Congress No Monolith on Libya

The narrative that's emerged this week is in the media is that Congress opposes President Obama's action in Libya. I think that is overblown -- a handful of voices on the Hill being picked up and amplified in news reports. Some of the critiques are valid, some not terribly coherent, some posited for partisan gain.

In the first part of the week, I've reported on the congressional reaction to the U.S. lead on the military engagement in Libya through the lens of the Tea Party freshmen -- who are facing to the first military conflict initiated under their watch -- as well as senior Democrats who are backing the president (CQ, subscription required). In gathering information for both stories, it became clear to me that lawmakers' take on Libya is much more nuanced -- and conflicted -- than at first glance.