Critics of Obama way off base on this one
Yes — the not-so-bright, would-be terrorist from Nigeria got though international and domestic security mechanisms supposed to have stopped him long before the jerk lit his underwear afire before landing in Detroit. And yes — the incident happened during the administration of President Barack Obama. But the sniping at the president by Republicans, including former Vice President Cheney, and by conservative radio and TV commentators, borders on — if not passing into — asinine.
The criticism has included such childishness as blasting Obama for waiting a few days before making a national speech on the incident. For heaven’s sake, the president was briefed on the incident from the moment it occured; he made statements almost immediately indicating his concern and that he was being regularly briefed; he took time to gather the facts and meet with his national security team; and then he appeared publicly to give a rational, measured, but hard-hitting response. And for this, a former vice president criticizes him.
Partisanship truly has pervasively infected our political system when a reasonable, measured, factual, timely and substantive response by a president to a single security incident — the roots of which clearly indicate long-simmering problems that predated his tenure in office — is publicly blasted as irresponsible. In point of fact, those levelling such counterproductive attacks are the ones engaging in irresponsible behavior.
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822 comments Add your comment
willbert
January 7th, 2010
1:30 pm
“Partisanship truly has pervasively infected our political system…” for well over eight years. Duh.
joeyusa
January 7th, 2010
1:31 pm
Bob ‘WHO” ??????????????????????
John Leftwich
January 7th, 2010
1:32 pm
Bob – If Bush were still the President, you’d be right out there in front as one of those asinine people make the same charges. Funny how reasonable you become when it’s your guy and how asinine you become when it’s the other guy. Ahhhhh human nature!
Bill
January 7th, 2010
1:32 pm
Your quote “the roots of which clearly indicate long-simmering problems that predated his tenure in office” is what is asinine. Do you have some super secret media insight that allows you the details of this incident? How could you with any sense of responsibility make such a statement? What don’t we just be truthful…you are a member of the partisan media trying to disparage partisan politics…just crap from a different animal…but still crap.
ICONIC FREEDOM
January 7th, 2010
1:33 pm
Jake, I understand your comment; what solutions do you propose in light of such concern about personal freedom being infringed upon?
I agree it’s a concern, but what are the solutions?
If we had responsible politicians we could have confidence that temporary measures were just that – temporary, until this is managed to satisfaction.
GIL
January 7th, 2010
1:34 pm
Mr. Barr,
Did you forget that the Libs like yourself scolded Bush for continuing to sit at the school with the kids and not bolt from the classroom? So Obama was advised of the situation and then hit the golf course and his security chief hit the ski slopes.
Do you see a difference here or are you such a left wacko that you dont see anything but the aura of Obama’s figure?
DW
January 7th, 2010
1:34 pm
WAKE UP!!!!! Obama is a JOKE!!!!!!
philip ramsey
January 7th, 2010
1:34 pm
Bob,
Please keep the coodling to a minimum. Yes, he is the POTUS. However, I for one am embarrassed to hell by his naivte. Newt screwed us in the NY23rd, and , your ministrations are not helpful. Thank you and Happy New Year.
DAVID-AJC Truth Detector
January 7th, 2010
1:35 pm
BOB…….KoolAid drinkers Bookman……or Tucker could have written your piece…..Just call yourself anorhwe LIBERAL…………& be done with it..
tomkent
January 7th, 2010
1:36 pm
Interesting article except for the fact Obama is trying to convince us that the “government” is capable to implement and manage large programs (medical reform) and that his is the one person that can lead the effort. Fortunately, everyone knows the government is incompetent and with larger programs, this means that can screw things up even more.
Lastly, is this a double standard? The Dems jumped on every little mistake the Bush Administration did. Is this author suggesting we continue to lower our standards and accept more bad government?
Sincerely
Rob
January 7th, 2010
1:36 pm
Enter your comments here Who is Bob Barr? I’ve never heard of this apoligist!
Jake
January 7th, 2010
1:36 pm
Brady for president!!!!!!!!
Yousef Miranda
January 7th, 2010
1:37 pm
Bob you’re an idiot just like Obama and his goons.
