Bush always erred on the side of Protecting America’s citizens from its enemies. Obama seems bent on reversing that and making his judgements by erring on the side that protects America’s enemies instead.
And the funny thing is that in doing this, Obama will not elevate America's reputation to even the slightest degree. Those who hate us will fear us less and mock us more, concluding that we're stupid, a "paper tiger." Those who esteem us will sleep less well at night. Not one single word of appreciation will be uttered outside our borders in appreciation of this gesture. The response will range from "long overdue" to "too little too late" to "a much needed downpayment on a total overhaul of America's aggressive posture of intimiation and strong-arm cowboy tactics."