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Democratic presidents. you heard john mccain say hes not seen the response. is that accurate? have you seen -- do you think the response is muddied. >> maybe, i went through watergate, anderson. that was muddy. certainly so. but in 40 years or so, not very often. this is quite rare. >> w why? points make it muddied. >> its extraordinariry muddled. the middle east is a complex place. were not playing checkers. were playing three-dimensional chess in this and frankly, im not sure the president has...

Tomorrows and republican senators to convince them to vote for military action against syria and things changed so much over the past 24 hours, he came up and said i need time, guys, i need time to let this diplomatic process play out. reading between the lines, according to so many senators i spoke to in both of the meetings, he said i need time because based on what we reported and heard, these resolutions were not going to pass either the democratic senate or republican led house. they dont w...

About what u.s. force can do and accomplish. i do think you see somebody who has gone through this process of sending men and women into harms way, and wondering what it has accomplished, and i think that is what is informing his reluctance to involve himself in what everyone agrees is a very mirky, complicated situation that its not clear if u.s. force will not result in a worse situation. nobody can guarantee that. i think thats one of the reasons we see the mixed messages from the white house...

Hes got to make the case to the american people. >> one question tonight has president obamas ability to make a strong case on syria been hurt by this perceived lack of clarity? joining me is john king and gloria boringer, jake tapper, and chief washington wore spon danlt. before we get to the messaging of this, want to start with you because i know youre breaking news on the meeting with the russians tomorrow. >> there are two important meetings, anderson. tonight the president will layout a sp...

Anderson comer. next, more inside details on who president obama will say and do. well check in with our co correspondents and hear from a key lawmaker right after this. ♪ [ male announcer ] a man. a man and his truck...

The latest from pennsylvania avenue. jim acost to joins us and dana bash is at the capital. jim, we noted broad themes were hearing the president will outline tonight. key questions seems to be a timeline for this diplomatic effort. do we know the president will actually set a time lane? >> anderson, they said no, they dont expect the president to issue a hard and fast timeline but they also said president bashar al-assad after syria doesnt have the intention to follow through on the promise to ...

Untrustworthy actors in bashar al-assad and frankly, in the russians, as well. >> gloria, how much do you think that the american publics concern about this is with this entire thing, how much is related to what -- you know, what certainly a lot of republicans are calling a muddied response from the obama administration? >> i think a lot. when the president zig zigzags and says there is a red line and says hes going to congress and leading up to the use of force but not, american public watches ...

Department, intelligence community have to clear basically what the president, they have to feel comfortable with what hes saying. >> also, as weve seen, so many circumstances have changed just today in the last 12 hours the president has to put a frame that leaves viable options. one is if these diplomatic over tours by the french and russians, they dont materialize, should he need to go back to congress for authorization. >> were moments away from the start of the presidents speech. guys, dont...

It will not be another iraq or syria or libya, the president is expected to say tonight and also, and finally, anderson, the developments of the last 24 hours, the diplomatic opportunity that came out of the proposal for bashar al-assad to get rid of the chemical weapons that are in this country now, the president will be walking through that in his speech tonight, but anderson, getting back to the timeline, this white house official did say while there is a delay, the president is calling for a...

Chemical weapons, not the assad regime. thats a huge win for russia and they will keep pursuing that because thats what they really care about. >> fran, let me push back on that idea. you -- supporters of the obama administration would say look, president obama is getting -- could be getting exactly what he wanted all along. he didnt want to wade into the syrian civil war and clearly new york city fan of assad, he has always drawn the line as the use of chemical weapons and standing up internati...