Tony
January 7th, 2010
1:38 pm
What’s asinine is a president who pretends this isn’t a terrorist attack. He’s treating this like the guy robbed a bank. 350 human beings were seconds away from being killed.. it was only the courage of a few and possibly divine intervention being the only thing that kept the world’s headlines from being “America Attacked Again.” Tens of thousands of anti-Americans, anti-Christians, etc would have been dancing in the streets on international television. The U.S. military should have immediately transported this terrorist to “gitmo.” And… nobody talks about gitmo’s release of a few terrorist enabling this attack in the first place. Headlines should be. “President Enforces Gitmo, realizes that military should be in charge of military tribunals.” Terrorist will no long be fried to go live in luxury on the worlds finest resorts or return to plan more attacks against Americans. The president is wrong in assuming that gitmo is a recruiting tool for terrorist. Most of America’s lifestyles are recruiting tools for terrorists! Beer, Women who make their own choices, R rated movies, X rated movies, Las Vegas, Indian Casinos, and I could go on for an hour. All are offensive to Muslims that want to conquer the world and force its law upon it. You want to talk about asinine? How about you trying to get your name in the news when you know full well that this president just doesn’t get it. It’s the safety of all Americans worldwide stupid.
Diogenes
January 7th, 2010
1:38 pm
Folks, Bob Barr is just like Benedict Arlen Specter. He started his adult life as an anti-war protester leftocrat in college, and did not become a nominal Republican, until his Mommy threatened to cut off his allowance. [The reference material is available in Wikipedia.]
Joseph Toomey
January 7th, 2010
1:40 pm
Barack Obama came into office promising to improve America’s standing in the world in contrast to what he claimed was his predecessor administration’s blunders all over the world. Once sworn in to office, he undertook a series of global apology tours where he traveled to foreign countries proclaiming that America’s sins were manifestly deep and irreconcilable to our democratic way of life. He kowtowed to a long list of world leaders begging their cooperation for a range of initiatives of little consequence to their own national interests. He performed a number of cringe-inducing, obsequious bows to foreign potentates and other heads of state. He promised to close the detainee facility at Guantanamo that housed some of the most dangerous terrorists in the world and offered to give them access to the US court system where they would enjoy freedoms never before extended to enemy combatants. He dithered for months on end over what, given his numerous campaign promises, should have been a fairly easy decision to expand the terror-fighting presence of American forces in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, on the domestic front, his hand-picked Secretary of Homeland Security issued a report warning that brave American soldiers returning from tours of combat in the world’s most dangerous operating theatres constituted grave threats to national security as they were likely to turn to domestic terrorism. She instituted a program of abolishing the use of the word terrorism to describe Islamic terror, preferring instead the antiseptic formulation of “man-caused disasters” and other inanities. She forbid government employees from using the word “terrorism” proclaiming that she wanted to move away from the politics of fear. In the wake of the Christmas day attempted bombing in which a known terror suspect was allowed to board an international flight destined to the US after paying cash for his ticket and without carrying luggage or even presenting a passport, her comment was that “the system worked.”
As all this was going on, the US Attorney General announced that the most notorious terrorist in US custody, the man who planned the atrocities of September 11th, would be granted a public trial in New York City, an act of almost incomprehensible derangement and a decision that will surely boomerang. Not only will the trial descend into a public forum for jihadist rant, but given that the defendant was waterboarded dozens of times by CIA debriefers, the possibility exists that he could be acquitted of the crimes that he proudly admits he committed.
The administration has formulated a principle that, if it apologizes enough and displays enough weakness in dangerous theatres abroad, the terrorists will just go away. And it has broadcast its view that terrorism itself caused by poverty and economic disadvantage. Given that the Christmas day terror suspect hailed from a rich Nigerian family and was living in a $4 million flat in London and yet still undertook his suicide mission, both of these conceits have been proven wrong.
All of this, and much more, has demonstrated that America is not serious about maintaining a strong anti-terror posture in the world. These and host of other actions were undertaken in an effort to improve America’s standing in the world. Instead, the Obama administration has only exhibited weakness, and it is a guarantee that the terrorists are paying close attention. Barack Obama is, unwittingly or not, validating Osama bin Laden’s “stronger horse” theory. And the net result is obviously a boost in jihadist recruitment as America seems to be deliberately proclaiming “Give Weakness a Chance.”
