However, in a tribute to one of 1960's television sitcoms, today's post is based on the TV show, "Car 54 Where Are You?" The basis of the show revolved around two New York City policemen, Toody and Muldoon, who were assigned to car 54 and who were not the sharpest officers on the NYC police force. For those of you who have never seen the show, let's start with the original lyrics:
There's a holdup in the Bronx,
Brooklyn's broken out in fights,
There's a traffic jam in Harlem,
That's backed up to Jackson Heights.
There's a scout troop short a child,
Kruschev's due at Idlewild,
Car 54, where are you?
Now, lets replace these lyrics with lyrics from the new television show, "Barack Obama, Where Are You?"
There's a debt fight up in Congress,
Muammar's forces are a killing,
Unemployment still so high,
B-Ball picks get top billing,
Nuke reactors are on fire,
Gas prices soaring higher,
Barack Obama, where are you?
These new lyrics capture the state of the Obama adminstration, from the beginning until now. Leaderless as people die in Libya. Leaderless as the country heads for a financial meltdown. Leaderless as the lack of a national energy policy leads to soaring energy prices. Leaderless as unemployment stays unacceptably high. President Obama is as lost as Toody and Muldoon were decades ago. Consider the following examples:
- The Federal government is spending well beyond its means, with a Federal budget deficit in February alone of about $225 billion. This is about half of what Bush's worst ANNUAL budget deficit was. Difficult decisions and cuts need to be made across all spending categories including the politically sensitive categories of defense, Social Security, and Medicare/Medicaid. This is a turning point, for better or worse, in the country's history as the next several months may decide whether or not the country makes the tough calls and fixes its financials or does not and suffers incalculable economic distress.
Where is Obama on this topic? According to a March 13, 2011 Associated Press article, the President had this to say on the $14 TRILLION national debt and the Congressional debate on how to tame it: "This is an appropriations task." This allows him to avoid any difficult decisions and make Congress do the dirty work and take any political hits. Hardly a leadership stance, let others do the heavy lifting.
- A member of his own party, Democratic Congressman Joe Manchin, recognizes the gravity of the budget situation and publicly yearned for the President to help resolve the issue. But according to a White House spokesperson: " There's a very strong gravitational pull in this town to try to drag the President to every single skirmish and new story." Fair enough, the President should not be involved in every national or local issue. However, what was he doing attending an anti-bullying session/forum rather than saving the economic health of the country? Seems like a bad sense of priorities and hardly a leadership stance, even though your own party's members are calling for you help.
- On the major problems and issues sweeping the Middle East, the President is no where to be found. He pops up on television for a quick hit here and there and speaks some meaningless garble, tied to no overall strategy or leadership position. As a result, the country's foreign policy is exposed for how weak it is as friendly despots disappear or are about to disappear in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and possibly Saudi Arabia, with the long term replacements having unknown consequences for the United States. One would have thought that the President, leader of the free world would be putting together and implementing a consistent and sound, long term Middle East strategy.
However, according to a New York Times article on March 10, 2011, the President apparently has no overall leadership or strategic plan in place. He is treating each Middle East country differently, based on what he sees as America's needs. Unfortunately, by standing for nothing and just reacting to each crisis, the article states: "This emphasis on pragmatism over idealism has left Mr. Obama vulnerable to criticism that he is losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the Arab street protesters."
The article goes on to contrast this piecemeal approach to the way Ronald Reagan's emphasis on freedom ended the Cold War in a favorable way for the United States. Without a leadership stance and overarching vision on the Middle East, the President is hardly taking a leadership stance.
- Regarding Libya, the whole world is aghast as the Libyan government guns down, bombs, and slaughters some of the brave rebels who have risen up against the tyrant. Many have called for a no fly zone over Libya to give the rebels at least a fighting chance. France and Britain have called for a no fly zone. The 22 nation Arab League has called for a no fly zone. President Obama? No where to be found even though he boldly stated in early March that the Defense Department was looking at military options.
However, despite this little bit of saber rattling, it is now obvious that Obama will not commit to any military intervention, despite the slaughter. His rationale: "Anytime I send United States forces into a potentially hostile situation, there are risks involved and there are consequences. And it is my job as President to make sure that we have considered all those risks." How non-committal can you get? How weak of a leadership stance is this? By the time he considers all of the risks, no action would have been taken and the situation will be resolved, for better or for worse.
- It seems that more and more Americans are tuning into the rudderless and ineffective administration we are now being ruled by. As part of Obama's education initiative, the White House is sponsoring a contest where U.S. high schools can apply to have the President speak at their commencement as reward for having and extolling the virtues of their own high schools.
However, it seems the idea is falling flat on its face. As the deadline for applying approached recently, according to ABC News, the White House was scrambling to get more applications to be filed since only 14 applications had been received up to that point in time.
If you search the Internet to get the number of high schools in the country, you get widely varying estimates but they all seem to be around 20,000. If only 14 of them put in an application for the supposed honor of having the President speak at their school, then only a minuscule .07% of eligible schools thought it worthwhile enough to have the President come talk to them. If he was a true leader, I am sure that he would draw applications at a better then .07% rate. Pitiful. Hardly a leadership performance.
This President has taken the lead on nothing. He appeared clueless and rudderless on the Gulf oil spill. He let Reid and Pelosi do the heavy work on health care reform. His business-as-usual budget is a disgrace in light of the huge national debt. He has instituted no bold and strategic intitiative in the areas of education, energy, illegal immigration, etc. Nothing, nada.
He insists on leading from the rear, lest his political aura take a hit. Consider a recent quote regarding the budget crisis: "What I have done is, every day, I talk to my team. I give them instructions in terms of how they can participate in the negotiations, indicate what's acceptable, indicate what's not acceptable." Can you imagine Reagan, Churchill, General Eisenhower, General Patton, Coach Lombardi or any other great leader behaving this way?
This President should not be President, he should be a Prince, like Prince Charles in England. A prince likes to go to high profile, no risk events (anti-bullying session), a prince likes to state his opinion on trivial matters (March Madness basketball picks), a prince likes to go on a lot of vacations, all princely duties. Let Obama be the Prince of The United States while we get a real doer and leader into the White House.
So, what is the answer to the question: Where is Barack Obama? This past week, the answer has been pretty obvious, and pretty petty:
- After a phone call reviewing the earthquake situation in Japan this weekend, he went out and played some golf. Never mind that thousands are dead, the world may soon get a dangerous dose of radioactivity, the U.S. military may be needed to help out, and there are probably many Americans in Japan, that are now dead, injured, lost, or in trouble. And the prince plays golf.
- With budget deficits hitting records, with unemployment still very high, with state governments in financial crisis, and with public schools still failing, the President attended an ant-bullying session. If you asked America where the bullying issue fell in their life priorities, do we really think that this issue would have cracked the top 25? I doubt it but that is where the prince was.
- With Mexico devolving into a lawless state, with our borders still leaking profusely with illegal immigrants, with the war on drugs still being lost, with his health care law under duress from the courts, Congress, and many well informed and educated citizens, the President had time to fill out his NCAA basketball brackets AND attend a taping session with ESPN where he took the time to discuss his picks. Again, where do we think the President's view on the basketball tournament would fall in a list of America's priorities? I doubt it would be very high up there relative to other issues but it was important to the prince.
Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at http://www.loathemygovernment.com/. It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.
Please visit the following sites for freedom:
http://www.cato.org/
http://www.robertringer.com
http://realpolichick.blogspot.com
http://www.flipcongress2010.com/
http://www.reason.com/
http://www.repealamendment
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