The More We Dither, The More Emboldened Our Opponents Become

James Carafano, PhD, Presidential Policy: Does It Make the Grade?

Part of the reason that the president’s popularity fell below fifty-percent for the first time could be that he had another troubled week on the foreign policy and national security fronts. Obama spent much of the week in Asia, but had little to show for his trip. Last week I complained that “free trade” seemed to have fallen off the White House agenda. Maybe, the president was listening. He did finish his jaunt admitting that increasing US trade with Asia was important. Unfortunately, the trip didn’t produce much of real substance. We’ll have to see how his commitment continues now that he is back at home and facing labor unions and Congressional factions hostile to the principles of free trade.

Not only was Asia far from a victory lap for the president, he was dogged the whole way by persistent questions of when he would make a decision on Afghanistan. The answer continues to be - not yet. Not only does this indecision make the president look weak and continue to put the mission and the lives of soldiers on the ground in jeopardy, it has provided fresh fuel to the fire of opposition to winning in Afghanistan back here at home. Senator Carl Levin, for example, quipped that if rich Americans want more troops in Afghanistan they should pay for them with higher taxes. Levin silly’s effort to promote class warfare was matched by a litany of impractical left-wing “alternative” Afghan strategies. Most want to cut back the US troops and adopt an “attacking al Qaeda from afar strategy,” a course of action that was tried and failed by President Clinton.

The longer Obama dithers the more emboldened opponents to winning will become.

To make matters worse it looks increasingly likely that when he makes a decision, Obama will only commit to fighting a half-measure war.

On the national security home front, the White House had a terrible week.

Attorney General Holder did a dreadful job explaining why it was a good idea to move 9/11 terrorists from Guantanamo Bay to a civilian trial in New York City. Former Attorney General Ed Meese called Holder’s decision a “tragic mistake.”

The White House tied itself in knots by refusing to acknowledge that the massacre at Fort Hood was a terrorist act and failing to cooperate with a legitimate investigative hearing organized by the Senate Homeland Security Committee.

Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano made a ridiculous argument for an “amnesty” bill for illegal aliens, claiming that the government now has enforcement of immigration and work place laws under control.

At home and abroad, the administration continued to send mixed signals over whether it takes the security, sovereignty, and prosperity of the nation seriously. Adding it all up, the White House grade for the week is “I” of incoherent.

FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., is a leading expert in defense affaires, intelligence, military operations and strategy, and homeland security at the Heritage Foundation.