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September 8, 2008
Exclusive: Obama: Four More Years of Bush
To many, what a relief next January’s inauguration will bring! Eight years of a horrendous presidency will finally end. No more “more of the same!”
No longer will we Americans (much less our highly valued allies who have had to suffer right along with us) have to put up with a President who came into office with no relevant experience. One who had used drugs and alcohol more than experimentally and who only came to find God later in life. One who spends an inordinate amount of time exercising and vacationing. One who has had life long psychological issues concerning his father. One who is so stubborn and inflexible that he is unwilling to admit his mistakes.
Nor will we have to live with a President so naïve about the world; one who entered office with limited travel experience. One forced to select an aged and “experienced” running mate to lend his ticket gravitas. Worse yet, one who believes people worldwide yearn for liberty and would foolishly make that yearning a cornerstone of U.S. policy.
Nor will we have to put up with a leader who would take his eye off the ball in one war to go fight another one of choice elsewhere. No longer need we tolerate a President who wants to make sure the Iraqis are properly positioned to defend themselves, at our enormous expense.
We won’t have to put up with a President who is choreographed by a behind-the-scenes wizard of presumed “evil” intent – one who measures what the public can be sold and how to play on their fears for maximum advantage. No more propping up an obviously unqualified candidate to serve the agenda of the powerful.
Rather, January will bring a true change; unless, of course, Barack Obama wins the election. For all the abuse it doled out to George W. Bush, the American Left appears blinded to its childhood sweetheart candidate. While “judgment” is Obama’s operative rationale for election to the world’s highest position, it is sorely lacking in those most likely to anoint him. The Left, so vicious in its attacks on Bush, seems completely blind to the very same attributes when packaged and sold in Obama.
In his refusal to credit the Iraqi War “surge” with success in stabilizing Iraq, Obama has shown the same inability to admit mistakes that the Left-wing media relentlessly attributed to Bush. More incredibly, Obama suggests he, not the surge, was responsible for the Iraqi turnaround; his stance, in essence, pressured the Iraqis to conform. Is this his own “Mission Accomplished?” The Left boldly criticized Bush as dangerously limited by his inability to admit his failures and make critical adjustments; so much so as to appear “out of touch.” Obama has done so in spades.
Bush was always considered a pawn of his advisors, particularly Vice President Dick Cheney. Obama is already advised by some 300 foreign policy “experts,” and his response to situations, for instance the Russian invasion of Georgia or his own invasion of Pakistan to get Bin Laden, demonstrates his complete reliance on their opinions. There is, in essence, “no there, there” but rather a dependence on others to tell him what is the most appropriate position to take. Unlike John McCain, who displayed a full understanding and core beliefs concerning our responsibilities in the world, Obama has had to publicly ramble through a variety of elite stock phrases, testing feedback, before arriving at a final, most politically appropriate position. While Bush had been ridiculed as “stupid,” Obama’s responses to the Georgian invasion, starting with a call for both sides to show restraint, followed by an absurd push for a UN resolution (lacking a rudimentary understanding of Russia’s Security Council veto), followed by a lukewarm attempt at fortitude, demonstrated clearly how unknowledgeable he is – even with an arsenal of advisors.
Bush was criticized before he took office for not having the foreign policy “experience” necessary to lead the nation. His campaign responded with process style answers – pointing out how he would address issues. Bush would state that he would surround himself with the best and solicit different viewpoints and, from that wide angle, decide upon the best course of action. This is precisely how Obama has dealt with his empty foreign policy portfolio. Obama has wowed listeners by describing the table which he will populate with (largely ex-Carter administration) names and from which his magically gifted “judgment” will derive the right moves. “Process” is what drives and fills the Obama foreign policy deficit.
Bush was also bludgeoned for constructing a foreign policy based on man’s universal desire for freedom. Such an aspiration was deemed sophomorically fanciful (and devilishly “neo-con”) by the Left. Yet Obama’s Berlin “Sermon” referred repeatedly to that “yearning” as what overwhelmingly unites us all.
