Lead, Mr. President
By Paul Edwards on Jan 5, 2010 in Featured, Uncategorized
The terror “event” over Detroit on Christmas Day hits closer to home for me than it may for many other people around the country. I live in Detroit. The house I grew up in, the house my 81 year old mother still lives in, is in the landing pattern of Detroit Wayne County Metropolitan Airport where Abdulmutallab had planned to detonate himself with the intent of causing catastrophic loss of life in the air and as much collateral damage on the ground as possible.
So when President Obama held a press conference to update the country on his administration’s response to this near “man made disaster” in the skies over Detroit, you can bet I was hanging on every word. He made his nine minute statement having just emerged from a high level meeting with his cabinet to formulate a response to the Flight 253 attack.
The president called his cabinet together “because we face a challenge of the utmost urgency,” but evidently not so urgent that his aides didn’t inform him about the terror attack over Detroit until three hours after the plane landed. He didn’t make a public statement about it until three days after it had happened. He continued his Hawaiian vacation for ten days after it happened. Remember that President Bush was roundly criticized for continuing to read to kindergartners for five minutes after the attack on 9/11.
The president’s non-pulsed response to a critical breach of airline security not seen since 9/11 is inexplicable unless one concludes that the president does not view his actions or those of his administration as in any way responsible for the breach. In his response to the terror over Detroit he spoke of the “systemic failures” of the ”intelligence community” and “the U.S. Government,” as if these were entities without a face totally disconnected from his presidency. In fact, in his statement President Obama took no responsibility at all for the failures leading up to the attack over Detroit. Rather he informed us that
”…the system has failed in a potentially disastrous way. And it’s my responsibility to find out why and to correct that failure so that we can prevent such attacks in the future.”
So the president calls a press conference to inform us that he isn’t responsible for the system failing. He’s only responsible for finding out why the system failed. He sounded more like a high school football coach whose team is down by 12 at half time:
“Time and again we’ve learned that quickly piecing together information and taking swift action is critical to staying one step ahead of a nimble adversary. So we have to do better, and we will do better. And we have to do it quickly.”
While the president takes no responsibility for “the systemic failures” which allowed a terrorist with a bomb in his pants to board a U. S. aircraft, it seems individual members of his cabinet do take some limited responsibility:
“I appreciate that each of [the members of my team] took responsibility for the shortfalls within their own agencies.”
The president has obviously surrounded himself with imbeciles. He admits that his closest advisers are responsible for “shortfalls within their own agencies” which led to an attack (not a potential attack) on United States citizens on an aircraft bearing United States markings and nobody gets fired?
Nobody gets fired because this president doesn’t view his administration as in any way responsible for what happened over Detroit on Christmas Day. As a matter of fact, I’m not so certain the president even holds the terrorists responsible. The way the president sees it, it’s we – the American people – who make the terrorists want to hate us, maim us, kill us, and disrupt our way of life because of how we have mistreated Al Qaeda enemy combatants at Gitmo! And he’s serious:
“Make no mistake, we will close Guantanamo prison, which has damaged our national security interest and become a tremendous recruiting tool for Al Qaeda. In fact, that was an explicit rationale for the formation of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.”
Enough of this blaming America. It’s time to lead, Mr. President. It’s your “system.” It’s your “intelligence community.” It’s your “U. S. Government.” You’re no longer the Senator from Illinois throwing partisan bricks at the occupant of the White House from the safety of your perch on Capitol Hill. You’re the president. Not of the world, but of the United States. You have been for nearly a year. It’s time to stop blaming “the last eight years.” It’s time for you, Mr. President, to take responsibility for allowing an attack on the United States, thwarted though it was by heroes who were able to accomplish with mere brute force what billions of tax dollars and government bureaucracy was charged with doing but failed to do.
Your first priority as Commander in Chief is to protect the citizens of the United States, not our image in the eyes of the world or the sensibilities of those who hate us. Lead, Mr. President, or get out of the way.
It is unbelievable, to the point of being absurd, that the President of the United States would say that “the system has failed…” and think that this failure has nothing to do with him. His thinking, his policies, are dangerous for this country. Here’s hoping and praying for a good election cycle in 2010, and a better one in 2012 – if it’s not too late.
Ken Baughman | Jan 6, 2010 | Reply
Would those who say this “failure” is on Obama admit that 9/11 is on Bush? Watch FoxNews and they have said that Bush “kept us safe”. I am willing to put this on Obama, if the Right will do the same with Bush and 9/11? And please don’t say that terrorism was not an issue. ‘93 World trade towers. USS Cole and even Okl ‘95.
Jeff | Jan 6, 2010 | Reply
I agree with Jeff. Just as I hold Bush responsible for 9/11, I hold Obama to blame for this current failure. Presidential candidates have a certain time alloted to them to blame their successor–that time is during campaigns. Once you’re sworn in, you’re responsible, despite what the previous administration did. It’s your job to find the mistakes and fix it. It’s your country now and a failure by the government, TSA, whoever falls squarely on Obama’s shoulders, just as the economy and everything else (in the same way, Bush is still to blame for what happened during his 8 years).
