With no date yet set for the House vote, there is increasing talk that it could get pushed back to give the administration more time to lobby. As broad as the opposition is, it is hard to envision the administration turning the tables and getting Congress back on the side of aggressive warfare.

The efforts to lobby have been heavy-handed and poorly received, with the Congressional Black Caucus scheduled for a secret Monday briefing and then being told, in no uncertain terms, not to publicly criticize the war over the weekend.

Though the administration continues to claim it has secret proof that it is showing to certain special, already pro-war lawmakers, the reality is that the public case has failed miserably, and polls showing huge public opposition to the war continue to drive the votes against the resolution.

According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, nearly six in 10 in the US are opposed to missile strikes on Syria over accusation that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against militant groups.

The call for military action against Syria intensified after foreign-backed opposition forces accused the Syrian government of launching a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus on August 21.

Damascus has vehemently denied the accusations, saying the chemical attack was carried out by the militants themselves as a false flag operation.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies -- especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey -- are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.

According to the United Nations, more than 100,000 people have been killed and a total of 7.8 million of others displaced due to the violence.

NTJ/HH