President Obama, Senator McCain (Creative Commons)

After an hourlong meeting with Obama on Monday afternoon, Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham who have both been calling for greater intervention to support the Syrian rebels, urged Congress to back the president's military action in Syria.  

McCain announced that a no vote would be "catastrophic" for the United States and would jeopardize its credibility in the world. 

Libertarian senator Rand Paul is leading a growing isolationist wing in the Republican party, declaring a strong opposition to military involvement in Syria. 

Obama also needs to persuade skeptical members of his own party that the US is not seeking to overthrow Assad and will not become embroiled in another intractable Middle East conflict. 

Read more at The Guardian.

Reach Executive Producer Syuzanna Petrosyan here. Follow her on Twitter.