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Trust, Don’t Verify
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The Obama Watch
Time to Take a Bow
To reality, Mr. President.
The editor of the New Yorker was once asked about the hip, cool, insider writing that graced his journal. Didn’t its stylish prose go over people’s heads? “We don’t write it for the little old lady from Dubuque,” he replied. Not pitching your case to the little old lady from Dubuque, Iowa, became a hallmark of modern sophisticated liberalism — a liberalism more characterized by point-of-view than by policy point papers. So when the New Yorker’s Christmas week number hit newsstands, it was bound to attract attention.
The cover showed President Obama bowing to Santa. In their typical way, the editors of the New Yorker had captured not just the moment, but the year. Or have they captured in that cartoon bow the Age of Obama?
Was it only starchy conservatives, appalled traditionalists, offended Republicans who groused when our bright new President bowed low before the Saudi king? It was his first foray into foreign summitry. Was there no one in his inner circle to tell him that the Saudi royal family is not very popular among — and this is key—Obama’s target audience of non-jihadist Muslims? The Saudi royal family jealously guards their title as Custodian of the Holy Places of Islam. They make pilgrims of the Hajj pay through the nose for the privilege of visiting those shrines. It is no unusual thing to see stampedes of panicked pilgrims in those areas and lives lost in the melees. Recall the deaths at Woodstock — but on an annual, predictable basis.
The Saudi royal family also funds the Wahhabi version of Islam worldwide. This version of Islam is the seedbed of jihadism. It’s a factor in our prisons and even in some stateside madrassas. If Barack Obama truly wants to promote a more tolerant Islam — the kind practiced by the good-hearted folks he recalls from his boyhood years in Indonesia — he couldn’t have picked a worse way of showing it.
There is only one bow I would like to see our President make. I’d like him to bow to reality. He appeared before a podium and a presidential seal in Hawaii. Tieless, he assured us that the failed Christmas Day attack by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was the work of an “isolated extremist.”
How did Obama know that? Very quickly word is coming out that the 23-year old Nigerian may well have been schooled by the same Imam who coached the Fort Hood shooter. Is it the extremists who are isolated? Or is Barack Obama isolated?
The charges against Abdulmutallab will doubtless include 288 counts of attempted murder. But if the jet jockeys terrorist wanted to kill only 288, he could have detonated his bomb over the Atlantic. He waited until final descent because he wanted to bring down that Northwest Airlines jet over the Detroit airport crowded with holiday travelers. The death toll might well have exceeded that of 9/11. On Christmas. Get the point?
Are there more young killers in the skies? Before he was read his Miranda rights, and given a taxpayer-funded lawyer, Abdulmutallab was our best source for information about the nature, extent, and future plans of the worldwide terrorist conspiracy bent on slaughtering Americans.
President Obama — in between Hawaiian snorkeling sessions and family outings to anti-American movies — said we were doing “all in our power” to meet this threat. I wanted to yell: “Where’s Joe Wilson now?” Even if we didn’t agree with the obstreperous South Carolina congressman who yelled “You lie!” during Obama’s September speech, we have to admit there’s an overwhelming temptation to yell when Obama says things that are patently untrue.
Of course, he is not doing all in his power to fight terrorism. He could give them military trials at Guantanamo Bay. That’s what the facility was designed for. That’s what it should be used for. That’s what a strong liberal President like FDR would do. Military trials for would-be killers during time of war is exactly how FDR treated captured Nazi saboteurs.
Congress should bow to reality. It can show it understands the nature of the terrorist threat better than the Executive. Congress has the power to deny any federal funds for civilian trials of enemy combatants. If President Obama clings to the isolated extremism of the ACLU, Congress can save him — and us — from the dangerous consequences of this folly. And if Congress refuses, the people can give them a reality check in November.
About the Author
Ken Blackwell, the former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio is Vice Chairman of the Republican National Committee’s Platform Committee. He also serves on the boards of the Club For Growth and the National Taxpayers Union.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (65) | Leave a comment
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Appleby| 1.4.10 @ 6:34AM
Would somebody please tell Obama that the Sixties are OVER?
