Optimal
The President’s latest gaffe ain’t.
I have managed with considerable success to garrote my zeal for this President. My enthusiasm for him never existed and no contraceptives were required to prevent its conception.
But my bill of complaints neither starts nor ends with a demand that he emote more for the press, that he lather lip-quivering couch therapy on a feelings-mad public, or that he give me some kind of sound-bite catharsis.
America is a nation of some 300 millions. Her armies and interests are vast. Many men have been murdered in her service, and so will many men more.
Ambassador Chris Stevens, diplomat Sean Smith, and Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty are their names. They died in their country’s cause, they died a man’s death, and they deserve to be mourned with a man’s sober dignity. Bawl not, America.
The President should be held to account for their deaths, not for understatement.
Bookslinger
October 19, 2012
I just read the transcript. Taking it in context, “not optimal” clearly refers to the administration’s response, not the killings.
The administration and the State dept made huge blunders that led up to the attack, and made huge blunders in response. Those blunders are much more important in this affair than taking what Obama says out of context and making him an offender for a word, or for improper use of pronuns.
The fact that certain factions (with the military wherewithal to do this) in Libya would attack us so quickly after we helped them throw out Kadafi speaks volumes.
The fact that the State dept is on record as not providng requested security, even though it had been budgeted, speaks volumes.
Then the next big issue is the question of who’s idea it was to connect the attack with an obscure Youtube video. Where did that idea originate, and why did it over-ride what eyes-on-the-ground had reported up the chain of command in the administration? Was that another gross blunder, or was it a calculated move by someone? And in either case, who was responsible for the mischaracterization?