Thursday, September 27, 2012

Time Mag, Daily Beast Go After Obama

An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll released Sept. 18 found Obama’s foreign policy approval rating among registered voters to be 49%, down from 54% a month earlier. Among independents that fall was steeper, down to 41% from 53% a month prior. (Time)
Finally, reporters other than Jake Tapper are standing up on their hind legs and pointing out the wreckage Obama's bumbling foreign policy has caused. His administration's stumbling and chaotic response to the latest violence overseas was too much to paper over, apparently.
In the days following the attacks, the White House at first said it believed the attack in Benghazi in eastern Libya that claimed Stevens’ life was spontaneous, born of protests over an inflammatory California-made video mocking the Prophet Muhammad. “We do not have information at present that leads us to conclude that this was premeditated or preplanned,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sept. 16.
The Administration has since changed course and now admits the attack may have been pre-planned. Clinton told senators on Thursday that she believed that it was “self-evident” that it was a terrorist attack. (Time - Libya Makes Obama Vulnerable)
The Daily Beast points out the obvious: That the Obama administration's mumbling, self-contradictory Libya narrative is falling apart, even as it took Obama's team more than a week to stop contradicting one another.
“I think this is a case of an administration saying what they wished to be true before waiting for all the facts to come in,” says one senior retired CIA official. (Daily Beast)
Obama didn't build that!

Up to this point, "It's better to be lucky than good" has been an apt description of Obama's foreign policy.  He didn't get bin Laden; all he did was authorize the operation that was made possible by the hard work of others that was started under President Bush.  He choked the Afghanistan surge in its cradle by simultaneously announcing our withdrawal.  He could have saved lives and money by simply ordering us to get out.
     
Obama has been a passive observer on the world scene.  Like a middle school boy in a new school, he hangs back until he finds out which football team the cool kids like and then jumps on board.  That is what strikes everyone about this administration.  America doesn't jump on bandwagons and attempt to ingratiate itself with shady characters; we lead.  Or at least we used to.

It's no surprise that Obama's foreign policy is in shambles. His National Security Advisor, Thomas Donilon, has no foreign policy experience. Ambassador Susan Rice is a smart woman, but inexperienced and in over her head, and Hillary may be a hard-boiled tough guy, but she too lacks a foreign policy background. This is what amateur hour at the White House looks like.

Forget the perils of a 3:00 AM phone call. This White House is dangerously unprepared regardless of the time of day or night.

47 comments:

The Debonair Dudes World said...

So the real truth finally comes out! And If this doesn't prove that Obama and the White House are not engaged doing their jobs, I don't know what will!
Our Dear Leader President Barrack Hussein Obama knew that the attack on our embassy in Libya when our Ambassador and 3 staff members we so brutally murdered was Terrorism!! Of course he knew it, and if he didn’t know it, Why didn’t he” Everyone else in the world knew it. Even his lying Secretary of State Hillery Clinton knew it as she stood in front of those TV cameras lying her ass off. She couldn’t even keep a straight face.
They tried to sell the American people a story, that they knew was false! Then two weeks later after all the lies and deception falls apart, now they admit terror attack! The whole world knew this was a planned terrorist attack but Our Dear Leader continued to stick to his lie. Even though the American public was ashamed of his arrogance, and his shameful thinking that we are as dumb as he thinks we are.
Yes, Obama seems to take us all for Morons. And he thinks that we don’t see right through him.
And yes indeedy is certainly seems that Obama once again thought a fund-raiser was more important than addressing the American public at a time of crisis..
So what does this show? In my opinion it shows us that America desperately needs a strong leader whose main interest is to protect America and American lives, and to tell the American the truth. . It tells us that American embassies and American personnel abroad needs to be better protected if it tells us that if we are threatened such as we were in this case in Libya our personal needs to be evacuated or whatever it takes to protect their lives. These terrorists are indeed Savages and I will not stop using the word “Savages” because there is not a better way to describe them. They stop at nothing including murder and violence if it threatens their way. These countries have no interest in protecting American interests, or our Embassy personnel. And we all knew it from day one that it was it was Libyan who were working inside the embassy who tipped off the terrorists about the Ambassador’s plans. We all knew it from day one except the President of the United States who was to busy playing with the Hollywood celebrities and campaigning.
So Where is the “REAL” outrage of the President when he addressed the UN yesterday? Why did he speak about that “film” that was a phoney distraction?
That film did not incite the violence and the murders, the film was used as a pretext to manipulate the American public’s opinion and to get the hear off of Obama.
And where was the Media on this cover up, why didn’t this “Cover Up” get the attention that Romney’s remark got?
And with all of this and all of Obama’s failures in the past 3 and a half years Obama is still ahead of Mitt Romney? WOW, something is terribly wrong here.
Something is terribly wrong with the mentality of the American people. If we don't throw out this lying and crooked, shameful, Marxist in November we are in for a very bad next four years. We all know that Obama has the press in his back pocket, but he doesn't own us real Americans!

