Saying his effort to punish President Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime is not the same as the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, President Barack Obama is confident Congress will approve a military strike in Syria.

Senators held their first public hearings about how to respond to last month's alleged sarin gas attack by the Assad regime in a suburb outside Damascus.

Obama called congressional leaders, like former Presidential rival, Senator John McCain of Arizona, to the White House as part of his attempt to gain support for his call for approval for limited military strikes against Assad's regime. He indicated he is open to changing the language to address lawmakers' concerns, but urged them to hold a vote as soon as possible.

Obama said that a clear message has to be sent Assad that the use of chemical weapons, especially on civilians, including hundreds of children is not acceptable. Obama hopes the strikes, in whatever form they might take, would disable Assad's ability to use chemical and biological weapons, not just now but also in the future.

With war-weary Americans unconvinced that military intervention in Syria is the proper moved, Obama assured Americans the attack will be a "limited, proportional step." But a recent poll found the public has no interest in the strike. A Washington Post-ABC News poll found sixty percent opposed with independent voters the most against the action. Republicans are slightly more in favor than Democrats in support of the President.