Republicans Go Wobbly on Libya
The GOP is right to worry that Obama hasn't explained our aims in Libya. But backing Kucinich's Libya bill was the wrong way to express these concerns. Donald Rumsfeld famously said that a nation goes to war with the army it has, and not necessarily the army it wishes it had. Rumsfeld caught a …GOP's Debt Fight Strategy Backfires
Initially, many Republicans believed Obama would be blamed for any pain from not increasing the debt ceiling. That party's beginning to realize that was wishful thinking. A very strange thing happened this week—truth appeared in Washington, D.C. After President Obama met with House Republicans…A Great Moment in Punditry
One year ago to the day, writing in the American Spectator , pundit Peter Ferrara made a prediction that shouldn't be forgotten. Here's a great moment in punditry, published one year ago to the day, that should not be quietly forgotten. It's Peter Ferrara writing in the American Spectator , …Obama Falls for Abbas' Bluff
Holding the geopolitical equivalent of a pair of twos and a pair of threes, the Palestinian Authority President has bluffed and bullied Obama into an awkward predicament. Mahmoud Abbas must be a very good poker player. Or else Barack Obama must be a very bad one. Holding the geopolitical …Obama's Mideast Meddling
Obama is just the latest in a long list of U.S. presidents who’ve sought to broker peace in the Middle East, and failed. It’s an issue that never goes away – a problem that never gets solved. It is peace in the Middle East. Once again it is front and center, largely because U.S. President …Israel's Focus: Security Not Borders
If implemented, Obama's statement on borders would put the decisive power over Israel's self-defense into the hands of a new state incapable or unwilling to do the job. In his address to the Middle East, President Obama called for Israel's 1967 borders to provide the starting point for a negotiate…AIPAC Attendees Positive After Obama Address
After his address to the AIPAC conference, many attendees were grateful Obama clarified his remarks on the '67 borders, but still had many questions. After Obama’s address to the AIPAC policy conference Sunday, attendees generally thought the president left the building with more friends than …Obama Digs in on Israel's Borders
In his speech to AIPAC, Obama surrendered to his personal exasperation with Netanyahu, and escalated a fight he had every reason to de-escalate. That was a deeply unwise speech Obama just gave to AIPAC. The president did not ask himself the first question of political speechmaking: Why am I saying …Obama Sends a Tough Message to Abbas
Obama may have told the Palestinians they would receive territory equal to the pre-1967 borders, but he also made it clear that any security questions would be resolved in Israel's favor. Obama's messages to Abbas: 1) You should be talking to Israel, not UN 2) Your inclusion of Hamas in your …Obama's Hazy Mideast Policy Reboot
There was scarcely a line in Obama's speech for me to disagree with; but what's troubling is the vagueness about what America will actually do. JOIN THE LIVE CHAT VISIT WHITEHOUSE.GOV Eli Lake reminds us that this is the same president who as …Obama's Next Target: Corporate Tax Loopholes
The Obama administration is moving forward with corporate tax reform proposals and, although it’s too early to judge, many of them look pretty good at first blush. The Obama administration is moving forward with corporate tax reform proposals and, although it’s too early to judge, many of …Rep. Canseco: Obama AWOL on Texas Wildfires
The president is headed to Texas for two fundraisers, but Rep. Quico Canseco wishes he would spend his time helping the state fight its disastrous wildfires. President Obama speaks this afternoon on immigration reform in El Paso, Texas, followed by two DNC events in Austin. But while the president …Watch: Frum on "Real Time with Bill Maher"
On Friday's "Real Time with Bill Maher", I joined the panel to discuss Bin Laden's death and the reluctance of some Republicans to give Obama credit. On Friday, I joined Irshad Manji, Peter Bergen, Michael Eric Dyson and Jeremy Scahill on "Real Time with Bill Maher". We discussed last weekend's …Don't Censor Bin Laden's Photo
There’ve been so many versions of what went on when the SEALS invaded Osama bin Laden’s compound, that it’s important to settle the matter of his death. The question of the moment is whether photos of a dead Osama bin Laden should be released to the public? And the next question is, if they …Worst Week Ever for Birthers
The birther libel has taken a bad beating this week according to a new poll. The birther libel has taken a bad beating this week, according to a new Washington Post poll . The number of Americans saying President Obama was born in another country has been sliced in half, according to a new …Bin Laden Raid Is Obama's Victory
If bin Laden's assassination had gone badly, President Obama would have been blamed. That's why he gets the credit. The story goes that after the Bay of Pigs disaster, President Kennedy placed a call to CIA director Allen Dulles. Kennedy supposedly said: "If we lived in a parliamentary system, and …Can We Stop Questioning Obama's Legitimacy Now?
With bin Laden's death, here’s hoping we've seen the end of this ugly insinuation that there is something less than fully American about the black president with the exotic name. So much to say about the long-awaited visiting of justice upon Osama bin Laden. But there’s one effect on US …White House Crowd Cheers Bin Laden's Death
Shortly after reports that Osama bin Laden had been killed in an American raid, a crowd gathered by the White House to celebrate the news. The crowds in front of the White House kept growing as more and more people came down from Lafayette Square. At 11:30pm the crowd was maybe 300 people large, …