So, irrespective of whether criticism of Barack Obama over the failed bombing of the Northwest flight is warranted, he has earned rebuke and Dick Cheney and other are right in pointing it out. Rightly or wrongly, Barack Obama is responsible for all that he has wrought. Given his proclivities, it will not soon improve.
Shoe
January 7th, 2010
1:44 pm
To answer someones comment on why it took Obama so long to respond the answer is simple. He had to wait for his teleprompter to fly over to Hawaii. Sheesh, you people just don’t think…
Point. If the Dems want to have the Reps act mature and stop the name calling, it would only make sense that the Dems shut up. Of course I do feel both parties have the maturity of a bunch of 20 year old Frat boys. Let’s face the truth about one thing, we need to vote ALL these people out and get a fresh start of both Dems and Reps that haven’t been completely corrupted.
If this stupidity continues I am going to have to start running for a seat.
Jake
January 7th, 2010
1:45 pm
Ok first off people, radical anything is dangerous not just radical islam. Rush Limbaugh (not sure on spelling) is a radical republican, Michael Moore is a radical democrat. I am so sick and tired of people including muslim or Islam when talking about terrorists; yes there are muslim terrorists, but guess what idiots. there are christian terrorists too. The IRA anyone? Get educated or just go die, please.
steve
January 7th, 2010
1:46 pm
It always amazes me at the myopic view liberals have. Idiots. Like sheep led to the slaughter.
Jack Kinch(1uncle)
January 7th, 2010
1:48 pm
We have had 9 years now of lies and negativism about Bush. It’s pay back to your ‘as transparent as asphalt’ president.
George
January 7th, 2010
1:49 pm
More and more, Bob Barr is going through this David Brock transition. This notion that Cheney was singularly critical of President Obama’s immediate response is silly and misleading – Cheney’s criticism, which is well placed, was directed not at the moment in time statement from the president but at the exposure that this administration’s shift in focus from terrorism as an act of war to criminal activity.
As to the criticism of the Republicans for partisanship, assailing that it all started with Gingrich’s election — that is equally silly. Reagan was vilified by the left as a dolt for his entire presidency, labeling his Star Wars initiative as fantasy and his challenge to the USSR as war mongering. GHWB’s nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court resulted in the most embarrassing confirmation hearings in the history of this republic – the epitome of partisanship led by such stellar examples of ethics as Ted Kennedy and our current vice-president. This all predated the elections of 1994 and the Gingrich Speakership – try as you might, the historical revisionism loses to the facts.
Dave Dixon
January 7th, 2010
1:49 pm
Must be I’m getting old. I seem to remember some pretty awful things that Democrats used to say about Goldwater. Then again, I thought they said some particularly mean and partisan stuff about Reagan. Then I read some of the comments here and see that all this mean stuff started with Newt Gingrich. I guess I mis-remembered this stuff. Also, seems to me the Clintons did a little bit of this stuff – calling folks things like racist – but it is only me.
Barr is right, partially in his criticism – but only partially. Obama did describe and isolated extremist long after the rest of us knew we had a connected Muslim terrorist. Furthermore, he should remember to put his criticism in context – that this is an ongoing sin commited by members of both political parties.
savage24
January 7th, 2010
1:50 pm
Hey Bob, are you looking for a job in the Obama administration ? Sure sounds like it.
Rational Person
January 7th, 2010
1:50 pm
Jack Parkman
January 7th, 2010
7:34 am
What’s with all the spelling errors? Consservative? Assinine? Long-simemring? Copy editor must’ve had a bad day.
——————
Don’t forget “occured.”
huuf arted
January 7th, 2010
1:50 pm
Bite me Bob, Obama and company blathered and sat on their asses for days about what El Prez has decided was a SERIOUS security breech. If he spent less time JetSetting around and going on vacation and MORE time scrutinizing his staff he would get some support. Our prez is an EMPTY JOCK and total LOSER and we are SCREWED !!!
Huuf
chasbquar
January 7th, 2010
1:51 pm
Our politics are partisan and will continue to be, and it does not take a smart person to figure it out. Our problem is that government no longer listens to what the citizens want, but we are told what the government wants us to do. Pravda has much better articles than our MSM, because they tell it like they see us. We are a roll over society now, and have been for the last fifty years. Government has spent our wad.
