Posted on 03/22/2011 2:42:58 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe
Speaking in Chile to defend his decision to launch Operation Odyssey Dawn, President Obama couldn’t resist taking a swipe at George Bush, in a clumsy attempt to make himself look superior.
As reported by Fox News, the President declared: "In the past there have been times when the United States acted unilaterally or did not have full international support, and as a consequence typically it was the United States military that ended up bearing the entire burden."
As the folks at Fox quickly pointed out, Bush actually had twice as many international allies for the invasion of Iraq as Obama has put together for his adventure in Libya. They even put together a list.
The thinking behind this latest Bush smear is extremely troubling. You might view Obama reflexively blaming or denigrating Bush as a dog-bites-man story, but consider the context.
Odyssey Dawn is only four days old. Unlike Bush, Obama made no effort to prepare the American people for the operation, and now that the initial surprise has worn off, significant questions are being asked about his authority to launch these attacks. The concept of taking executive action to counter an imminent threat was arguable in Bush’s case – and people have been arguing about it for years – but utterly risible with respect to Libya. Indeed, the Administration hasn’t even tried to advance such an argument.
Serious questions are being asked about the long-term objectives of Odyssey Dawn, how much of it we’ll be expected to pay for, and whether promises to avoid the commitment of ground forces will be kept.
Against this backdrop, Obama decided to throw out an offhanded smear of his predecessor… a slander so transparently false that it was debunked within minutes?
That’s a disconnect with reality so profound that it verges on mental illness. It also highlights just how half-hearted and poorly thought out this decision was. The President has a massive staff and an enormous political team, but apparently no effort was made to put together a comprehensive response to critics of Libya policy. Nobody gamed out the scenario, considered the most predictable developments, and developed comprehensive, well-researched answers to likely challenges. Instead, it was Improv Night in front of a brick wall in Chile, and the President decided to haul out the old joke about Bush the Unitary Executive.
The President’s comment demonstrates an appalling lack of knowledge about the Iraq war. He ran as an outspoken opponent of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay… but has continued all three, and now added Libya. It would seem his campaign criticism was not informed and intelligent opposition, but rather a general conviction that George Bush is the devil, and anything he did should be mindlessly denounced from every possible angle.
Congress is understandably upset that they weren’t even formally notified about Odyssey Dawn until several days of bombing had already gone by. No rational person could have thought they would be mollified by boasting of how many international allies were consulted, especially since this is a coalition Obama was dragged into. This is not the rhetoric of a President who has been carefully weighing policy options since the beginning of the Libyan uprising. It’s the irritable snarl of a man who sent American troops into combat to get everyone off his back, so he could get back to doing what he enjoys.
It only counts if France is on board.
Sometimes, world opinion = the French.
Everything the Obama Communists screw up is the fault of Bush. And Bush was a Jerk too.
But worst of all, he did this while on vacation. He wasn’t even man enough to do this from the White House.
An all too common act by the Narcissist-in-Chief.
When he gets kicked out of DC, maybe he will move to the 57th state.
Obama must be hitting the crack pipe.
Who is bearing the burden now? How many cruise missiles have France, Germany, Italy, and the UK fired on Libya? How many sorties have their fighter jets flown? How many bomber runs have their heavy bombers made?
Obama..”I WON so screw you America and the Constitution you rode in on.”
A shame that dueling is illegal.
W vs. 0
President Bush regularly had the Congressional Leadership briefed on significant events during his administration. Its no wonder the Liberals and Democrats are screaming bloody murder over this.
I’m one of the people who wanted a carrier off of Libya a month ago and thought we should have intervened a long time ago if we had any hope of doing anything effective in Libya. Initially I was glad to see that the military had been unleashed, but now it is clear that is hardly the case. If this plan is as half-baked as is being reported then we all better hope he really does try to end it in days...
This is a fustercluck of incredible proportions...
It must be an egregious breach of the etiquette of diplomacy to declare a war, while a guest in a foreign country (Brazil); and only slightly less bad to rationalize it, while a guest of another country. It creates the impression that the host country is somehow involved, or at least supportive of the war. Brazil distanced themselves from it; Chile should likewise slam Obama.
Boy president has no shame, lies again and doesn’t give a hoot who knows he lied.
That’s if world opinion is discussing Armagnac liquer or Camembert cheese.
You’ve got to give him a break. He’s on vacation.
Bush got congressional approval
Obama didn’t
end of story
“He wasn’t even man enough to do this from the White House.”
He’s not a man that’s for sure.
He is a man-child still dealing with daddy abandonment issues. Might explain a lot really.
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