Bush has been tagged with subordinating his work schedule to his exercise requirements at any costs. Obama is sometimes said to be exercising three times a day. Other times Obama has referred to his exceptionally long workouts. While some insinuate he is a closet anorexic smoker, it is clear that he is at least seriously concerned with his physique; it is one of his most powerful tools for hooking his band of disciples. More significantly, as a first term Senator who has spent most of his time running for president, Obama’s actual Senate workdays have been extremely limited. He has never called a committee he chairs to meet and is known for voting “present” or “abstain” for those votes that he actually attends.
Bush was endlessly mocked as a babbling fool. While he was often brilliant in delivering critical speeches, his impromptu responses left much to be desired. Enter Obama who, while able to deliver Messianic oratory when assisted with an elevated teleprompter, is often caught bumbling, stuttering, searching, and struggling when unassisted by prepared remarks.
Bush was branded as “incompetent” and unsuited for the Presidency. He was derided for being a business lightweight prior to his decision to run for political office. Obama’s resume similarly evidences no core competency for presidential skills. Harvard Law Review presidency sounds impressive but Obama seems only to have written a short unsigned article arguing against any limits on abortion and against government “ensuring that any particular fetus is born.” His years as a Saul Alinsky “community organizer,” (a role once comically described as the art of stirring up African-Americans to hate Caucasians in order to secure their allegiance) largely focused upon a failed attempt to remove asbestos from a housing project. Community organizing was excellent training for accumulating votes and getting elected, not for what to do following election.
Bush has constantly been portrayed as a dummy on the lap of ventriloquist Dick Cheney. But it is Obama who needed to fix his ticket by selecting a running mate alternately described as “white haired,” “trusted statesman,” “experienced,” “tough,” “respected on the Hill,” “able to get things done behind the scenes” and so forth. Even Cheney was well-liked before his ticket won.
Obama approaches issues with “nuanced” lawyerly analysis, perhaps useful in the legislative branch. He “sells” many of his followers by appearing to be smart enough to articulate two sides of an issue, only to then, without exception, adopt the most radically Left solution. The supposedly superior “judgment” upon which his campaign is based may be well suited for the judicial branch. He is, however, fully devoid of any experience or competence for the executive branch which is not afforded the luxuries of the theoretical world.
“Bush Lied, People Died” was the Left’s battle cry for years, even without any proof that Bush intentionally deceived the public concerning WMD in Iraq. Utilizing the same threshold for ascribing deception, however, Obama can only be deemed to have lied when explaining his “Born Alive” Illinois State Senate votes. Perhaps the Left will adopt “Obama Lied, Born Alive Infants Died” as their replacement motto. Obama also broke his word with McCain over accepting public campaign finance. Additionally, Obama’s constantly evolving responses to allegations concerning his relationships with Bill Ayers, Reverend Wright, and Tony Rezko and others suggest something quite short of full truth telling. So much of Obama’s history lacks any clear and independent verification that it may take years to assess the deception that has gone into creating his image.
Bush has also been castigated (by all sides) for allowing government spending to reach record levels. (The Left fails to focus on how much of the budget is non-discretionary. It also accepts no responsibility even though the Pelosi-Reid Congress has been in control the past two years and severely disrupted Bush prior to that). Obama’s robust plans will expand government spending far past levels Bush has overseen. Deficits should also increase given likely reduced tax revenues from a slowing economy and an even more Democrat-controlled Congress.
It is notable that Obamites accuse McCain of flip-flopping by having previously voted against the Bush tax cuts. McCain had made clear his concern that those cuts were not accompanied by spending limitations. Those on the Left in favor of more responsible spending have their candidates confused. And speaking of flip-flopping, Obama has had his share from reversing himself on accepting public finance, supporting an undivided Jerusalem, tax rates he would impose, wiretapping and so on. And now, after his Pelosi-Reid-Obama Congress prevented any treatment by Bush, Obama is now mimicking Bush in declaring that the social security system is in desperate need of repair.
The Left has excoriated Bush for infringing on individual rights, whether through spying on us all, utilizing torture, or holding captives at Guantanamo Bay. While Obama has yet to be in a position to exercise any similar power, his responses to negative campaign ads give some clue as to how much he respects individual rights. From having pressured cable channels to not run certain ads to trying to stir up Justice Department investigations into those involved in creating the ads, free speech does not seem to be a value Obama holds dear.
