Assad can because ‘he can.’ He was allowed to. There was a time the U.S post 9-11 had the power right in their fists to stop Assad but decided not to. Oh how proud we were to show Assad a thing or two by merely shunning him. (smoke and mirrors) We see that accomplished nothing either except to hand Assad more power.

Anyway, don’t think for a minute there was
no back channel diplomacy with the baby prior to Obama because there was. Just like shunning Arafat was nothing more than smoke and mirrors. In the end, both tracts to show Assad who means business has failed and —>failed miserably.
To prove it, look at the friendship forged between Assad and the very son of the man Assad had most likely ordered assassinated!! (and got away with it thanks in no part to the U.S)

Playing politics is like playing favorites with ‘blinders.’ Both lethal and gets us nowhere except on a virtual one way treadmill to the abyss.

Right now in the U.S there has been a fleeing from both parties to independent. We hold the cards because we see beyond political ideology. We can even see how idiotic we once sounded and behaved back when our ‘you know what’ never stunk.