Sacramento Bee editorial: It didn’t take until Monday for the Monday morning quarterbacks to start criticizing President Barack Obama’s decision to join U.S. allies in a campaign to stop Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi from killing his own people.
Born-again doves such as George Will, Donald Rumsfeld and Newt Gingrich ganged up on the president for the bombing Saturday of Gadhafi’s air defenses and implementation of a no-fly zone over Libya.
….Gingrich says that, if he were president, he “would not have intervened,” even though on March 7 he criticized the president for his restraint on Gadhafi. “This is a moment to get rid of him,” Gingrich said then. “Do it. Get it over with.”
….Obama did act, and part of the delay involved assembling an international coalition to carry out the mission. And what is the mission? At least part of it – the major part – is to prevent Gadhafi from engaging in a further bloodbath. The allies have been largely successful in that goal, a fact that detractors such as Will, Rumsfeld and Gingrich should at least acknowledge.
Americans should also recognize that, unlike the intervention that Rumsfeld helped orchestrate in Iraq, this one wasn’t grounded in false pretenses of “weapons of mass destruction,” etc.
President Obama has been clear that allies and U.S. forces are carrying out a humanitarian mission, not a chess move in an attempt to reshape the Arab world. And though the international coalition seems divided on responsibilities and the endgame, it is far more broad and cohesive than the one the Bush administration assembled in its reckless invasion of Iraq…..
Full article here
The Syracuse Post Standard: Wonder why the United States has just one president and one secretary of state? Imagine trying to set U.S. foreign policy with 535 members of Congress in charge.
House Speaker John Boehner this week sent a huffy note to the president complaining that Congress wasn’t sufficiently consulted in the decision to help implement the United Nations resolution calling for measures to protect civilians from a vengeful Col. Moammar Gadhafi in Libya….
Is Boehner’s second-guessing really saying it was a mistake to commit the United States to the U.N.-sanctioned effort to prevent Gadhafi from his avowedly “merciless” campaign to subdue his own citizens? That the administration acted too precipitously in joining its allies to prevent more bloodletting?
…it’s pretty clear that if the U.N. and allied nations had not acted, Gadhafi would be back in control, with blood flowing in ever-greater quantities. What message would that have sent to democracy advocates in Tunisia and Egypt, not to mention Syria, Iran, Yemen, Bahrain and elsewhere?
There’s no question that this is a messy operation. Libya’s rebels appear nowhere close to organizing a coherent democratic alternative to Gadhafi’s police state — hardly surprising, considering his relentless mission to crush any opposition. Efforts by the Obama administration to hand off major responsibilities for the operation may bring results as soon as this weekend….
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton notes that the protection of civilians in Benghazi already is a sign the U.N.-backed effort is succeeding — though she added Gadhafi’s defiance poses a continuing challenge. Meeting that challenge will require dexterous diplomacy in coming days. But it’s worth the effort.
White House.gov
Those who oppose for the purpose of opposing have lost all credibility. Their words are just hot air. And at this time, we need action and results. The only one supplying either of those is President Obama and his people. I’m glad some in the media/newspaper business are voicing those observations.
Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly weighs in on how the knee jerk reaction to be against anything President Obama is for is causing a lot of Republicans to sound incoherent. They are twisting themselves into knots trying to avoid being in agreement with anything President Obama does.
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THERE’S A LOT OF THIS GOING AROUND…. Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) ran into a little trouble this week when he told a national television audience, “I would not have intervened” in Libya, shortly after demanding that President Obama intervene in Libya.
As it turns out, he’s not the only one. A variety of Republican officials have discovered they were for intervention before they were against it.
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There’s no point in even being disappointed in the lack of depth in Republican leaders’ approach to the issue — this is now the norm — but it’s still worth appreciating that the foreign policy for much of the Republican Party in 2011 is, “We don’t like President Obama.”
Remember when the GOP used to consider foreign policy its dominant issue? No matter how much it struggled on domestic policy, the Republican Party could be counted on to be the grown-ups when it came to national security and international affairs?
Those days are gone.
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_03/028620.php
“We don’t like President Obama” - It’s not just the Republican foreign policy - it’s their domestic policy, as well.
Love the modifier used to introduce Gingrich: “Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.)…”
I disagree with this statement, though: “Remember when the GOP used to consider foreign policy its dominant issue? No matter how much it struggled on domestic policy, the Republican Party could be counted on to be the grown-ups when it came to national security and international affairs?
Those days are gone.”
Those days never were.
He’s 100% right. The Right has demonized President Obama to such an extent that giving him any credit let alone agreeing with a decision he makes is enough to end your primary aspirations. So they have to be against whatever President Obama is for and they’re looking ridiculous to anybody paying attention now (and I’m sure would make great general ads should any make it out to oppose Obama in the General).
Palin came out against more nutritious school meals, breast feeding initiatives (after declaring Breast Feeding month in Alaska as Gov for many of the same reasons Michelle Obama was championing) and why the Right is pushing back against the anti-bullying campaign the President and Mrs. Obama took part in. They’re pro-bullying for crying out loud.
They you have Newt who seems to not realize the powers of the internet and youtube. He hasn’t run since the mid-1990′s, I don’t think he knows he can’t brazenly contradict himself not a week later and get away with it.
