WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama plans to sit down with the
anchors of the five major U.S. news networks and PBS on Monday in
separate one-on-one interviews.
The on-air appearances coincide with a heavy fall agenda for the
president and Congress. Most lawmakers return to Washington from their
summer recess on that day, which also falls on the eve of a nationally
televised address Obama plans to make his case for military action on
Syria.
Monday’s interviews, which will be taped that afternoon and broadcast
on the networks’ nightly news, will serve as a stepping stone for the
president to frame his arguments before the American people.
Although supported by leading lawmakers in both parties, the
administration’s push for military intervention in Syria’s civil war has
has hit pushback from significant numbers of Republicans and Democrats
alike in Congress. Unofficial tallies by ABC News of members of Congress
suggest that a resolution to strike against Syria’s Bashar Assad for
the use of chemical weapons in that struggle would likely fail in at
least the House of Representatives.
The Syria question is also shadowed by a docket of issues for Capitol
Hill including showdowns on the national debt, federal budget,
healthcare, and a possible curb on the government’s surveillance of
millions of its citizens.
The Obama White House has not been shy about giving network
interviews during his two terms, with the president and members of his
cabinet offering appearances with increasing frequency during times of
political expedience. But it has been an extreme rarity to meet with
five networks at once. In September 2009, for example, Obama made a
similar showing during a push for his signature healthcare legislation,
although he avoided Fox in favor of Univision.
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