It’s safe to say that the president’s political opinions and my own are not precisely aligned. Assiduous readers will by now have intuited such. I don’t entirely approve of his domestic agenda, but vox populi, innit? You pays your money and you takes your chance, and stepping into the polling booth comes with certain responsibilities as to the outcome. Not that you have to approve, not that you may not take exception. But that you at least accept the possibility that maybe you were wrong, and that in any case the pendulum never stops moving. It’s the genius of our republic that it self corrects.
But I always drew the line at national security, since no sane person ever voted for national suicide. And I frankly wasn’t certain that President Obama was up to the task in these dangerous times. But he might be learning:
President Barack Obama on Thursday accepted responsibility for intelligence shortcomings that led to a failed Christmas Day bombing plot on a Detroit-bound airliner, saying, “Ultimately, the buck stops with me.
“As president, I have a solemn responsibility to protect our nation and our people, and when the system fails, it is my responsibility,” Obama said…
President Barack Obama on Thursday accepted responsibility for intelligence shortcomings that led to a failed Christmas Day bombing plot on a Detroit-bound airliner, saying, “Ultimately, the buck stops with me.
“As president, I have a solemn responsibility to protect our nation and our people, and when the system fails, it is my responsibility,” Obama said.
Obama’s buck-stops-here message marks a change in tone from earlier statements in which Obama and other officials repeatedly noted that the watch-listing system that failed to flag the suspect, Umar AbdulMatallab, was put in place under the Bush administration.
It might be – at last – that the Obama administration has finally come to the realization that they aren’t running for election any more, that they’ve already won and with the victory not only comes domestic spoils but national responsibility.
If true, and if this is not merely more carefully calibrated spin, I’d find that right welcome.
Maybe some others among the perpetually dissatisfied set might learn a lesson too:
The persistence of policies across ideologically divided administrations is good evidence that those policies are now mainstream rather than partisan and ideological. Of course, many people will continue to disagree with them, just as many people continue to object to a standing army and a central bank; but these people are now officially on the fringes. There will also continue to be arguments about interrogation practices and the like, but a wide range of Bush administration policies—indefinite detention without charges, trials by military commission, the use of military force against suspected terrorists in foreign countries, secrecy privileges that undermine litigation against government officials responsible for terrorism policies, profiling on the basis of nationality, and much else—are now politically entrenched.
This development seriously weakens some common arguments heard over the last years.
Certainly ought to.
Lex, before I will give him any due, I want to see actions. Hell, even Jimmy Carter talked tough from time to time regarding the Soviets. The bind is that what the Prez said today is dangerously close to upsetting the applecart of the “alternative world view” upon which so many Leftists stake their opinions. That everything is negotiable, and the US should be a follower as often as a leader. That common cause rather than natural interest is what is and should drive foreign policies worldwide. Right out of a Cal-Berkeley government class circa 1969. (or today.)
There just might be, though, the chance that the GWOT (which, if we are serious, we need to start calling it or something close to it again) may be this and the next few administrations’ NSC-68. Borne of the post WWII Soviet entrenchment in eastern Europe and professed goal of destroying the West, America included, NSC-68 was that common thread through Truman, Ike, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon/Ford, Carter, and Reagan.
The GWOT began in 2001 and is in its ninth year of what may indeed be half a dozen decades before it is extinguished. We shall see.
Yep. We have lots of talk from him. I have a feeling that, like his promise to have the most open, transparent, administration, and have all major bills debated on C-Span, he is going to change direction. Heck, he started off with the usual “blame Bush” mantra. This stinks of trying to appease the masses after the outcry.
I meant “national interests” not “natural interests”. Jeezum, I sounded like Algore.
LeastGuv,
Hell, even Jimmy Carter talked tough from time to time regarding the Soviets.
It’s a strange thing: President Carter was considerably more pro-defense than ex-president Carter is. Remember the hostage rescue mission — whose failure, AFAIK, was not Carter’s fault. Remember also the large number of weapons systems he funded. And there is a story I saw in a book once, which I’ve never been able to confirm or refute, that he planned a much larger hostage-rescue op after the first one failed — an op that amounted to a short-term invasion rather than a mere commando raid. He canceled it after the Soviets learned of it via the Walker spy ring and prepared a counter-op that could easily have given them control of Iran.
They shouldn’t have needed the rescue attempt in the first place. President Carter allowed a two-bit religious theocracy to take and hold America territory and US Diplomatic personnel. He wouldn’t even allow our Marines to fire in self-defense. The same day a mob of 3,000 attacked the Soviet Embassy in Teheran and one guard fired 3 shots into the air. Guess what all 3,000 left.