But think of it this way, the Progressives once again get to vote for a Black man as president! And maybe that's all they care about!

Finntann said...

Shhhh, he's reseting the tone of our relationship with the Arab world.

Didn't you read liberalmann's post?

Still chuckling!

Anonymous said...

As far as the Middle-East and North Africa are concerned, Obama DID build that! He and Hillary own the so-called Arab Spring and they are responsible for what is happening there.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

A couple of canards here already. Obama most surely flubbed the PR following the Benghazi Consulate event. However.....

Opining that Obama 'owns' the Arab Spring presumes that a) a US POTUS can quell a sizable domestic uprising against an oppressive regime in another country [while still maintaining the facade of supporting self determination anyway], and b) as with most other facets of foreign policy, the Arab Spring is far more an offshoot of the Bush policy of encouraging democracy in the Arab world, than anything Obama has done.

The other meme is that announcing a withdrawal timeline was deleterious to the Afghan surge. Not only do timelines not matter to an indigenous population [would you stop fighting if the US were occupied by a foreign power?], but you cannot keep transition and withdrawal plans under wraps [especially with the corrupt regime in Kabul] for very long. There are tell tale signs of an impending military withdrawal. Announcing a timeline shaved off, at best, a couple of months before the opposition would have known anyway; but also enabled any foreign aid and international support [if any were forthcoming] to have a workable timeline in which to ramp up.

jez said...

"America doesn't jump on bandwagons and attempt to ingratiate itself with shady characters; we lead. Or at least we used to."

You're non-interventionalist. Is that the compatible with leading?

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"America doesn't jump on bandwagons and attempt to ingratiate itself with shady characters; we lead. Or at least we used to."

Interesting comment, as we have ingratiated ourselves with some of the most unsavory and shady characters on the planet....at least in the 20th century.

Rational Nation USA said...

Here's your October surprise.!!.


Obama Administration Knew Libya Attack Was Terrorism
Sources confirm to Fox News that the Obama administration knew from Day One that the deadly attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was an act of terror. White House officials, including President Obama, have held to the explanation that the attack was a 'spontaneous action
.

Silverfiddle said...

Not only do timelines not matter to an indigenous population [would you stop fighting if the US were occupied by a foreign power?]

Timelines do matter. An Afghan is going to hedge bets based upon what the invading power's intentions are.

We can't go all in so we have no business being there. This is also a slam against Bush, not just Obama.

As to leading... Leading doesn't mean invading and bombing. Good global leadership avoids that.

I criticize Obama's "me too!" foreign policy. He has no plan, he just reacts as things happen, playing to the peanut gallery and hoping people will love him. He's naive and woefully ill-equipped, he's in over his head.

Even after four years, he is the most inexperienced, most ill-served by his advisors president we've had in a long time.

Silverfiddle said...

CI: Yes, we have gotten in bed with nasty people, but there was a logic there based upon a deliberate foreign policy grounded in national objectives. You should remember that from BNOC, etc...

One can disagree with the national objectives, but at least there was a coherent policy there.

I see no coherence with this administration. They're running through the jungle and dealing with nasty things as they slap them in the face.