TennesseeVolunteer| 1.4.10 @ 8:03AM
Ken, you are wasting your breath. This administration is saying exactly what it wants to, they do not make mistakes.
Your mistake is to listen to what they say and actually think that they mean what they say. Their words are used to misdirect us to thinking they actually are trying to protect and defend our country and to protect the Constitution. Their actions prove they are doing the complete opposite. By your thinking that they really are Patriots, and are just making mistakes, leads your readers to think that they might change "if we just make our case a little more clearly."
Nothing could be further from the truth. You are trying to put lipstick on a 'socialist adminstration' that is hell bent on fundamentally changing America. Wake the hell up!
SpiralArchitect| 1.4.10 @ 10:44PM
The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one.
~ Adolf Hitler
J0e| 1.4.10 @ 8:43AM
Appleby, do you mean the decade when people like him and his ilke were bombing Colleges, Churchs and government buildings? Do you see a connection between his terrorist buddies and this progressive buddies of the 60s. He thinks the 60s is being revisited.
Louis Jenkins| 1.4.10 @ 9:09AM
I wanted to yell: "Where's Joe Wilson now?" Even if we didn't agree with the obstreperous South Carolina congressman who yelled "You lie!"
That about sums it up. At least Wilson told the truth in two words. And Congress, the majority that is, is stooping and bowing along with the Apoligizer n Chief and continuing with the lie. Not even a proper form of bowing I might add.
Made in USA| 1.4.10 @ 10:38PM
Nice place to post your add.
"installing and testing of racking systems in China. "
Nice Chinese products.
Get lost scumbag.
ffs, you cannot even contribute to the discussion then put your link in the appropriate place - provided for you, jerk.
Rmm| 1.4.10 @ 10:29AM
How quickly security has become topic #1, knocking Obamacare off the radar screen. How lovely it is to see O dragged back into reality.
SJC48| 1.4.10 @ 10:56AM
The President should do this - the Congress should do this - not gonna happen - we will need to vote the liberal freaks out of office before common sense is restored.
PCC| 1.4.10 @ 12:02PM
Point of information:
Mr. Blackwell strikes a false note when he compares the two reported deaths at Woodstock (one drug overdose, one tractor accident) and the multiple incidents of dozens and, in one year, hundreds of pilgrims stampeded to death at the annual hadj at Mecca.
bill glass| 1.4.10 @ 12:48PM
obaba's reaction to the failed attact reminded me of his " can i just eat my waffle " moment. it seemed to be a bothersome matter, not important enough to be an interruption to his idle time. if his hawaiian vacation was so important to him, he shouldn't have run for office.
David| 1.5.10 @ 11:40AM
Actually, Obama's vacation is the best thing he's done so far. At least when he's snorkeling he's not up to insidious mischief! Let him vacation all he wants!
hhgy| 1.4.10 @ 12:49PM
islam is evil.
www.thereligionofpeace.com
Jim O'Brien| 1.4.10 @ 1:54PM
The economy will continue to decline due to higher taxation, the burden of a $13 trillion national debt, obscene federal spending, increased regulation, and the lack of confidence caused by more terrorist attacks here in the United States. Obama will be looking for fresh excuses and he will probably say he was "misled" by his advisers.
We do not have a knowledgeable or effective commander-in-chief of our military. Obama in this role is a bad joke.
Obama and his ACORN administration are profoundly ignorant of economics and history. He has learned nothing from the collapse of the former Soviet Union, or the history of Islamic terrorism, and he despises capitalism and the Constitution. Obama is one bad act.
explosion proof floodlight | 11.25.10 @ 1:35AM
That's the way it went in the U.S. for decades. People in poor communities were convinced that the police and justice system didn't give a hang about crime in their neighborhoods.
