Peter1469
06-22-2016, 06:57 AM
A president in denial (http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2016/06/a-president-in-denial)
Americas most influential journal of religion and public life finds Obama lacking.
fter the June 12th massacre in Orlando, the deadliest act of terrorism in the United States since 9/11, many Americans hoped that President Obama would say something healing and unifying to the nation. Given how polarized our nation has become, this would naturally prove challenging. But surely the President should at least try.
And in his first remarks (https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/12/remarks-president-mass-shooting-orlando) following the massacre, he did try—asking for prayers for the victims and their families, conveying “the condolences of the entire American people” to the city’s mayor, and affirming, “We will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people, and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us.”
His subsequent remarks (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/14/president-obamas-remarks-after-national-security-council-meeting-on-islamic-state/) on Tuesday were far more jarring (http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/14/politics/obama-pushes-back-against-criticism-over-terrorism-rhetoric/). Facing criticism (http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436564/orlando-shooting-president-obamas-refusal-recognize-threats-endangers-americans) for not acknowledging the reality of “radical Islam”—something that even Hillary Clinton has now done (http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-orlando-attacks-reaction/)—the President launched into a tirade against his critics, laying bare his partisan inability to rise to the occasion. Angry, bitter, self-serving, Obama succeeded in doing something many thought him incapable of:acting like Donald Trump. (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/15/obamas-rant-against-american-attitudes-was-divisiv/)
He began on a generous note, expressing support for the victims and their families. From there his speech went downhill.
Obama was at pains to stress how committed his administration is to fighting terrorism: “We are doing everything in our power to stop these kind of attacks.” But if that is true, how is it possible that the FBI had monitored the Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, for years, only to abandon (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/06/orlando-terrorism-fbi-omar-mateen-213971) its surveillance of him, clearing the way for his attack? And why, in a country and under an administration that sanctions the slogan, “If you see something, say something (http://reason.com/blog/2012/03/19/ten-years-of-if-you-see-something-say-so),” were the warnings of a co-worker about Mateen’s fanatical views ignored (http://www.mediaite.com/online/orlando-shooters-former-co-worker-says-employer-ignored-unhinged-behavior-because-he-was-muslim/)?
Obama continued: “Our mission is to destroy ISIL. . . . We are making significant progress. . . . ISIL is under more pressure than ever before. ISIL continues to lose key leaders. . . . ISIL’s ranks are shrinking. . . . Their morale is sinking.” But just two days after the President made these remarks, his own head of the CIA, John Brennan, testifying before Congress, provided a far grimmer assessment (http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/16/politics/john-brennan-cia-isis/): “[O]ur efforts have not reduced [ISIL]’s terrorism capability and global reach. . . .We judge that it will intensify its global terror campaign to maintain its dominance of the global terrorism agenda.” Not only that, said Brennan, but ISIL has a “large cadre of Western fighters” ready to launch new attacks like the one in Orlando, and continues to attract new and enthusiastic recruits.
Obama continued: “For a while now, the main contribution of some of my friends on the other side of the aisle have made in the fight against ISIL is to criticize this administration and me for not using the phrase ‘radical Islam.’” But many of the President’s most trenchant critics are veterans (http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=7F740F35-438E-41ED-AA6E-81ECF4F608AD) and military men, who’ve risked their lives for this country. James Jay Carafano, who spent twenty-five years in the army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and is now a recognized expert on national security, had a response (http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/06/14/after-orlando-obama-drops-most-partisan-speech-ever.html) to the President’s lecture:
Read the entire article at the link.
Americas most influential journal of religion and public life finds Obama lacking.
fter the June 12th massacre in Orlando, the deadliest act of terrorism in the United States since 9/11, many Americans hoped that President Obama would say something healing and unifying to the nation. Given how polarized our nation has become, this would naturally prove challenging. But surely the President should at least try.
And in his first remarks (https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2016/06/12/remarks-president-mass-shooting-orlando) following the massacre, he did try—asking for prayers for the victims and their families, conveying “the condolences of the entire American people” to the city’s mayor, and affirming, “We will stand united, as Americans, to protect our people, and defend our nation, and to take action against those who threaten us.”
His subsequent remarks (https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/06/14/president-obamas-remarks-after-national-security-council-meeting-on-islamic-state/) on Tuesday were far more jarring (http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/14/politics/obama-pushes-back-against-criticism-over-terrorism-rhetoric/). Facing criticism (http://www.nationalreview.com/article/436564/orlando-shooting-president-obamas-refusal-recognize-threats-endangers-americans) for not acknowledging the reality of “radical Islam”—something that even Hillary Clinton has now done (http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/13/politics/hillary-clinton-donald-trump-orlando-attacks-reaction/)—the President launched into a tirade against his critics, laying bare his partisan inability to rise to the occasion. Angry, bitter, self-serving, Obama succeeded in doing something many thought him incapable of:acting like Donald Trump. (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/15/obamas-rant-against-american-attitudes-was-divisiv/)
He began on a generous note, expressing support for the victims and their families. From there his speech went downhill.
Obama was at pains to stress how committed his administration is to fighting terrorism: “We are doing everything in our power to stop these kind of attacks.” But if that is true, how is it possible that the FBI had monitored the Orlando gunman, Omar Mateen, for years, only to abandon (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/06/orlando-terrorism-fbi-omar-mateen-213971) its surveillance of him, clearing the way for his attack? And why, in a country and under an administration that sanctions the slogan, “If you see something, say something (http://reason.com/blog/2012/03/19/ten-years-of-if-you-see-something-say-so),” were the warnings of a co-worker about Mateen’s fanatical views ignored (http://www.mediaite.com/online/orlando-shooters-former-co-worker-says-employer-ignored-unhinged-behavior-because-he-was-muslim/)?
Obama continued: “Our mission is to destroy ISIL. . . . We are making significant progress. . . . ISIL is under more pressure than ever before. ISIL continues to lose key leaders. . . . ISIL’s ranks are shrinking. . . . Their morale is sinking.” But just two days after the President made these remarks, his own head of the CIA, John Brennan, testifying before Congress, provided a far grimmer assessment (http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/16/politics/john-brennan-cia-isis/): “[O]ur efforts have not reduced [ISIL]’s terrorism capability and global reach. . . .We judge that it will intensify its global terror campaign to maintain its dominance of the global terrorism agenda.” Not only that, said Brennan, but ISIL has a “large cadre of Western fighters” ready to launch new attacks like the one in Orlando, and continues to attract new and enthusiastic recruits.
Obama continued: “For a while now, the main contribution of some of my friends on the other side of the aisle have made in the fight against ISIL is to criticize this administration and me for not using the phrase ‘radical Islam.’” But many of the President’s most trenchant critics are veterans (http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=7F740F35-438E-41ED-AA6E-81ECF4F608AD) and military men, who’ve risked their lives for this country. James Jay Carafano, who spent twenty-five years in the army, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, and is now a recognized expert on national security, had a response (http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/06/14/after-orlando-obama-drops-most-partisan-speech-ever.html) to the President’s lecture:
Read the entire article at the link.