Bush had objectives (hopelessly naive, and I am not defending his objectives) but he had objectives.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"Timelines do matter."

I would argue that they do not. They make great buzz lines for media and political attention, but they do not alter the paradigm on the ground. I would grant that after only a short period of time, an effect could be felt, but after 11 years, it's simply not going to alter the end state.

The rest of both posts I agree with, although caveating our affiliation with despotic regimes as being necessary because of national objectives, can cause hypocrisy when compared against the overall message of our moral principles.

Silverfiddle said...

Whether people we're trying to partner with think we will stay or not does change the calculus, but we disagree. I respect your opinion since you were a door kicker much more involved in such things than I was.

caveating our affiliation with despotic regimes as being necessary because of national objectives, can cause hypocrisy when compared against the overall message of our moral principles.

I agree with you, but stripping out ethics, there is a devil's logic to making dirty deals sometimes. Again, I am not agreeing or passing ethical judgements, just stating a logical fact.

Rational Nation USA said...

Obama’s Libya lies crumble

We seemed to have reached a tipping point in the liberal media’s coverage of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi. This morning, The Washington Post has published to the web a devastating timeline of Obama administration statements on the attack that clearly demonstrate Obama has been lying about the incident for political gain from day one. The Post writes:


In any kind of confused overseas event, initial reports are often wrong. But the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, in which four Americans were killed, including the ambassador, is a case study of how an administration can carefully keep the focus as long as possible on one storyline — and then turn on a dime when it is no longer tenable.

For political reasons, it certainly was in the White House’s interests to not portray the attack as a terrorist incident, especially one that took place on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. Instead the administration kept the focus on what was ultimately a red herring — anger in the Arab world over anti-Muslim video posted on You Tube. With key phrases and message discipline, the administration was able to conflate an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Egypt — which apparently was prompted by the video — with the deadly assault in Benghazi.

President Obama appears to be the only member of his administration still sticking to the original lie that the Benghazi attack was prompted by a video. The head of Obama’s National Counterterrorism Center, White House Spokesman Jay Carney, and even Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have all admitted that the Benghazi attack was terrorism. But there was Obama Tuesday in the United Nations, droning about the initial YouTube cover story. He’s going to have to admit his video cover story is false eventually. If not now, then definitely in the debate next week. And when he does, he will face a slew of related questions. The Wall Street Journal sums up:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/morning-examiner-obamas-libya-lies-crumble/article/2509174

Rational Nation USA said...

As Merbeau said:

"Before the attack on Benghazi this so-called vulgar video had received 300 hits on U-Tube and not the millions that the serial liar Obama would like everyone to believe. Then we have the administration apologizing for the attacks not once but twice before the attack. The question is who or perhaps what organization found this video and provided it to the administration for use prior to the attacks? The presidential daily briefings are extremely short and do not contain much information. They are indented to be that way so the president can leaf through them and those of interest he can ask for more information. The people working on those issues then provide more detail. This president has attended only 39% of these briefings and can not obtain full information without asking for more detail. Obama missed the warnings of an impending attack in Benghazi because of his lack of duty - instead going to play golf or preparing for the View. This is a cover up of a blown intelligence signal."

Everything else that was said afterwards is pure BS, including what Obama said.

Rational Nation USA said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rational Nation USA said...

Anyone notice how Quiet the leftyProgressive's bloggers have been this morning?/

I guess that the Comrades have nothing to say , goes to show that Obama truly is their god!
They can't handle the truth!...

Silverfiddle said...

Radical: Just wait. The taker class doesn't wake up before noon...

Paul said...

As compared to Romney whose foreign policy talents, is the main reason his numbers have tanked in the last month.
You have a group hear that loves to read and agree with your hate and lies, but LOSING will highlight just how screwed up you are.
Are you getting ready to explain your lies after Obama wins?
Of course not. You will be a hate filled racist forever.

Silverfiddle said...

You're confused, Stevie Girl.

Whether what I say is a lie or the truth is not contingent upon who wins an election.

And evidently, you love reading "hate and lies" as well.

According to my site statistics, you're one of my biggest fans!

