You wonder way America is perceived as in decline (heck, is in decline)?  Get a load of this report in yesterday's The Hill. 

Democrats are tussling with this knotty question: "Do they oppose the nation's Flayer-in-Chief on a Syria strike, thereby diminishing his ability to deal Fawner of the House, John 'I'll second the motion, Mr. President' Boehner over taxes and spending?"

Writes The Hill's Mike Lillis and Erik Wasson:

Democrats want Obama to use his popularity to reverse automatic spending cuts already in effect and pay for new economic stimulus measures through higher taxes on the wealthy and on multinational companies.

At this point, it's dubious what the president's popularity is - except among hardcore Democrat "gimme" constituencies and those Ds under the dome whose congressional careers hinge on raping taxpayers and debasing the nation's finances.    

This from anti-war Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA), who once made war on his ex-wife:

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), a veteran appropriator [plunderer], said the failure of the Syria resolution would diminish Obama's leverage in the fiscal battles.

"It doesn't help him," Moran said Friday by phone. "We need a maximally strong president to get us through this fiscal thicket. These are going to be very difficult votes."

Then this incoherence from the ever-incoherent congresspersontransgenderproudlygayfeministwoman from Texas (wait - try guessing first):

"There is a constant wounding [of Obama] going on with the Tea Party on budgets, appropriations and the debt ceiling," said Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). "I am going to reach out to my colleagues, Tea Party or not, and ask is this really the way you want to project the political process?"

Say, again, Shelia? 

The take from congressional Democrat big thinkers is "Maybe make war, not love," 'cause we need to keep working over taxpayers and pushing the candy out to our government (fiat) money-addicted voters. 

Why, if a military strike on Syria has many untold consequences, and could possibly lead to a wider conflict embroiling the U.S., that doesn't matter as much as shoveling goodies to teachers' unions, public sector goons of all stripes, and the "unemployed and needy," who are such thanks to decades-old liberal policies - and the hip and cool policies of the White House's current occupant. 

"Make the rubble bounce, Barack," say tempted Ds, "so long as the largesse keeps a-coming."