Republicans, unlike the Left, are reacting to the president’s flip-flop on the photos with restraint. Sen. Mitch McConnell put out a brief statement, “I agree with the President that the release of these photos would serve no purpose other than to put our troops in greater danger. The President made the right decision and I applaud him for it.”
In a conference call this afternoon Senator Saxby Chambliss was similarly complimentary, saying that the original decision “was unwise” and that he was “pleased to see [Obama] reverse himself.” On the topic of Guantanamo, Chambliss was less circumspect. He said the decision to close Guantanamo showed “a lack of experience and immaturity” by the administration which was attempting, he said “to satisfy the far Left.”
But his harshest language was reserved for the Democrats’ efforts to investigate and potentially prosecute Bush administration attorneys Jay Bybee and John Yoo who drafted the now-released interrogation memos: “I think it’s atrocious for anyone to even think in that direction. . . That’s going to shut the door on a lot of people even coming in the door [to government service].”
Of course the meltdown on the Left is well underway. The cognitive dissonance is reaching new heights. An example: a devoted reader of the maternity expert of the Atlantic passes on this curious post in which the final italicized sentence was later deleted without explanation:
From extending and deepening the war in Afghanistan, to suppressing evidence of rampant and widespread abuse and torture of prisoners under Bush, to thuggishly threatening the British with intelligence cut-off if they reveal the brutal torture inflicted on Binyam Mohamed, Obama now has new cheer-leaders: Bill Kristol, Michael Goldfarb and Max Boot. Yep: that’s why he was elected — to continue, deepen and protect the legacy of George W. Bush.
Perhaps it is too bitter a pill to swallow that the Left’s messiah has now (to a greater degree than they could ever have imagined) adopted many of the positions of their arch-enemy George Bush. But the Left should take heart: there’s no sign, as Abe said, that these decisions are based on any well-founded or lasting world view. Tomorrow is always another day, and perhaps he will throw some bones to the frothing Left once again.
But maybe, just maybe, the president has figured out that wrecking our defenses to score points with the netroot base is a poor modus operandi for the commander-in-chief. If the team of Kristol, Godfarb, and Boot carries more weight with this administration than Sullivan, Klein, and Yglesias, we can rest easier.
HI!
I also wrote an article on Gitmo Bay for the newmajoity.com. I am trying to get in touch with Jennifer Rubin for an interview so if anyone knows her contact information please pass it along.
Thanks,
Elise
“She said that many of the executives who got bonuses that often ran into many millions of dollars were the very ones whose mistakes hurt the financial system and forced taxpayers to foot the bill.”
“Forced taxpayers to foot the bill”????? Are you kidding me? Someone held a gun to their head? Jeepers. Snowed In? A snow job is more like it…
“[E]xecutives who got bonuses that often ran into many millions of dollars were the very ones whose mistakes hurt the financial system…”
I think Sen. Snowe needs to name names of said executives, or owes the American public an apology for making such empty and baseless accusations.
Can’t blame Bush for this one. This is a really interesting predicament the Democrats have put themselves in. In my opinion all the GOP has to point out is the obvious. This administration doesn’t have a clue. Obama has spent his political capital faster than I believe any president in U.S. history. If he doesn’t get saved by the voters with a GOP congress in 2010 (as Clinton was in 1994), he is looking at a one term presidency.
She still shouldn’t have voted for the stimulus.
I agree, #4. Especially having the reservations she had about ongoing business issues like compensation, she should have brought it up very much in public and refused to go along until these issues were addressed.
Excuse me. The expression is, “He is 1000 per cent behind him.”
PBO’s in a bit of a bind: if he cans Geithner, there won’t be any other senior political appointee at Treasury! Talk about job security!
Meanwhile, PBO continues to prove he can walk and chew gum at the same time: he has established a staff position in the White House to oversee arts and culture in the Office of Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs.
I had wondered why the stock market went up today!
# 7 RFM:
Why do some people call Obama by the acronym PBO? As all past practice with presidents has been, he should be abbreviated to “BHO.” Is the use of “PBO” more political correctness because his middle name is Hussein?
#7 and #8: why not call him what his henchmen call him: Number One.
Olympia Snow is very strange.
So is Susan Collins.
What’s going on up there in Maine?
I’ve never seen it written out, but I’ll guess PBO stands for Prince Barack Obama. It could also mean Pretty Bad Officeholder.
Uh-oh, the ol’ vote of confidence. Tim, hurry and get your resume updated!! NFL coaches always hate hearing the team owner say that kind of thing; it’s usually followed some days or weeks later by “You’re fired!”.
forbes,
the Derivatives Unit that dragged AIG into the toilet is the group of incompetent execs who sucked up TARP money at taxpayer expense. If you want their names, check AIG’s website, you scum sucking piece of $hit.
Oh, wait. That would require integrity and enterprise. Two things you and AIG lack.
#8, aardvarck
I can’t speak for other people, but I refer to President Obama as “PBO” because I’m too lazy to type out “President Obama” or “President Barack Obama.” Since he’s the duly elected president of the United States, the office demands that we respect how we refer to him.
I’ve always disliked those on the left who referred to President Bush as “Bush” or any one of quite a few childish or insulting names. I don’t think conservatives or Republicans should stoop to such disrespect of PBO, even if we disagree with his policies or actions.
I also believe in referring to people as they wish to be referred. President Bush was quite comfortable using the “W” of his middle name. Thus, GWB or simply “W” are fine (except when Maureen Dowd used the latter in her snarky and disrespectful attacks).
AFAIK, PBO hasn’t commonly self-identified as “Barack Hussein Obama.” Therefore, IMHO it is disrespectful to refer to him as BHO, even though that is his true full name. Especially since those that refer to him as BHO wish to emphasize the “H.”
Obama’s Debt Star … it may be heading your way