Virginia Gun Forum | 1.4.10 @ 2:48PM
@SJC48 - You have it exactly right. We have to start with the elections this November and continue the trend in 2012. There is only one way to fix this problem and that's to vote the liberal socialists out of office. Unfortunately, the moves that this administration is making and will undoubtedly continue to make will force our country down their path whether we like it or not, and reversal of course will be nearly impossible.
cavan| 1.4.10 @ 6:52PM
Obama is a wimp, just like Carter ( but worse).
Would you want either one of them backing you up in a fight?
BREDNG10| 1.4.10 @ 9:08PM
The fate of our country is at stake.We can`t plan on voting him out,because with ACORN still in play the voting won`t be very fair(anything goes).We have to stop ACORN and hope they don`t bring in 5-15 million mexicans (democrats)with free healthcare.They aren`t going to go out easy and also have unlimited money(unions,
$oro$,plus billion$ in stimulus slushfund.
Pingback| 1.4.10 @ 9:12PM
The American Spectator : Time to Take a Bow capital university links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 1.4.10 @ 10:48PM
The American Spectator : Time to Take a Bow American Me links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
MacAoidh | 1.4.10 @ 11:55PM
Not to mention our president is supplying al-Qaeda with seasoned veteran terrorists fresh from Gitmo.
http://thehayride.com/2010/01/.....-in-yemen/
If these people were out to destroy the country, I ask - what would they be doing differently?
Gordon| 1.5.10 @ 1:23AM
I would like to see the leaders in the current Congress, both Senate and House, travel as a group to Yemen, on a goodwill tour, and travel as a group in a obvious convoy, protected by the Yemeni Government, and try to determine if there is a current terrorist threat to the U.S. by Islamic terrorist elements in that fine democratic country. Peace and God Bless
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Is a Debt Consolidation Loan Different from Filing Bankruptcy … | Consolidation Finan links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : Time to Take a Bow [spectator.org] o links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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arj| 1.5.10 @ 8:52PM
I wonder where Ken Blackwell was when the Bush administration charged Richard Reid and Zacharias Moussoui in criminal court? Was he urging Bush to emulate FDR and try these men in military court instead? I somehow doubt it. Why the double standard? Are we just now realizing that the Bush administration made incredible errors in this so called "war" on terror?
I think the Federal judge in the Reid case had it spot on:
"There is all too much war talk here. And I say that to everyone with the utmost respect. Here in this court where we deal with individuals as individuals, and care for individuals as individuals, as human beings we reach out for justice. You are not an enemy combatant. You are a terrorist. You are not a soldier in any war. You are a terrorist. To give you that reference, to call you a soldier gives you far too much stature. Whether it is the officers of government who do it or your attorney who does it, or that happens to be your view, you are a terrorist. And we do not negotiate with terrorists. We do not treat with terrorists. We do not sign documents with terrorists. We hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice. So war talk is way out of line in this court. You're a big fellow. But you're not that big. You're no warrior. I know warriors. You are a terrorist. A species of criminal guilty of multiple attempted murders."
Why does the right-wing feel the need to exaggerate the status of these criminals? Terrorists aren't soldiers, it's that simple. If you don't understand that, I don't know what to tell you. We've set precedents under the Bush administration that these criminals should be tried as just that, criminals!
And Blackwell bringing up Nazi's is completely irrelevant, desperate even. If it were the case that we were fighting an army like the Nazi's, with our military superiority, the war would have been ended 7 years ago.
You know, it MIGHT be OK if our nation weren't constantly at "war" and if our populace wasn't in a constant state of fear. But then how would our government continue to fund all of the military contractors? Ah.
Pingback| 1.5.10 @ 11:16PM
The American Spectator : Time to Take a Bow Argent by about links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
WeMustResist| 1.6.10 @ 6:40AM
Did Obama bow low because a Saudi prince paid for his education at Harvard? I'm only asking.
Hopeful Buckeye| 1.8.10 @ 8:03PM
I am pleading for Ken Blackwell to run for US senate. I'm not the only one in Ohio desperately wants to see this happen!
Please, Mr Blackwell, Ohio needs you now more than ever!
Converse | 8.11.11 @ 9:40PM
is good