Foreign Policy Freefall

 Free fall.  That was the description that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers used when commenting on the President's foreign policy.  Senator McCain (his 2008 opponent) was hardly kinder when he said President Obama was in denial or overwhelmed.  Perhaps the most damning criticism though came from Senator Diane Feinstein, the Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman, who said Obama was "too cautious" when dealing with ISIS.

These statements by senior Congressional leadership are a bipartisan slamming of President Obama's hopes and dreams that the world will magically right itself.  Mr. Obama seems to have missed the boat when it comes to the fact that Hitler did not accidentally commit suicide after trying to take over the world.  It happened because thousands of lives confronted evil directly.

Mr. Obama seems to think the Cold War just had a course, like the arc of a pendulum, and eventually everything would be good again.  He gives no credit to the Reagan peace through strength initiatives and instead gives away American technology to those who would harm us with it.

The mainstream media gives Mr. Obama tons of credit for the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, but was this really that amazing a feat?  Even Bill Clinton considered a strike on bin Laden, but chose against it because of the possibility of local civilian casualties.  Whether or not those stories are true or not, in the post 9/11 world, who would not have been willing to launch an attack against bin Laden?

The point is Mr. Obama has again and again missed the mark on foreign policy issues except pulling the proverbial trigger on Osama bin Laden. That is it.  Otherwise his foreign policy appears disconnected and ineffective.

Senator Robert Mendez noted that in Ukraine the Russians were carrying out an invasion.  Rogers echoed those comments noting that the Russians weren't on a "sight seeing tour."

President Obama threw down the gauntlet against Syria with respect to the use of chemical weapons and they crossed the line.  Obama did nothing showing his lack of self respect and losing respect across the world, but worse was the initial line as it appears Basher al-Assad is the safer bet in Syria.

It appears the President has zero plan for what to do with the Israeli-Gaza conflict that is now in a cease fire after it appears Hamas has run out of rockets.

The President and his team have completely underestimated  the intensity of ISIS and because of their immigration strategy has no idea if they are streaming across the southern US border.  Even David Cameron has said he needs a new law allowing police to seize the passport of ISIS fighters.

Meanwhile the President plays golf.  I hope for his sake, his putts sink as well as his foreign policy positions.  I just hope the country does not follow suit.

The Citizenship Of Workplace Violence

The Army psychiatrist, Nidal Hasan, accused and convicted of the "workplace violence" murders of thirteen employees by the US Govenment has now asked to become a citizen of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

At the time, many were outraged that Hasan's crimes would be considered an act of workplace violence instead of the terrorism they clearly were.  the US government demurred and chose to not admit this was another act of terrorism on US soil or they would have had to offer up Purple Hearts to those wounded by this act of terrorism.

While the US Department of Homeland Security continues to worry about the domestic terrorism that Christian conservatives who want to practice their faith might bring, they are actively missing acts of domestic terrorism being committed by persons like Mr. Hasan or the Americans who have died and who continue to fight overseas for ISIS.

It might seem that our work is only beginning when it comes to terrorism.

Vacation

Various news reports have President Obama leaving for vacation in Martha's Vineyard for the next few weeks, but the real question we should be asking is: Hasn't he been on vacation?

While the President leaves town to play golf with NFL stars and other friends, seven year old jihadis are posing on Twitter with the severed heads of their enemies.

Should we then be surprised that Hillary Clinton, trying to feather her
own nest is already slamming her former boss as weak on foreign policy - when she led the State Department.  It would make for great daytime television drama if the soap opera weren't so real.  Meanwhile her leadership style appears to be to check poll numbers and stick her finger to the wind hoping for providence.

The fact is that neither one of these amateurs has any idea what goes on in the real world outside their dense little circles of friends and sycophants who tell them what they want to hear.

While it has become common practice to simply blame Bush for any problems Mr. Obama has had to face, he has now owned the office for six years.  Is he that helpless that he still blames his predecessor?  What is interesting is how calm, cool, and collected President Bush has been on all these attacks.  While I still find him to the wrong President who vastly increased the police state that is the US, he looks like a monk in comparison to Mr. Obama.  Moreover, it has been Obama that has destroyed the US military, not a foreign foe, but its own leader that makes it less likely to be able to confront attacks in the world.

Perhaps Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton are hoping you will not notice as things continue to spiral out of control, but it spiraled out of control on their respective watches.  Perhaps they hope that you will be too ensconced in your NFL schedule or holiday shopping.  Maybe they are hoping you are too busy making ends meet to notice the trail of disaster they have left behind.  Hopefully though voters will remember that while the world burns these two enjoy their vacations from the limelight.