I don’t have a problem with Obama staying on vacation…in this age of teleconferencing and such, I’m pretty sure work could still get done. Taking three days to address the nation, however, is pretty dang bad.
But while Obama must be hold responsible, let’s also not forget that there are dozens throughout the chain who failed as well, from whoever originally approved the terrorist’s travels to the TSA people who were busy cleaning their nails when he passed through the checkpoint. This was a complete failure on all levels and it’s not going to be solved by treating passengers like prisoners when they get on a plane.
Having said that, I still have a hunch this would have occurred even if someone else–John McCain–were in office. The systemwide failure is too big and the nation has a tendency not to address problems until they occur. It’s not a political problem, it’s a management one. And the past 20 years, we haven’t had stellar management.
Chris | Jan 6, 2010 | Reply
Ah yes, the old name and blame game.
Just once, it would be pleasing to my ears and comforting to my spirit to hear;
“My fellow Americans”,….
…. again, as we did in the past from a president who served ‘all’ the American people.
http://loveundefiled.blogspot.com/2009/12/ronald-reagans-christmas-message-true.html
don | Jan 6, 2010 | Reply
This president is looking more and more like God’s judgment on our land. He gave us someone so inept, so morally bankrupt, so fundamentally incapable of being nothing other than a “post turtle”, that common sense people are left pulling their hair out in disbelief.
We can disagree about the economy, spending, and taxes. When it comes to the security of our land, the rights of the unborn children and the sanctity of traditional marriage, we have no one else to now look to except Jesus our Lord and Savior. The government that people looked to and hoped would be right and moral is gone. We Americans are being shaken like at no other time in our history. We need to be ready for a major upheaval.
Bob | Jan 6, 2010 | Reply
Jeff – in every case you have cited (WTC ‘93, USS Cole, OKC ‘95) the terrorists were treated as criminals, processed through our criminal justice system (the ones we caught) and not as enemy combatants. What happened on 9/11 in NYC and DC was precipitated by Bill Clinton approaching terrorists as he would common street thugs. Certainly GWB must take responsibility for any intelligence his administration had that could have preempted 9/11. But the fact is, it was the Bush Doctrine of treating terrorists as enemies that prevented another attack on American soil UNTIL the Obama administration changed the Bush Doctrine on the treatment of terrorists back to the Clinton Doctrine of approaching it criminally rather than militarily.
Paul Edwards | Jan 6, 2010 | Reply
Personally, I don’t see much difference between Bush and Obama as far as foreign policy. Little stuff like Gitmo and what you call a person I think make little difference. The fact is, the more we interfere in their business over seas the more we are going to enrage the radicals. This goes for the previous administration as it does for Obama’s. Peace can never come at the end of a gun. Also, regarding treating those as criminals, if we have sent elite forces to take out those who planned and execute 9/11 instead of looking at it militarily we would have a lot less debt and a lot less troubles that we seeing right now. But of course going that route would not have lined the pockets of Blackwater, KBR and Halliburton then would it? Privatize your Army and fight an endless, winless war profit making at its finest….
Jeff | Jan 7, 2010 | Reply
On a slightly different note. Do we suppose that we would even be in either battle now had we as a country embraced the SDI idea proposed in 1983… (ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiativet)
…and spent on it as we did bailing out private enterprises. The 100 billion invested seems like chump change in light of what we have spent and are proposing to spend this last year alone. Does anyone think our adversaries would be as emboldened as they are now if they had confidence we could pop them from a satellite at our will. Talk about Peace control. Iran, North Korea, the Soviets. Just a couple good illustrations such as Mr Kadafi received would suffice. It might even silence Mr Chavez.
Thats what I appreciate about my older brother, Jesus. That two edged sword, and the great white beast he rides.
Shalom
don | Jan 7, 2010 | Reply
Just for the record:
Yes, Obama should have come right out and addressed the nation. He should have taken the blame right away instead of waiting 10 days.
I do trust, however that you were also upset and vocal–possibly moreso–that President George W. Bush waited six days to address the nation after Richard Reed attempted to blow up a plane on Christmas Day not too long after 9/11 and also did not cut his vacation short.
Chris | Jan 7, 2010 | Reply
Just having a moment
I then shall live as one who’s been forgiven;
I’ll walk with joy to know my debts are paid.
I know my name is clear before my Father;
I am His child, and I am not afraid.
So greatly pardoned, I’ll forgive my brother,
The law of love I gladly will obey.
I then shall live as one who’s learned compassion;
I’ve been so loved that I’ll risk loving too.
I know how fear builds walls instead of bridges;
I’ll dare to see another’s point of view.
And when relationship demand commitment,
Then I’ll be there to care and follow through.
Your kingdom come around and through and in me;
Your power and glory, let them shine through me;
Your Hallowed name, O may I bear with honor,
And may You living Kingdom come in me.
The Bread of Life, O may I share with honor,
And may You feed a hungry world through me.
don | Jan 9, 2010 | Reply
Just saw the post that included the comment that, “Peace can never come at the end of a gun.”
Never? Tell that to a WWII veteran.
Ken Baughman | Jan 16, 2010 | Reply