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I noticed several members picked up on Obama's inappropriate response yesterday.

Obama's Frightening Insensitivity Following Shooting

A bad week for Democrats compounded by an awful moment for Barack Obama.
By ROBERT A. GEORG

President Obama didn't wait long after Tuesday's devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.

After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a "shout-out" to "Dr. Joe Medicine Crow -- that Congressional Medal of Honor winner." Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That's the least that should occur.

Indeed, an argument could be made that Obama should have canceled the Indian event, out of respect for people having been murdered at an Army post a few hours before. That would have prevented any sort of jarring emotional switch at the event.

Did the president's team not realize what sort of image they were presenting to the country at this moment? The disconnect between what Americans at home knew had been going on -- and the initial words coming out of their president's mouth was jolting, if not disturbing.

It must have been disappointing for many politically aware Democrats, still reeling from the election two days before. The New Jersey gubernatorial vote had already demonstrated that the president and his political team couldn't produce a winning outcome in a state very friendly to Democrats (and where the president won by 15 points one year ago). And now this? Congressional Democrats must wonder if a White House that has burdened them with a too-heavy policy agenda over the last year has a strong enough political operation to help push that agenda through.

If the president's communications apparatus can't inform -- and protect -- their boss during tense moments when the country needs to see a focused commander-in-chief and a compassionate head of state, it has disastrous consequences for that president's party and supporters.

All the president's men (and women) fell down on the job Thursday. And Democrats across the country have real reason to panic.
 
Posts: 411 | Registered: Sun 25 January 2009Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete Message
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Guy is a jerk...
 
Posts: 2566 | Registered: Mon 02 October 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete Message
Vietnam Marine Tanker
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Our clueless C in C
By Clarice Feldman

Twelve soldiers were murdered in cold blood at Fort Hood. Thirty others were wounded. Our Commander in Chief calls a press conference and begins it with a long thanks to the Interior Department and Indians who just concluded a conference and then gives a good natured "shout out" to an attendee , all with a studied nonchalance, before he even mentions the outrage on our military base.
 
Posts: 1313 | Registered: Fri 15 June 2001Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete Message
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And by the way, Crow is not a MOH recipient. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom by,,,guess who?
Obama, who apparently doesn't know the difference. And this guy is CIC...
 
Posts: 2566 | Registered: Mon 02 October 2006Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete Message
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I have absolutely no respect for him,or the office he now holds.I don't know how you can seperate the two.I hope all of you that put him in office are now having second thoughts.
 
Posts: 1305 | Registered: Wed 23 April 2008Reply With QuoteEdit or Delete Message
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