; and a midget match. For more info, check out universalwrestlingalliance.com.
- Ray Traylor, The Big Boss Man, died Wednesday, reportedly of a massive heart attack.The 6-foot-6, 330-lb. Traylor, who was 42, also wrestled as Big Bubba Rogers, The Boss, The Guardian Angel and War Machine. Just like his in-ring character, Traylor was a prison guard in Cobb County, Ga. before turning to wrestling.
- Lita lost her baby ... and the guy who shoved Kane into her the previous Monday, Gene Snitsky, showed no remorse. You can bet that Snitsky, as Kane threatened, is "a dead man."
- Vince McMahon announced WWE's Taboo Tuesday, an interactive pay-per-view on Oct. 19.
- The winner of the RAW $250,000 US Diva Search was ... Christy.
- CPW will hold its next event, Domination, Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. at the St-Jean-Bosco school in Hull (71 St-Jean-Bosco St.). Paranoid Jake Matthews will face Prof. Adib Mansour in the main event, a no-rules flag vs. shovel match. Also scheduled: MVP Michael Von Payton and Dave Titan vs. Twin Terrors; Drake Styles vs. Roy Stevens; Player Uno vs. Frank "The Beast" Bradley vs. "The Freak" Zakk Manson; Damian Styles vs. Steve Stinger; Sweet Cherrie vs. Misty Haven; and Pistola vs. "Mr. Know It All" Shawn Demers. Check out www.cpwinternational.com for more info.
- It looks like Gangrel and Viscera may hook onto WWE deals, working on Smackdown!

subset: commoncrawl


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text: Something is obviously still wrong with Sykora, so I don't mind giving him a rest, but I hate when they sit their best young defenseman for someone like Phillippe Boucher. I hope this is not Bylsma being overconfident that they can wrap it up tonight on home ice. I'm counting on a series-clinching win tonight so that I can devote my full attention to the draft on Saturday without having to worry about Pens playoff hockey at the same time.