Voting “Present” on Afghanistan?
Today the Patriot Flag I am flying is the Fort Moultrie Flag. The President is voting “Present” rather than making a tough decision on Afghanistan.
"Present"
Once again, the President, by his avoidance of making a decision on Afghanistan and with his indecision is silently voting “Present” just as he did for years in Illinois … “being there” but not “committing to a vote.” “Present” means “Maybe” in political code. In this case, rather than “study” the problem so he makes the right decision quickly, once again he is in “flight” from being a leader and off on another quest to seek self-adulation.
Cartoon by Gary Varvel
NBC News Chicago President Obama will travel to Copenhagen to make a pitch for Chicago’s Olympic bid, White House officials have confirmed to NBC News. Obama will leave for Denmark Thursday night, hours after his wife Michelle departs for the vote. The president made the final decision Saturday night after returning from the G20 summit in Pittsburgh. The announcement ends months of speculation of whether the president would lend his considerable fame to the pitch. The president has dropped hints all month long that he may attend the event.
During his campaign, he said (over and over and over) that we were focused on the “wrong” war in Iraq and that it was a “dangerous distraction” from the real war in Afghanistan. His new policy back in March stated an 18 month plan for succeeding in Iraq. Last week he stated that the security of the United States depends upon our success in Afghanistan. And now he is stating the he doesn’t care for the word “victory” and that he must make a decision whether or not to send more troops and support to Afghanistan. While flitting around NYC playing basketball and schmoozing on the David Letterman show, he said we must take our time, study the reports, and make the “right decision” on Afghanistan. What we are finding is that this President is good at making speeches, not decisions.
In the end, Mr. Obama chose neither to vote for nor against the bill. He voted “present,” effectively sidestepping the issue, an option he invoked nearly 130 times as a state senator.
Use the Oval Office, Make a Decision! Why can’t this man sit down in the Oval Office, study the reports and make a decision either to support the troops in Afghanistan or to get out? The reason may have been stated very clearly by a “caller” on the John Gibson radio show.
“This man is not a leader, he is an actor. He has never led in his life and we shouldn’t expect that of an actor anyway. He’s good at reading lines, but not good at making decisions.”
Troops are "on hold?" (By Gary Varvel)
For the Olympics? And now, instead of making a decision, he’s flying off to Copenhagen to try and convince them the Olympics should be held in Chicago. (As I recall another President involved the Olympics in his presidential foreign policy and it had a great deal to do with his landslide defeat to a Conservative in the next election). Amazing the similarities of this President and that one.
Troops are dying, now ask them “why?” We have troops giving their lives for their country in Afghanistan as I write these words. The President, who must “study” the problem for 5-6 weeks, instead of studying it, is once again taking flight from decision-making. (This is not the first time I’ve written this subject … see “Get to Work, Please!“
What is more important?
(A) Going to Copenhagen to discuss The Olympic Games
(B) Going to the Oval Office and making a Decision on Afghanistan.
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But what we get instead of a Presidential Decision is a flight from responsibility, a silent vote of “Present!” … and our troops continue to die in Afghanistan. In the past, our troops knew why they were risking their lives, now what reason would they have?
