Tough Week for Obama

Especially since this should be a good one for him.

The latest Vets For Freedom ad puts the senator in--shall we say--a less-than-flattering light.

In it, Iraq War veteran and Illinois native Sgt Garrett Anderson says that when he and 12 other members of the organization came to Obama's office in Washington DC that the senator was there. However, he refused to come out of his office!

Could it have been because they didn't have an appointment? Perhaps. However, when you're vying for Leader of the Free World and itching to become the Commander-in-Chief of persons like Sgt Anderson, to not even come out and say "Thank you for your service and I'd be happy to talk to you if you'd make an appointment with my assistant" just seem...spineless.

If our wannabe CinC is intimidated by or appears to be intimidated by those whom he would presume to lead, then how will he behave with our enemies, "preparations" or preconditions notwithstanding?

Speaking of Iran, Charles Krauthammer charts Obama’s descent on Iran policy.

Before the Democratic debate of July 23, Barack Obama had never expounded upon the wisdom of meeting, without precondition, with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Bashar al-Assad, Hugo Chavez, Kim Jong Il or the Castro brothers. But in that debate, he was asked about doing exactly that. Unprepared, he said sure -- then got fancy, declaring the Bush administration's refusal to do so not just "ridiculous" but "a disgrace." After that, there was no going back. So he doubled down. What started as a gaffe became policy. By now, it has become doctrine. Yet it remains today what it was on the day he blurted it out: an absurdity.

Should the president ever meet with enemies? Sometimes, but only after minimal American objectives -- i.e. preconditions -- have been met.

And yet Obama continued down the road he had paved, bringing up “preparations,” purposely conflating these phantom “preparations” with preconditions, then arguing that "of course we’re not going in to talks with Iran without preparations, you silly Republicans."

And still, as of May 23, 2008 10:30 AM PDT, the following passage remains on his website:

Diplomacy: Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions.

It's the Consistency, Stupid...and the Cojones too...and the Priorities...and the Associations...and...

(Thanks to Ed Morrissey)

Comments

[CGHill]

Is it possible that he was enjoying a waffle at that time?

[JLawson]

I've got to admit, I'm puzzled by his actions on this. Could it be he 'appreciates' the military, but would prefer that it not exist?

[bjones]

"wasn't available to meet" is not the same as "wouldn't come out of his office". Since this is an anti-Obama ad, if he did cower in his office, I'm sure they would make sure to say so. My guess is that they appeared uninvited and he simply wasn't there.