LOOL
January 7th, 2010
1:51 pm
lol. Just lol.
Neal N. Lichmee
January 7th, 2010
1:52 pm
Another vacuous offering by yet another knee-pad fawner. How sad and how pathetic our nation has become.
BMorgan53
January 7th, 2010
1:53 pm
Excuse me, but if I recall correctly, in the aftermath of 9-11, then President Bush was excoriated and castigated for not adressing the nation immediately after the event. The big difference then was we didn’t know what really happened and who was responsible for it. Yet it didn’t stop the media and Libs from harping on it.
BHO’s response was tepid, weak, and too little.
c
January 7th, 2010
1:54 pm
Katrina was a national disaster and an epic failure both prior too and especially after the event.
Larry Siegel
January 7th, 2010
1:54 pm
Didn’t it take less time for the President to call the Cambridge Police Dept. stupid.
grimmjack66
January 7th, 2010
1:54 pm
Bob is right…
How dare you stupid unwashed morons dare to think that any one that works for the Government should be held accountable! Bob was also mad when people were complaining that the average salary for a Federal Employee was $70,000.00!
Shut you you stupid morons and allow your betters do their job! You are lucky to have such a smart and beautiful President! And you people that constantly compare what we did to Bush it’s time for you to Moveon.org! Besides everyone knows Republicans deserve to be attacked and criticized because Democrats are ALWAYS right because they do stuff for Special Interest groups and Unions! They take money from people that don’t need it and give it to Single moms and people that actually deserve it!
The Underwear Bomber situation is far more complex and difficult than 9/11 or even Katrina so it is wrong to criticize Obama when he is dealing with a hard problem!
Doug
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
Silly article. Bush was hammered for not flying around that classroom like a chicken with his head cut off after he was informed about the WTC attack. Obama does nothing for days, has top cabinet officials continue on ski trips, and then makes stupid comments like we need to do better, we fail to connect dots, etc. This admin does not use words like terrorist often if at all, and there is a culture that has formed around it to think of the USA has the bad guy first, has the idea that we should understand the feelings of the enemy, or other things that just get people killed. After the Ft. Hood shooting we found out that PC concerns caused the terrorist to get to the point where he killed lots of people. The same concerns do not allow for smart screening at the airport.
Wake up, government is not out to protect you, they do not care about you or your family, they care about power and money, nothing else. Obama is not the end all, Bush was a disaster, none of these guys have your interest at heart. I am sick of the cheerleading from both sides about their guy. As soon as the rest of the country wakes up to this fact, the sooner we will be safe from domestic and foreign threats, the sooner we will have economic freedom again, and the sooner we get our liberities restored from an oppressive government.
DENNIS D
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
The first major bill pushed through by Bush was authored by TED KENNEDY with No Child Left Behind. Other Dems were given input under a GOP majority including Senator Sarbanes on Sarbanes Oxley and McCain – Feingold. We no longer have the cooperation of the majority party
DAVID-AJC Truth Detector
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
BOB…………QUIT DRINKING THE KOOL-AID..& you can think with .a clear head.
Rob
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
Didn’t you eat cheese made of breast milk?
SmartestOne
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
TEA: WE DO NOT LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY! If the majority ruled, IT WOULD BE MOB RULE! (Forget civil rights, etc., as no minority would be protected.)
This country was established as a CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC. Unfortunately it is now a FASCIST OLIGARCHY by de facto.
Oh, and BTW: THERE IS NO TRUE DEMOCRACY ON EARTH!
ryanTN
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
Sounds nice Bob Barr, but your actions speak louder than words. He wouldn’t even appear with Ron Paul and Ralph Nader along with a few other presidential candidates at a press conference which was put together to support non-main stream candidates.
Nobama nohow
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
Simple to fix.
Just ban the cult named “islam”.
They blow something up,
we take out a mosque.
Simple.
Osama has absolutely no executive experience, and it shows.
He is nothing but a thug,
and his POS cabinet likewise.
We do not have a first lady,
since in order to BE First lady,
first you must BE a lady.
Farm animals need not apply.