Paul said...

Unlike you, I keep informed.
Yes even informed on what hate filled racists like you and your minions say. One must know their opposition.
You will find that Americans do care if politicians seeking to lead them are lying, or not. That is reflected in Romney's tanking polls. Americans know he is lying to them, and today's release of another Romney video cements Americans conclusion.
I know it hurts being so wrong, but I don't feel for you, since you don't care enough to use facts when spewing your lies and racist garbage.

Silverfiddle said...

@Stevie Girl: I know it hurts being so wrong

Yes you do, and it amuses us to watch.

Anonymous said...

Hey libskum tell us how proud our dear Moochie must be about her Lying Husband now!

Paul said...

See how you are
Twisting, lying
That's the best you can do, twist my words meant for you back to me
More proof, you have no clue and just make things up

Anonymous said...

Your stupidity is showing.

Silverfiddle said...

Be easy Darth. It's hurts Stevie to be so wrong

The Dark Fury said...

Not only is Obama a liar and a embarrassment to our country, but Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice are as well when she grabbed every microphone that was handed to her, and spoke to every member of the press to try and convince the world that it was the movie and not a terrorist attack. When theses 2 lying nincompoops Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice stood before those media microphones and lied to the entire world, it showed is all just how stupid this administration is. And yet Obama still has the lead in the polls. To me that only shows just what hypocritical liars these liberals really are. The Progressive of America would rather have a Black man who is a liberal in the White House than to lose the election. And they called Richard Nixon a crook! Susan Rice was deliberately lying to avoid that fact that this was a terrorist attack on Americans. And now she hiding and keeping her distance from the press. . Same liberal tactic that Eric Holder uses,

Ducky's here said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Teapartypatriot4ever said...

Do you mean Susan Rice:that Liar and Nincompoop?
She's another Obama stooge, parroting, Obama's lies.

How can any true American vote for anyone like Obama, who clearly sees the destruction of their own country America, and that of the State of Israel, as well?

Ducky's here said...

Well call it what you will but that doesn't alter the situation a great deal. Many Libyans remained pro-American and it is best we don't adopt the Debonair Dud approach.

What is interesting is the claim by the fringe right wing that Obama's foreign policy is in shambles. I assume that Egypt is a big part of that assertion and the toy soldiers expect that Obama should have contacted the Egyptian high command and ordered them to shoot into the crowds.
After all, that worked out so well in Tehran on Black Tuesday in '74.
The fringe right, strutting their ignorance again.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

"How can any true American vote for anyone like Obama, who clearly sees the destruction of their own country America, and that of the State of Israel, as well?"

Could you expand on this? I hear this type of line often....Obama wants to "destroy America"...but I don't see much behind it.

First of all, you're narrating your oppositions position within your own framework, something you would likely find empty and laughable if done towards you. Secondly, Obama has governed in the same manner as every other POTUS in my lifetime; crony capitalism, big government and regulation of individual liberties. Since's he no different than any other Democrat [and most Republicans], how is he "destroying America"?

I don't really give a fig about Israel, they're big boys and girls and can take care of themselves.

Anonymous said...

Well I not only give a fig about Israel, but I care very much about them. And personally, I don't give a fig about you!

Constitutional Insurgent said...

@Darth - Well, you must give a fig about me, since I didn't post the response to you.

Anonymous said...

And that means I can't respond to your post? Humm, I was never aware of that rule.

Constitutional Insurgent said...

No rules...you can post whatever you want. Was there a point to your post? Or was it simply another drive by?

Progressives Are Erupting said...