Comedians have made a staple out of Bush as imbecile. Obama has already described one of his acts as “boneheaded” and seems well on his way to many more. They have also teased Bush for the many photo-ops that he has disingenuously used. Rumor has it that Obama’s Germany speech was engineered between two rock concerts serving free beer. Disingenuously misrepresented, the crowds came for something other than the message of deliverance.
Comics and other critics have also lambasted Bush for calling himself “The Decider.” Bush has described his management style as intended to surround himself with a variety of points of view affording him the opportunity to listen, challenge and, ultimately, to choose what he believes is best. This is precisely the approach Obama promotes as his unique strength. Obama sells a picture of himself as one will solicit various views so that he can unite all sides, stop the divisiveness, and somehow alchemically derive the perfect synthesis. (History, however, shows his ultimate decisions to be only radically liberal, not gold.)
The Bush narratives were constantly shaped in relationship to his father. New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd and many others tossed around a variety of psychological issues they fancied influenced Bush’s executive decision making. Bush’s supposed quest to get his father’s approval and struggle to carve out his own identity were part of the Left’s common parlance. Needless to say, Obama’s “memoirs” gives a full background to an abandoning father-son (as well as stepfather-son) relationship likely to influence Obama’s action for many years to come. Obama’s early and life-shaping family situations should send up a red flag before we place our fate in this man’s hands.
Much of the Left zealously focused on Bush’s faith, and how it influences his actions. Many feared he’d place too much “in God’s hands,” and felt his faith was too radically Christian Right. With Obama, the Left obsesses over any focus on Obama’s faith, even though it is unclear exactly what Obama’s faith and his religious history looks like. Obama says he is a Christian and denies ever being a Muslim. To the Left, that says it all. Little attention is paid to the fact that Obama spent 20 years in a church whose pastor is a devoted follower of Black Liberation Theology – a brand more radically Left than any radical Right-wing Christian sect short of the KKK.
Meanwhile, (and without regard to any allegations that Obama either is secretly a Muslim or minimally has a pro-Muslim agenda) it is clear that Obama was born to a Muslim father which, to Muslims, means he was a Muslim. In many jurisdictions within the Muslim world, it is a capital offense to leave the religion – apostasy. Under some schools of Islamic law, there is an exception when one leaves Islam before puberty. Obama’s entrance into Christianity, however, did not occur until his twenties so it is unclear whether Obama should be punished under Islam as an apostate or not. How we are viewed by others often seems to be the top priority of the Left’s foreign policy concerns. Could we perhaps have another President who is as much a target of the Islamic world as Bush has been?
Irrespective of various charges, including that Obama beautifully recites the Islamic Call to Prayer, that his school records list him as Muslim, that his Kenyan relatives are predominantly Muslim, the Left considers any pairing of the words “Obama” and “Muslim” blasphemous. This Leftist separation of Obama and Islam is, itself, carried on in the same fanatical style that the Left used to focus upon Bush’s faith.
Bush is repeatedly charged with cronyism and labeled as a pawn for oil companies. The implication is that Bush, an oilman, abused his power to assist his presumed big oil buddies. The same charge, with more than a hint of corruption, is leveled at Cheney and his Halliburton chums for having received no bid contracts in Iraq. Obama seems to have interesting relationships with his pals as well. His record is replete with bills he facilitated to grant government money to real estate developers, particularly recently convicted slumlord Tony Rezko, who, in turn helped finance Obama’s campaigns and assisted his home purchase.
Rezko, in turn, has his own interesting and poorly vetted connections. Three weeks before assisting Obama in the purchase of his home, Rezko received a $3.5 million loan from a business partner, an Iraqi-born billionaire, Nadhmi Auchi. The Wall Street Journal’s John Fund reports that “In May 2004, the Pentagon’s inspector general’s office cited ‘significant and credible evidence’ of involvement by Mr. Auchi’s companies in the Oil for Food scandal, and in illicit smuggling of weapons to Saddam Hussein’s regime.” Earlier, Auchi was convicted in France of fraud and fined in connection with commissions from French oil company Elf Aquitane and “came under criminal investigation as part of a U.S. probe of the corrupt issuance of cell-phone licenses.” Auchi was one of the largest private shareholders in BNP Paribas, the bank which Saddam insisted conducted much of his Oil for Food scam – both big and oil – although any connection has been denied. Separately, prosecutors maintain that Auchi, through Rezko, has also sought out “Illinois officials” to help him obtain a U.S. visa that had been previously revoked. The WSJ notes that Obama once attended a dinner in honor of Auchi and, according to one guest, toasted him. So far, Obama’s office says it knows of no involvement by the Senator’s office in the appeal for a visa nor does Obama “recall” meeting Mr. Auchi. Is it not the Bush Administration that is often rebuked for having a poor memory concerning critical facts of concern to the public and media?
