No Time For Trivialities

On July 20th during the campaign in 2008, candidate Obama was clear on one thing; Afghanistan was "to be our central focus, the central front, on our battle against terrorism". Back then he didn't need to assess the situation, he didn't need to consider his judgement, he was adamant that President Bush messed up and that more troops were needed in Afghanistan right away.

On CBS' Face The Nation that Sunday more than a year ago, Obama the candidate was sure of himself and decisive, telling CBS that "I think one of the biggest mistakes we've made strategically after 9/11 was to fail to finish the job here, focus our attention here. We got distracted by Iraq". He went further, insisting that troop levels must increase in Afghanistan. Now, however, eight months into the job, it would appear that the president regards the Afghanistan situation as merely a nugatory nuisance. What has got him so distracted now?

There is a plethora of "more pressing issues" facing Obama, such as ramming an unwanted health care program down the throats of Americans, redistribution of the peoples' wealth, destroying our defenses and ignoring the proliferation of nuclear capabilities by the most dangerous elements on the planet. (It seems that he envisions a world where everyone has weapons but the U.S.).

For someone who claimed that Afghanistan would be his top priority, it should seem odd to any thinking individual that Obama has spoken with General Stanley McChrystal, the commander over there, only once since he assumed command in early July. (President Bush spoke with his commanders weekly). McChrystal has a report sitting on the president's desk that has not been looked at yet. In fact, the cleaning staff at the White House must venture into the Oval Office about once a week to do some light dusting. I'd wager the trash pails haven't needed emptying since the last occupant vacated.

So while General McChrystal awaits an answer on troop levels amid notifying sobbing parents that their soldier child has died, Obama has decided that it is of paramount importance to hurry to...Copenhagen. Certainly there must be some pending disaster in Denmark that needs the president's immediate attention. Yes, yes there is. The president is going to plead his case that Chicago should be awarded the 2016 Olympics, even though many Chicago area residents are against it. And in an ironic twist of fate, the site of the new Kyoto Convention will host both the president and the first lady, who happened to travel there on separate days...in separate planes, thus doubling their carbon footprint. Tsk, tsk...

In 2008, trying to sound authoritative, Obama said this:

"For at least a year now, I have called for two additional brigades, perhaps three. I think it's very important that we unify command more effectively to coordinate our military activities."

So in 2007 he was demanding more troops but now he has to secure the Olympics for his beloved Chicago first. That's just great. I guess it was easy to sound presidential when he wasn't actually the president. He told Rick Warren that answering a question on abortion was "above his pay grade".

Perhaps being the leader of the free world is above his intelligence grade. When asked before a trip with other senators in 2008 to Iraq and Afghanistan whether he planned to have tough talk for the leaders of Afghanistan and Iraq, he wimped out:

"I'm more interested in listening than doing a lot of talking. I think it is very important to recognize that I'm going over there as a U.S. senator. We have one president at a time, so it's the president's job to deliver those messages."

Good Lord, all he's done is talk, incessantly, while he tells his opposition to shut up and get out of the way. Memo to Barry: You're that guy now. This isn't community organizing, this is real. These are your decisions to make, not some czar's. You may have to actually go to work in the office on some days to address the real issues of the real world.

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