I don’t know what potential 2012 GOP candidates are waiting for - maybe so they don’t have to go on record against every President Obama decision. I figured they wanted to let the budget showdown play out first, hoping the GOP would shutdown Government and popular opinion would blame President Obama and that would be some sort of game changer. But with CR’s taking us into the middle of April, they look indecisive as a whole. I’d expect one more CR given the current one will run out around Easter and nobody will want a political showdown at that time of the year. So into early May, when I could see the budget showdown finally happening, is right in the middle of the first set of GOP Primary Debates - May 5th is the first Fox GOP Primary Debate from S.Carolina. That would be a rough crowd on any candidate who doesn’t take the hardline, no matter where public opinion might be.
Born again liars is a more descriptive term, imo. What they stand for at 12:00 Noon is not what they stand for at 12:01 PM. Their only stance is to oppose any position that PBO takes. Newt admitted as much in an interview with Greta van Susteran on Fox Snooze last night:
“Gingrich tried to explain his incoherent stances by telling Van Susteren that he is merely responding to what Obama does. “I was responding in each case to changes in Obama’s positon,” he said last night. Indeed, no matter what Obama does, Gingrich will be sure to oppose it — even if he supported that exact policy two weeks ago.”
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/25/gingrich-new-flip-flop-air-power/
The sad thing is, there are millions who will buy Newt’s excuses, simply because the excuses validate their racism with the cover of a “legitimate” ideological or policy disagreement. It makes them feel like they’re not really just racists, they just don’t agree with President Obama. We all know the truth.
Those millions who believe it will NEVER vote for President Obama or any Democrat. I say more power to Newt and his lies, because they won’t work in the General, but might make him believe he has a real chance in the primary and I think he could take out the long knives against his fellow Republican candidates.
Chipsticks, your posts just get better and better. I appreciate how simply and elegantly you pull it all together to make a powerful point.
Did you see the Boston Globe article about the President and the GOP 2012 wannabees? An excellent read
GOP’s adult deficit disorder
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/03/23/gops_adult_deficit_disorder/
“Although the left sometimes chafes under President Obama’s measured and mild manner, grousing that he lacks the combativeness the political era requires, Obama understands something they don’t: Voters want a calm, reasonable adult, not a partisan warrior, in the Oval Office.
Obama takes a page from both Ronald Reagan, who perfected the role of national leader high-minded enough to rise above his detractors, and Bill Clinton, who projected the air of a reasonable man ruefully trying to reason with a horde of hyper-partisans who preferred combat to compromise. The president knows that he enhances his image by comporting himself that way. But mostly, that’s just Obama leaning into who he is.”
….
“here’s real estate mogul Donald Trump, a walking exercise in self-parody who apparently mistakes national affairs for a reality TV show.”
Great article! So glad to see some in the media finally stating the truth. As always POTUS is the only adult
And the article’s three “serious” candidates all have potentially fatal flaws - Mitt has Romneycare that will dog him the whole primary, the fact he’s been running for President for 10 years it seems, and he made his money as a robber baron. He is the strongest challenger though. Pawlenty is boring as hell with negative natural charisma and had the bridge collapse was IIRC he cut inspection money. Mitch Daniels was GWB’s first director of the OMB, the Clinton surplus become the Bush deficit on his watch, the Bush tax cuts had a sunset clause in to hide the true budget busting cost, Medicare Part D wasn’t paid for and he hid the cost of the Afghan and Iraq wars by taken them off the books. He also had a royal screw up trying to privatize social services that could cost the state Billions.
Excellent article. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting that article, Suzanne. I have been in a snit today because I’m fed up with reading and seeing all these media lies and shilling for these GOP idiots. Not one — NOTE ONE — can hold a candle to President Obama. Not one should even be considered a threat. Now they’re acting as if Michele “crazy eyes” Bachmann is a serious candidate. Bachmann who rails against government while taking farm subsidies. Who raised foster children for which the state paid her. They let Gingrich the whore monger get away with his constant lies. Chump who’s bankrupt in money and morals is allowed to spew lies about the President on ABC. Barbour a bigot who’s state is the worst in terms of poverty and education. Pawlenty who only won his re-election by 1%, left the state deep in debt and refused to fix roads and bridges until one finally fell killing people. The quitter gov who cannot even speak in coherent sentences is shoved down our throats every day as someone who could lead this country. Huckabee who cloaks his racism in the bible.
PLEASE. MAKE. IT. STOP!
Excellent summary of all the GOP losers!
Its just depressing isn’t it?
Amen ProudofObama! Amen! I’m so sick of the lies and the media manipulation!
These born again liars just talk to hear themselve. They have nothing worthwhile to say, it’s just noise to be ignored. Don’t let them creep into your brain it will drive you insane. Stay above the noise and protect your joy. Our President is for real and he just help the world to save the people of Libya.
I a so lucky to be living in the age of Obama. Thank you God.
My hope is that America is seeing the Republicans-Tea Party for what they are. Liars. Who would put the welfair of there party above the country.
Chipsticks….Thank you. We don’t want to hear it. Let them call Limbaugh or Fox.
Indeed chipsticks, I keep wanting to call you Chipper because you make us happy. Anyway, great stuff and I agree you are getting better and better at what you do.
I extend a huge thank you suzanne, majii and ladyhawk for their great links.
By the way, I love that photo of PBO.