Diogenes
January 7th, 2010
1:55 pm
Interesting information:
Barr attended “… the University of Southern California” and joined “… the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity in 1967 (where as of 2009 he holds the position of Grand Crysophylos on the fraternity’s Board of Directors).” He “… also joined the Young Democrats of America and rallied against the Vietnam War.” “His parents disapproved, and threatened to cut off financial support if he continued his ‘flaming liberal’ activities.” Original sources available at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Barr
David
January 7th, 2010
1:56 pm
How can I take an article such as this seriously when the grammer and spelling is so horrible it reeks of unintelligent rambling?
dave
January 7th, 2010
1:56 pm
Jake you are a MORON Name one Terrorist attack other than OK city on the us that was not done by a muslum? BOB you need to think about how the left treated Bush for the 7 min he spent in the class room after 911 happened. Obama = One Big Ass Mistake America!!!!!!!
Randall
January 7th, 2010
1:56 pm
Just more proof that any has-been Congressman can post a blog, just like any idiot can scam his way into the Presidency.
Neal N. Lichmee
January 7th, 2010
1:56 pm
Memo to “Jake”. Have not read of any recent man-mad disasters provoked by the IRA or any of the Christian fundamentalists. I guess we should start looking for redheads and Bible toters at the airport gates. Loons you lefties are.
TIM
January 7th, 2010
1:57 pm
agreed…the contract on america started it all….divided us between those who think they’re better, the conservatives, and those who want better, the dems.
but don’t fear, the majority of us truly are watching and listening and are become thoroughly turned OFF to the right….not just as in not interested….but as in “i know what you’re going to say before you say it so don’t bother” turned off, as in no longer listening or caring what the right thinks or does and that just makes them more irrelevant
Rob
January 7th, 2010
1:57 pm
Give me a BIG break Bob. We just witnessed 8 years of NON-STOP Bush bashing. Some of the bashing was justified but most of it was simply vitriol partisan hatred spewed by the liberal left and the complicit mainstream media. Were you critical of the Bush bashing? Somehow I doubt it. Conservatives are justified in expressing concern about Obama’s handling of the terrorist bomber but the criticism is NOT specific to this one incident. Combine Obama’s “World Apology Tour” with his handling of Guantanamo Bay, The Arkansas Terrorist killing, the Fort Hood Terrorist killing, and Obama’s unwillingness to use the term “Terrorists” or “War Crime” and it is CLEAR that Obama is being tested by Islamic extremeists. He set himself up for this. He already has 3 Terrorist strikes against him. Say what you want about Bush and Cheney but THEY KEPT AMERICA SAFE after 911. In fact…ask yourself this…if you were a Terrorist, would you rather mess with Bush and Cheney or Obama? Easy answer. Obama is clearly a typical dovish liberal and the terrorists know it. Unfortunately, my prediction is that they will hit us again soon to test the will of the annointed Obama. They know he’s weak and they want to prove it. WELCOME BACK CARTER!
Tim
January 7th, 2010
1:58 pm
Bob, you’re a little slow, so let me explain it to you. Like the “death panel” comment didn’t literally mean there would be “death panels” but rather meant that the policies of the Obama administration would lead to some bureaucrat far removed from the situation making life and death situations for all American’s, Cheney’s comments that Obama’s policies are putting us at danger is meant to say that Obama’s policies toward the war on terrorism that isn’t really a war are bass ackwards. Everything that Obama does is exactly the opposite of what any sane person would do in response to a war.
And leaving all that aside, Obama and his entire administration never pass up an opportunity to bash Bush and Cheney for their past decisions. Why on earth wouldn’t Cheney return the favor?
StrangestWoopiePlace
January 7th, 2010
1:59 pm
That would have to be in the but, Bob
Dave
January 7th, 2010
1:59 pm
True, Bob. There’s also the political correctness to consider, though – something you are not hearing so much about in the media. The reluctance to profile is what got us in trouble at Fort Hood, and now it has happened again in Detroit. How long will it take before the American people realize that some belief systems are more of a threat than others?
john endrud
January 7th, 2010
1:59 pm
True statement Bob, now can you refer me to one of your archived articles that states the same idea during the Bush administration? No, didn’t think so.