So lets see if I go this right? It was on the night of 9-11-2012 when Obama was notified that our embassy was not only raided but set on fire, the American flag that hung over it was torn down and set afire and replaced with a black symbol of al-qaeda, our Ambassador Stevens and three other Americans were brutally murdered. And our president Barack Hussain Obama went to bed because he had an early day planned for the next day. Ans the day after that he had plans to frly Air Force One to New York where he held up traffic for 15 hours while he filmed a Dave Letterman show and partied with J-Z and Boyance at a 4 Million Dollar Fund Raiser Party where they dined with $800-per-bottle champagne, etc and etc.. . . When morning came
he cancelled his security briefing and took off on another fun day of talking, campaigning,
talking, fund raising, and more talk,. As the Elvis once said, how about a little less
talk and a lot more action? But meanwhile back to the campaign trail: He took in Las Vegas and picked up another coo 5 Million and then that evening took off for Colorado that evening and arrived there around 10PM and the 13th. was more of the same until he arrived back at the White House that night. And went 48 hours without one single presidential task and he didn’t even need to unpack the Teleprompter. That is unless lying is now considered a presidential task! . But pray tell what did he do about the Middle East and Ambassador Stevens’s murder? Oh yes, I almost forget, that he instructed his Secretary of State to lie through her teeth as well, because he knew that she was really very good at that having a husband who taught her so very well. But them after a round of Golf he and a snack behind Michelle the Moocher’s back, he figured it out was magnificent! So th thought! Lets blame this whole friggen thing on a lile old youtube film that a Jew or some other American pansy made about insulting the Great one, The Prophet Muhammad. Sure, blame it on that and the whole dirty mess will go away. This was a Liberal lie that was a real beauty, it will get him off the hook and give the Muslims a bone so that they will appreciate my concern. Ah Ha, this was real intelligent, something that only a sneak like me could think up. .
But no, it was not only a stupid lie, it was one of the dumbest things that any US president ever did, it made Richard Nixon look like Mother Teresa. I’ve seen inept, useless men before, but never one that held the title of the President of the United States of America. As presidents go, he makes Carter look like a genius. He can’t give a simple statement without lying and without his Teleprompter.

Hack said...

I'm glad you pointed out Jake Tapper. He's been a rare bright spot in the media this year who isn't afraid to ask tough questions of the Emperor.

Liberalmann said...

Wow, wingnuts have their tin foil hats on tight today! Or is it asshats? Lol!

Anonymous said...

Constitutional Insurgent said...
No rules...you can post whatever you want. Was there a point to your post? Or was it simply another drive by?




Any way you want to take it Clownboy!

Anonymous said...

Liberalmann said...
Wow, wingnuts have their tin foil hats on tight today! Or is it asshats? Lol!



Let me sum it up for you Obama up for you..
Obama has lied about Libya all along,.the jerkoffs over at the MSM has always winked their eye and protected him, but this time with an Ambassador murdered and our consulate in ruins, it has been a little harder this time.this is a HUGE scandal It's a case of cover your own ass before the Big Guts come in with prosecutors and investigations.. Get it now Libshit?

Ducky's here said...

Hey darth, you 85 I.Q. cracker, this is not a HUGE scandal. This is no scandal at all.

Rather it is a bunch of crazed right wing loons howling at the fucking moon.

Now why don't you go argue semantics with Steve or go boink your sister or whatever you redneck clowns do for amusement.

Finntann said...

Carefull Ducky, Western Mass seems to excel in the redneck department.

Ducky's here said...

Oh come on, Finntann, let's be serious about this. Tempest in a teapot.

Was it a terrorist attack or something else? Symantics largely serving to cover Romney's jumping the gun and characterizing for political gain.

Nothing to see here folks, move along. Seems there's some hope in Libya.

Z said...

Now if only the networks or local news start telling the truth about Obama....we could actually win.
ya, THAT'll happen when pigs fly.

Les Carpenter said...

Obama, and by extension gis administration are inept, ineffectual, and not above lieing. History will not be kind to Frik.

(((Thought Criminal))) said...

Could someone please explain the new Homeland Security threat level system? Are we at Bump In The Road, Impending Terrorist Attack, Kinetic Military Activity, or Man-Made Disaster level?

Finntann said...

Well it seems everyone but Big-O is characterizing it as a terrorist attack.

Always On Watch said...

If mainstream news sources continue to publish such material, damage to Obama's chances to win a second term will ensue.

Yes, I'm smiling.

Silverfiddle said...

Beamish: If we're talking about the Obama White House...

Man-Made Disaster level