I agree, Liz: the rescue attempt should not have been needed. Carter screwed up the whole Iran situation. However, I’ve often thought that the measure of a man is best taken by how he responds to a crisis. So I find it curious that the one time Carter was truly under the hammer, he did try a military solution to the crisis, and a pretty ambitious one at that. It suggests there once was a bit more to the man than the lunatic he is today, and perhaps he wasn’t quite as bad a president as he is an ex-president.
Wolf,
Heard the same re: Walker.
But Liz below had a point. Embassy guards whacking some people in defense of US Sovereign territory would have sent a very different message. Carter, no longer bound by the realities of office, can take leave of reason and go back to his liberal sweater-wearin’ anti-Semite self.
But, in the hostage situation, like the philosophy that seems to guide BHO and his far left cronies, Carter thought it more prudent to show his neck to the wolf. The repercussions will continue for a very long time.
The Radical Left, Obama included, embraces Gandhi as a National Security Policy. There is honor in being the victim and not fighting for oneself. Hell, here in VT they even have the bumper stickers to prove it. “Be the change you wish to see”. Lady, what if the change I wish to see is for addle-headed pinkos like yourself who sell us down the river to have their skulls lumped up?
Until BHO backs his words with meaningful actions that are countervaling to his “world view” and sticks by them, I cannot but think he his playing the part of the clothes hangar for the jacket he wears.
Let’s see if he “takes responsibility” for having appointed incompetence personified by asking for the resignation of a Chief Incompetent. Namely, one Janet Napolitano.
I think it was Mark Steyn that called he Incompetano. A rather neat pejorative play on her name, and a rather accurate one as well.
It is interesting, indeed, to hear him say it’s “on him,” his responsibility, “the Buck Stops Here”. All of this following close on the heels of his ripping the intelligence community up one side and down the other, most notably the CIA.
Of course, his decision to try KSM in criminal court in New York helps a lot, as well as his long ballyhooed policy of closing GITMO. My, my, he’s been nothing but the best in the way of supporting our efforts in what he also now recognizes as a “War on AQ”. At least he got one thing right: he is responsible for this mess!
To me it’s more “words, just words” blah, blah, blah. He ripped off Truman.
We have been at war since he was an IL Senator. He stepped into office with an at the time plausible threat to the life of himself and his family at the Inauguration. Yes, it turned out to be a poison pen trick to get us to stop a competing faction, but…after hearing that story on Hugh Hewitt last night, I’d figure he knew good and well there are those seeking to kill him and others to make their point at Islamic terrorists.
He has spent the vast majority of his time, as C-in-C of a nation at war, determined to micro manage banks, mortgages, the spending of federal money to gain political favor, and preening to hope to keep the whacked out left vote. His attention has not been in serious consideration of the war effort, and NATIONAL SECURITY as a whole. he can say all he want’s but the counting of the minutes records will show, the National Security was a distraction from a plan to run his domestic agenda through the system this first year.
More acting. His words, as mentioned for “transparency” are hollow.
He established his own track record I’m using to gauge my opinion, so yes…that buck stops on him, and it shall for history’s recording.
You don’t agree politically with the Wonwhowon? My cynicism has just risen by at least 3 orders of magnitude. I’m going to have to to bed, now, and sleep this off. It is to weep.
I cannot say anything nice, so I shan’t.
I have a feeling that if the bomb had successfully detonated Obama would still in be the blame Bush stage.
i watched part of that video they had up on hot air. i was watching for what someone else pointed out from the first talk he gave after the attempt on christmas. he does look like someone watching a tennis match. this is largely due to having 2 teleprompters. you can see him pause as he switches sides at times. the one thing he never does is talk straight to the camera. this gives the impression to us at home that he is shifty and probably lying. maybe it is time to go to three prompters. anyone else see this. maybe it is just old news and i am slow.
I’ll believe the tough talk when it’s followed by tough actions. I’m very happy that the chosen one has finally realized we’re at war however.
Like Lex, I was encouraged by the words. But with our president’s track record, I’m tempering that encouragement with a huge helping of “wait and see if his actions follow the words.”
It might be – at last – that the Obama administration has finally come to the realization that they aren’t running for election any more, that they’ve already won and with the victory not only comes domestic spoils but national responsibility.
Barry Lackwit, face the facts and recognize the real world? Whales will learn to fly first.
“Words, just words” is absolutely correct. Obama has a lot of words, nicely chosen, artfully connected, and delivered with sincerity and eloquence.
