"This Has Been one of the Most Humiliating Episodes in Presidential History"

Townhall.com ^ | 9/11/2013 | Guy Benson

[Servant of the Cross]

National Journal's Ron Fournier, a veteran DC journo who calls 'em like he sees 'em, hasn't been terribly impressed with President Obama's careening and incomprehensible handling of the crisis in Syria. In an unsparing review, Fournier concludes that Obama has demonstrated himself to be naive and isolated. Behold what 'smart power' hath wrought:

Naive about the levers of power: Where to start? Obama reversed course on congressional authorization at the last minute, after a private chat with his chief of staff, and to the surprise of his national security team--all in violation of presidential best practices. He then left the country on a quixotic trip to Russia, allowing misgivings to grow in Congress and the public before he could build a case for striking Syria. Boxed in, Obama seized upon a Russian proposal to put Syria's weapons in the hands of the international community. It's an impractical solution, a fig leaf. Either Obama trusts Russian President Vladimir Putin (a mistake) or he is a partner in deceit (an outrage). A Democratic strategist who works closely with the White House, and who requested anonymity to avoid political retribution, told me, "This has been one of the most humiliating episodes in presidential history." ... As he faced an international and constitutional crisis, Obama and his team were in a familiar state: isolated, insular, and alone.

I've used the word "incoherent" quite often in describing the administration's ever-shifting Syria posture. Fox News produced a montage that begins to capture the incoherence, albeit without some of the more memorable fumbles and contradictions (video at link):

Meanwhile, we're reportedly distributing "lethal aid" to certain Syrian rebel groups. Have they been properly vetted? Do we know if they run the risk of being disarmed and overtaken by Al Qaeda? Would these be the same "moderate" rebels who feel abandoned by the US, whose leadership is fracturing, and who pledge to join forces with the radicals to take out Assad? For those delusional few who are at least pretending to believe that Obama outfoxed Putin over Syria, it looks as though US-Russo relations have declined to a post-Soviet nadir. So much for the "reset." This is open, emboldened hostility:

Russia could expand arms sales to Iran and revise the terms of U.S. military transit to Afghanistan if Washington launches a strike on Syria, a senior Russian lawmaker said Wednesday. Alexei Pushkov, the Kremlin-connected chief of the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, told lawmakers that Moscow hopes that the U.S. will back Russia's proposal for Syria to put its chemical weapons under international control for their subsequent dismantling. During Wednesday's debate in the Russian parliament of a draft resolution on Syria, Communists called for an increase in Russian weapons supplies to Iran and a revision of conditions for transit via Russia of supplies for U.S. forces in Afghanistan.

Beyond that, as others have pointed out over the last 24 hours, experts have assessed that the process of "disarming" Syria of its WMDs in the middle of a civil war is essentially impossible. And that's assuming that Assad would genuinely surrender all of the illegal weapons...that he wouldn't even acknowledge possessing until yesterday. Keep in mind that his regime has been preparing for a possible US strike for days. Might those preparations have entailed moving and hiding certain strategic weapons stockpiles? As Ramesh Ponnuru has noted, Assad likely believes that his chemical weapons cache is a backstop against being overthrown and killed. Are we to believe that he'd willingly surrender his heinous trump card, especially under Russian supervision? Just three days ago, Obama's UN ambassador was slamming Moscow. Now the Kremlin is the fulcrum on which a peaceful resolution hinges? Even as they're threatening us, blowing kisses at Iran, and obstructing any meaningful action at the Security Council? The entire proposition is risible, back to front. Even many liberal writers can't avoid excoriating the president's Syria performance, averring that Obama "struck out" by getting "snookered," rendering his administration "dazed and confused." One cutting line: "To say that the Obama administration is freelancing when it comes to foreign policy is an insult to freelancers." Peggy Noonan says Obama should have just canceled last night's speech. He didn't, the public mostly shrugged, and here we are. I'll leave you with former New York Times editor Bill Keller listing the ways in which Putin just ate Obama's lunch.

[Servant of the Cross]

The amateur organizer of the Occupy WH community who would be king is exposed. He has no clothes.

[Red Badger]

The Mariel Boatlift or Bay of Pigs would come in a close second...............

[MeshugeMikey]

“OBAMA APPEARS MENTALLY ILL”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JySBQQTrb5A

he so wants to BE Jeremiah White

[Uncle Miltie]

Ron is a long term leftie.

[sickoflibs]

That was some speech Obama made :

part 1) why we must attack Syria,
part 2) why he wont attack Syria

‘I need the congress to approve my action..I am sure they will...well maybe not...just forget the whole thing.. bye’

I am surprised that Kerry botched this up so badly, after all he has 3 Purple Hearts.

[GeronL]

I think arming Al Qaeda is pretty horrible but I guess the journalists think not being the air force for the terrorists is what is humiliating

weird

[GeronL]

All lefties are mentally ill

[NonValueAdded]

tagline

[Iron Munro]

McCain is reponsible, along with Obama, Graham and others, for the ongoing incompetence of the federal government that led to the Syria fiasco.

