In the course of the pursuit of the democratic there was of course the t.v. advert with a phone ringing at 3 a.m. at the White House. The question: who did American's want to pick up the phone? "Someone tested and ready to lead in a dangerous world?" Presumably that was the battle-ready Mrs Clinton if you are to believe what the ad was inferring.
As for real life, regarding Libya Obama left the phone ringing for two-weeks. European leaders David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy both calling for a military response, Obama did not communicate with either of them over this time period. Finally, Gaddafi started dropping on rebel controlled villages and the Arab League came into support of a no-fly zone, and Hillary Clinton and ambassador to the UN Susan Rice convinced him it would be worse not to go into Libya.
This of course was dithering. Obama is evidently incapable of making difficult decisions in a timely manner when they must be made. Then what does he do after leading a military assault on Libya. Does he consult congress beforehand or even make a statement to the American public as the bombs are being dropped - nope! He takes a trip to Brazil to discuss oil prospects there and to persuade them to sell more oil to the United States.
Not a little ironically the bombing comes eight years to the day of the beginning of Operation Iraqi Liberation (OIL), as it was initially called. Newt Gingrich called Obama "spectator in chief." Mitt Romney said Obama lacked a foreign policy, which clearly he does, as in 2007 the man himself said this:
“The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”
His rival Hillary Clinton said, “If a country is under truly imminent threat of attack, of course the President must take appropriate action to defend us. At the same time, the Constitution requires Congress to authorize war. I do not believe that the President can take military action – including any kind of strategic bombing – against Iran without congressional authorization.”
David Boaz, executive VP at the Cato Institute had this to say on the matter, "Congress shares the blame for the rise of the imperial presidency. Presidents arrogate to themselves the power to launch military assaults, and members of Congress shirk their duty to legislate and declare war, preferring to let the president take the political risks."
You must be the judge of Obama and his ill-conceived actions who has now joined the leagues of his predecessor with his latest maneuvering.
Obama, have you given up?
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