However, his actions are consistently not in synch with his words. Most recently his eight time promise to “C-Span the negotiations” has received some notice. Less has been given to his pledges, all promptly broken to (a) have no lobbyists in his high appointees; (b) sing into law NO earmarks; (c) veto any bill that would increase the deficit; (d) welcome ideas from Republicans. Those are just a few pieces of evidence that S.C. Representative Joe Wilson’s outburst “He Lies!” was a true statement.
I will never believe a word Obama says until he has actually carried out actions to do what he said. And, even then, it would be good to see what else may have been snuck in that we did not expect.
“He Lies.” Amen.
So…lessee, the empty suit gave a speech.
Any commitment in there anywhere?
We ganna turn some sand into glass? Didn’t think so.
A caller on a local talk show this afternoon suggested the clothes had no emperor….therefore…an empty suit. Nice turn of a phrase, I thought.
I’ve long been amazed at how certain people in what might be termed the management classes actually seem to think their words or actions actually result in something happening. Every officer I’ve met knows that when he orders something done it’s not he who accomplishes that mission, it’s the Chiefs and enlisted who make it happen.
I’ve rarely seen that in business, and never in politics.
Politicians are the worst at this, I think mainly because they tend to be lawyers and hence think the law actually means something. The law means exactly as much as a dollar does — if you’ve no faith in it, if you’ve no use for it, it’s not worth the paper it’s printed on. Pass a law making murder more illegal, perhaps with a harsher penalty, and pat yourself on the back that the new law will truly make a difference fails to recognize the murderer didn’t care about the previous laws against his actions, of what concern violating the additional?
Obama, and for that matter most of the leadership, seem to think words mean something because they’re said. That is not the case. Words mean something when actions back them up. Words alone aren’t worth a bucket of warm spit without action that makes them true.
Obama gave a speech. Big whoop. Somebody call me when there’s actions worth noting.
– Max
allow this ground pounder to join the chorus: Barney Fife gave a speech, but so what?
we’re no safer, he’s still in the office drinking coffee and eating sticky buns from the galley, and the chances of a jock strap jihadi getting on Air Force One are a whole lot less than the russian roulette he and the thousands standing around are asking us to dare at the local airport.
screw Ear Leader and the horse shit he rode in on. i wouldn’t follow him, even out of morbid curiosity.
I find it terribly amusing that the ACLU of all groups is banging hard on the “racial profiling” part of the new security plan – namely the 14 countries on the list. Seems those from that part of the world are “of color” – various shades true, but of color. Therefore, we shouldn’t mandate that passengers traveling from or through those countries get additional screening. We’ll probably see a motion for mistrial shortly based on the other passengers violating the bomber’s civil and religious rights. Everyone knows a jihadist has a religious duty to blow himself up. We can’t stop the muslim at the post office from praying 5 times a day so why should we be allowed to stop a bomber doing his religious duty.
I don’t think the jihadi bubbas are afraid of BHO’s logorrhea.
G-man, the Brits I work with have expressed wonder that the UK is not on that list, since it is the most obvious starting point to get to the US and is loaded with Islamic malcontents. They ask me flatly what political deal kept them off the list, and warn that no matter what it was, the USA will pay a price for it.
Even if Obama really (belatedly) realizes the seriousness of the terrorist threat, it’s not clear that he has the executive ability to really do much about it. As most people on this blog probably know from experience, getting your subordinate people/organizations all pulling in the same direction, conducting activities so that balls don’t get dropped, etc, is *hard work* and you learn it from experience. Obama has little or no such experience.
The man strikes me more as someone who is trying to give a convincing *performance* as an executive than as someone who is trying to *be* an executive.
But, did he stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night?
Executive duties must be learned and earned. It just scares the hell out of me that Mr. Obama’s first on the job training is at this level. SKEERY.
Empty words from an empty suit.
I believe President Cheapshot took the opportunity immediately after saying that the buck stops with him, to parenthetically mention that this was being handled much more transparently than in “previous administrations”. F him.
I add my vote to the chorus — empty words from an empty suit.
The man will say anything, promise anything. But Congressman Joe Wilson was right.
more carefully calibrated spin
That’s what I think it is. Obama doesn’t have the chops to actually take the action necessary to back up the words.
Obama and other officials repeatedly noted that the watch-listing system that failed to flag the suspect, Umar AbdulMatallab, was put in place under the Bush administration.
MI5 warned HLS of li’l Umar’s radicalization after Britain put him on the “No Entry into the UK” list.
Umar’s *dad* notified DoS that his son had been radicalized and was planning a trip to the US.
The watch-listing system didn’t fail — the people who were supposed to keep it current failed.
No. No lessons learned here. This just is more Obamatalk: idle chit-chat with no intention actually to do anything.
Eric Hines