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The Adult Presence in the Obama White
House? Part Three of Three By Dave Andrusko
Having watched politics since 1960 and been actively involved since the 1970s, I avoid sentences that suggest I am seeing something for the very, very first time. But I'm about to violate that rule of thumb. There are two schools of thought right now about pro-abortion President Barack Obama. The minority view is that during the lame duck session Obama has just snookered Republicans into an agreement that positions him to hit the ground running in the second half of his term, thus improving his chances should he run for re-election. The majority view is that Obama is in over his head and that this knowledge is becoming a source of embarrassment. Something in the middle (but closer to the latter) is probably about right. The latest evidence is enough to make almost anyone cringe. By now I'm sure everyone who follows politics even casually is aware of the bizarre impromptu press conference held last Friday. After privately conferring with former President Bill Clinton, Obama hastily called a press conference at which both spoke. Only Obama beat a hasty retreat, leaving Clinton to bask in the glow of "explainer in chief," as lots of accounts dubbed it. The contrast between Obama's halting and brief (because if he didn't leave he said he'd be in trouble with his wife) remarks and Clinton's lengthy (20-minute-long), detail-driven discourse made even me uncomfortable--and I am no admirer of either man. The other is the story over the weekend in the New York Times that suggests that Obama will rely even more on pro-abortion Vice President Joe Biden, now that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel has left to run for mayor of Chicago. I'm sure that Biden is everything
reporter Helen Cooper says he is--a gregarious back-slapper who has kept in
close touch with his former Senate colleagues (he served for 36 years) and
who has credibility because he is close, but not "too close," to the
President. But goodness, what does it say that … After a term in the Senate
and two years in the White House Obama seems a complete stranger not only to
Republicans but also to his own party. And …Obama's own inner-circle,
airlifted on mass from Chicago, needs Biden to supposedly "back channel"
Republicans and, one suspects, a lot of Democrats. Please send your comments on Today's News & Views and National Right to Life News Today to daveandrusko@gmail.com. If you like, join those who are following me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/daveha. |
