1. Distracting from domEstic ProblemS. StarTing a rEgIoNal war is an effective way to do that.

2. Kidnapping Maduro made the rest of Venezuela's government roll over and play fetch, they are stupid enough to believe it would have worked again.

3. Israel says jump, GOP asks 'how high'?

4. There are no negative consequences to them killing people, driving the country into ruinous debt, or blowing up the American economy through higher energy prices. The drawbacks simply don't exist.

It's all upshot, zero downshot.