military moves on hold before the election

The Obama Administration is sending strong signals that it wants to avoid major military actions before the November 6 elections. Over the holiday weekend, the NY Times reported numerous steps the administration is taking to persuade Israel not to launch an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, including air defenses and a naval buildup.  At the same time, the Washington Post quoted officials suggesting that the likelihood of U.S. intervention in Syria was remote.

Neither report is surprising. No president wants the risks and distractions of military operations just before elections. Although the Romney camp seems to favor arming Syrian rebels and supporting Israel no matter what on Iran, I doubt that it wants anything to take voters' minds off the economy.

Despite the title of this site -- drawing on Henry IV's advice to his son to "busy giddy minds with foreign quarrels" -- American political leaders rarely follow that advice.