Rezko’s connection to international fugitive Aiham Alsammarae (reportedly an Obama contributor) raises additional questions. Briefly, Alsammarae (who posted properties for Rezko’s bail) as Iraqi Minister of Electricity reportedly awarded a $150 million contract for the building of power plants to a Rezko controlled operation. Another successful bidder was apparently a Rezko related entity – Companion Security – that proposed to train Iraqi security personnel in Illinois. When the contract was eventually cancelled, a representative of Companion engaged over a six month period with Obama’s Senate office to attempt to have it reinstated. Obama’s office declined to act but also, it is reported, denied that it knew that Rezko had anything to do with Companion. Then again, Obama seems often to not “know” much about those to whom he has been connected for many years, be it Rezko, Ayers, or Wright. Perhaps the national media will eventually engage in better coverage of this cast of characters.
A central part of the Left’s attack on Bush’s Iraq policy was his supposed gross negligence in drawing down troops in Afghanistan to fight a war of choice in Iraq. Central to Obama’s Iraq policy, however, is the very same maneuver –except with Obama it will be true. To leave Iraq before it is able to secure itself sufficiently would turn all of America’s gains and sufferings there into failure. Worse still will be the consequence to millions of Iraqis who desire the freedom Obama understands to be universally desired. And, as pointed out by many, his plan to simply raise the number of troops in Afghanistan is, arguably, the wrong move for the wrong situation. While belittling Bush’s unnecessary “bluster,” he rants that he would go into Pakistan, uninvited, to get bin Laden. Would that be a war of choice as well? The problems in Afghanistan are not solved by more troops, and more troops will only encourage other countries to withdraw their troops He would truly be taking his eye off the ball.
While Bush has often been cast as a front for the likes of Karl Rove, the evil genius, we have never seen such a well-manufactured specimen as Obama; one who, for many, echoes The Manchurian Candidate. David Axelrod, a pro trained with Chicago’s Mayor Daley machine, engages all of the “mischievous” attributes commonly projected upon Rove. While Rove is accused of employing “the politics of fear,” Axelrod has pulled Obama’s strings in an effort to make the electorate afraid of Bush. He incessantly and viciously berates Bush and then equates McCain with Bush, as if this is not an attack on McCain himself. Then, whenever his candidate is assaulted, Axelrod and crew are programmed to whine how “divisive” the opposition is. Axelrod has criticized the “victim” tactics of Hillary Clinton while fully exploiting being a victim of some nebulous “divisiveness.” The attacks on and false rumors concerning the baby of Sarah Palin would have been identified as classic “Rove” maneuvers had they emanated from a Republican campaign. Just as the Left has created terms such as a “Rovian” campaign, expect to hear about a candidate having been “Axelrodded” in the future. More importantly, Axelrod appears now to be the “architect” of an entire snowing of the American people.
Axelrod’s never-ending refrain “McCain is a third Bush term” has been Obama’s “go to” attack. “More of the same” is so endlessly bantered, it most aptly describes itself. Almost every pitch from Obama and his surrogates includes the notion that we can not afford four more years of Bush-McCain, as if McCain ever supported Bush on the nation’s three of the most critical issues – energy independence, excess spending and early Iraqi War tactics. (Interestingly, Axelrod never mentions the one correct McCain-Bush association- that McCain pressured Bush to activate the successful "surge.")Rather, for all those on the Left who truly desire “Change,” McCain should be the clear candidate of choice. Obama is little more than a retread of much of what the Left so despised in Bush.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Bill Siegel lives in New York.
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