And McCain played a part in bringing about the humiliation ne speaks of.

Putin simply took advantage of a situation created by our laughable “leaders” to show the world what a dithering hapless fool Obama is.

Obama is the main clown but the senate and congress aren’t far behind.

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

I am surprised that Kerry botched this up so badly, after all he has 3 Purple Hearts.

Four. He was injured when he dropped the box containing the first three on his toe.

[Starboard]

Obama was for the attack before he wasn’t.

John “I was for it before I was against it” Kerry fits right into this bumbling and confused administration.

[MeshugeMikey]

his issues...perceptual issues are further complicated by his need to be "above it all" HIGH above it all

How to Spot a Cocaine User/ 6 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow

http://www.wikihow.com/Spot-a-Cocaine-User

if obama isnt using coke....Im Shirely Temple

I didnt NEED the 6 steps ..with pictures...to determine that fact

I have had the misfortune to rub shoulders with some who were cocaine users...and obamas a dead ringer for a cokehead

This Message Not Approved by the NSA

[Liz]

Behold what 'smart power' hath wrought: Obama's careening and incomprehensible handling of the crisis in Syria. One unsparing reviewer concluded that Obama has demonstrated himself to be naive and isolated. In short, Putin ate Obama's lunch.

And don't forget onetime Secy of State Hillary's part in all of this.

The Democrats' 'Smart Power' Lies in Ruins
National Review | Sept 3, 2013 | Jim Geraghty / FR Posted by kristinn

Democrats Suddenly Realize What They Miscalculated About the World: Everything

As we await Congress’ decision on authorizing the use of U.S. military force in Syria, Democrats are suddenly realizing that their foreign policy brain-trust completely misjudged the world.

Being nicer to countries like Russia will not make them nicer to you. The United Nations is not an effective tool for resolving crises. Some foreign leaders are beyond persuasion and diplomacy. There is no “international community” ready to work together to solve problems, and there probably never will be.

You can pin this on Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Susan Rice, but most of all, the buck stops with the president. Those of us who scoffed a bit at a state senator ascending to the presidency within four years on a wave of media hype and adoration are not quite so shocked by this current mess.

We never bought into this notion that getting greater cooperation from our allies, and less hostility from our enemies, was just a matter of giving this crew the wheel and letting them practice, as Hillary Clinton arrogantly declared it, “smart power” (and fronted Time magazine cover).

(These people can’t even label a foreign policy approach without reminding us of how highly they think of themselves.)

They looked out at the world at the end of the Bush years, and didn’t see tough decisions, unsolvable problems, unstable institutions, restless populations, technology enabling the impulse to destabilize existing institutions, evil men hungry for more power, and difficult trade-offs.

No, our problems and challengers were just a matter of the previous hands running U.S. foreign policy not being smart enough. (Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...

[knarf]

Tagline stolen for personal use

[MeshugeMikey]

I hereby do move that henceforth all references to the IMPOTUS by Name are thusly spelled

ØBAMA

[GeronL]

The NSA is not going to like that at all.

lol

[EQAndyBuzz]

This is what happens when 22 Marxist Czars and ideologues run the country.

The incompetence is beyond belief. But they can quote Marx from memory.

[Liz]

All of the media's welcome and way overdue criticism----blanketing us like a New England snowstorm----does not take into accountt that Prog/Obama does not view Syria as a failure---his only regret is that others do.

Transformational Ohaha WANTS the US to decline as a superpower.....and has worked toward that goal. Lib/progs are "uncomfortable" w/ the US as a global power....meandering all over the globe to work its will.

As Freeper GERONL posted: In the 2008 campaign the Obamas even talked down the “American dream”---the idea that you should work hard and get ahead. They encouraged people to work for non-profits and volunteer instead of having ambition. They called it “middleclassism” or something.

[MeshugeMikey]

I aim to PLEASE...../s

Perhaps and this is not entirely outside of the realm of possibilities some NSA LACKEY might encounter the phrase:

This Message Not Approved by the NSA

and be so moved by the inescapable albeit dark humor contained therein that they MIGHT LEAVE THE DARKSIDE...

[NonValueAdded]

I know it will run afoul of the PC crowd, screaming stereotyping, but Obama is really lazy and a dilettante in the political realm. Consider ...

Building a coalition is very hard work and takes a long time. Instead of all that time on the golf course or on vacation, Obama should have been cultivating relationships with world leaders. If he did do work, it was in breaking down relationships - Britian and the Churchill bust fiasco a prime example.

Then, when it mattered most, he could not reach out to his fellow leaders and perhaps more importantly, their cadre of advisors, who would counsel their principals to engage.

Also, there was no trust that Obama would continue to do the right thing. None. His proposed actions were diametrically opposed to standard liberal pacifism not to mention his entire body of “work” as evidenced by past statements and votes. If countries spent political capital to join, would they be left holding the bag when Obama lost interest or got pushback from his base.

After all, look how he abandoned Iraq and is actively abandoning Afghanistan. And he can’t even keep his Gitmo promise - although that might be the one time where practicality won out over rhetoric.