Author: Michael Shank

How Climate Change Sparked the Crisis in Syria

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/13/13 By Michael Shank and Emily Wirzba What few people in Washington are talking about when it comes to the Syria crisis is the connection to climate change. While it may seem remote and implausible to Washington realists, the connection is clear. What is most […]

A Callous Disregard for the Law

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/11/13 By Michael Shank One of the most disturbing dynamics about President Barack Obama’s speech to the American people and what’s gone down in the last week in Washington – vis-à-vis military strikes in Syria – is the Obama administration’s willingness to break constitutional and […]

Press Pause on the Rush to War

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/09/13 By Michael Shank Syria’s welcoming this week of Russia’s proposal to put its chemical weapons under international control should put a pause on the Obama administration’s frenzied full court press this week – vis-à-vis invasion – which includes six television network interviews, a live […]

Why I Oppose Syria Strikes

THE DAILY BEAST 09/05/13 By Michael Shank and US Rep Charles Rangel (D-NY) Instead of getting involved in a costly war, the president should combat poverty, gun violence, and inequality at home. By Rep. Charles Rangel and Michael Shank. America seems increasingly inclined to engage in a new military conflict […]

Arizona Delegation Skeptical of Use of Military Force in Syria

THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC 09/04/13 By Erin Kelly and Rebekah Sanders The Obama administration has no clear support yet among the U.S. House delegation from Arizona on the use of military force against Syria. Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., said Wednesday that he will vote against a resolution to authorize military action […]

Does the U.S. Have a Moral Imperative in Syria?

WASHINGTON POST 09/05/13 By Michael Shank There are three fallacies floating around Washington regarding a war with Syria, rhetoric that has the potential to dangerously dictate how Congress will determine authorization.  A failure to address these fallacies, furthermore, puts us squarely on the cusp of another intractable war, one that […]

10 Syria Questions for John Kerry and Chuck Hagel

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 09/03/13 By Michael Shank This week, as members of Congress queue to ask Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Martin Dempsey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, questions about Syria and about the Obama administration’s […]

Treading the Dangerous Path of Unilateralism

US NEWS & WORLD REPORT 08/31/13 By Michael Shank Secretary of State John Kerry’s case for military action against Syria – made when Congress was still in recess and when most of America had already commenced Labor Day Weekend vacationing – sounded an awful lot like President George W. Bush’s […]

Adopting a Better Approach for Foster System Youth

ROLL CALL 08/30/13 By Michael Shank and John Fair Something happened on the Hill recently that was pretty unusual for a congressional fair. Fifteen congressional interns presented policy recommendations to a packed room in the Capitol Visitor Center. Even Sens. Mary L. Landrieu, D-La., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and Rep. […]