Apparently President Obama met with 20 of his closest advisors and agency heads and had a real old fashioned trip to the wood shed with them. According to the Huffington Post:

President Barack Obama scolded 20 of his highest-level officials on Tuesday over the botched Christmas Day terror attack on an airliner bound for Detroit, taking them jointly to task for “a screw-up that could have been disastrous” and should have been avoided.

After that 90-minute private reckoning around a table in the super-secure White House Situation Room, a grim-faced Obama informed Americans that the government had enough information to thwart the attack ahead of time but that the intelligence community, though trained to do so, did not “connect those dots.”

 

Once again,the talking heads buzzed about what he said and what he didn’t say. Oddly enough, some old enemies gave him higher marks.

Is the president doing as much as you expect to combat terror? Is the increased security at airports going to help combat terrorism or is it ‘chasing the news?’ Will increased sky marshalls help fight terrorism? How about the closer inspection of those whose flight originates in certain countries?  Will any US officials be fired?

More importantly, how do you feel those who would do us harm see the resolve of the United States, as evidenced by our President? 

Full story in the Washington Post

17 Thoughts to “A Stern President Obama Addresses the Nation on Terrorism”

  1. hello

    does anyone really believe what Obama says anymore?

  2. Many people do.

    What part of this speech do you not believe?

  3. Slowpoke Rodriguez

    Well, he got the “screw-up” part right, that’s for sure. I’ll give y’all a hint on how to spot the bullshit in an Obama speech. Look for the words “Let me be clear”. Anytime you hear “Let me be clear” that is Obama-speak for “here comes a whopper of a lie”.

  4. hello

    Don’t forget one of his other go-to statements… “and let me say it again…”. What part didn’t I believe? I believe all of it other than when his lips were moving.

    Exhibit A, a montage of him lying to the American public 8 times on just one single issue: http://www.breitbart.tv/the-c-span-lie-did-obama-really-promise-televised-healthcare-negotiations/

  5. So all presidents since 1988 have been liars if I am to believe their critics?

  6. hello

    Not all presidents since 1988 have boasted to be ‘the most ethical ever’.

    You know how you always come down on politicians who cheat on their wives (as do I) but you come down especially hard on Republicans because they claim ‘family values’? Same thing here, most presidential candidates say things on the campaign trail that they never intend on doing. However, the difference is the volume of lies Obama made while at the same time claiming he was going to have the ‘most ethical administration’. Last time I looked lying wasn’t all that ethical… buy apparently you don’t agree.

  7. hello

    Also, Obama is the only president that I know of that held a press conference to announce the “Honest Leadership and Open Government Act”: http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=250503&

  8. hello

    What’s honest or open about how health care is being passed? Even according to one of your favorite sites the Huffingtonpost Obama “pushed congressional leaders to fast-track health care legislation behind closed doors despite his campaign promises of an open process.” and to “bypass usual negotiations”

    http://democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=250503&

  9. Wolverine

    In my humble opinion, Obama said the right things, although I still disagree with him majorly on the Gitmo issue. Perhaps even more important than his words, however, was the impression that he himself is now the principal go-to guy and that he was peering over everyone’s shoulder and carrying a big ruler to swat errant hands. He proclaimed himself as being “involved.” But, he has to follow through on that, not just on the items he ticked off for action. No more handing the ball off to Brennan or Napolitano or Panetta or Holder or anyone else and stepping back to watch the play develop. He is the ball carrier. In this conflict, I think that is what is needed precisely. If the results are good and Americans begin once again to feel a bit safer, the political criticism will stop at the water’s edge — as it should.

  10. I don’t agree with Gitmo either but there are arguments that are valid. (if that makes sense).

  11. hello

    He always tends to ‘say’ the right things Wolverine, actually doing them… not so much.

  12. So who are you going to run to replace him in 2o12? Palin?

  13. hello

    LOL… no. I don’t think a good cadidate has stepped up to the plate yet. I’m getting pretty sick of all Dems and Repubs. However, there is still time, Carter gave us Regan, Carter part II (Obama) will hopefully give us someone like Regan.

  14. Until Obama and Co. can admit that we are at war with “radical” Islamists and that these “incidents” are not “isolated extremists,” nothing we do will work. If one cannot define the enemy, one cannot defeat said enemy. There is no centralized command structure of Islamic terrorism. Recent TSA actions will not make flying safer. Political correctness and an aversion to work in the TSA will kill us. While there may be thousands of “good” TSA agents, the mindset and agency policies, in general, appear to be useless. Every time I flew using my military ID, I was pulled aside for further screening. It did not happen when I used my license. Grandmothers, children, 87 year old Medal of Honor holders, and other terror suspects have been pulled aside. One must stay seated, without books, laptops, pillows, or blankets in their laps during the final hour of flight now. Hmmmm, the panty bomber didn’t get up. The Shoe Bomber didn’t have anything in his lap. I’ve seen a man in flip flops be forced to take off his sandals and his bare feet were wanded.

    This is all Security Theater to make is seem safer so as to not cripple air travel. If we were serious, we would use the same techniques the Israelis use and look for terrorists, not weapons. They have not had an “incident” in 30+ years.

    Oh, and Palin couldn’t be worse than the current office holder. We’ll see if she runs and wins the primaries.

  15. Cargo, I think the Underpants bomber spent some time in the bathroom but that is neither here nor there really. I think we are chasing the news.

    Palin would be one of my worst nightmares for a president or vice president. The firepower just isn’t there, in my opinion. But, that is no surprise to anyone. I have said since I first learned of her that she is simply too conservative for me and there are too many party line sound bites. I don’t see the substance.

    On the other hand, I don’t doubt that she is a decent person. She is attractive and seems to be likeable. I can attack her politics without attacking her as a person.

  16. Apparently the PantyBomber covered himself with a blanket, complaining about a stomach ache…..that’s why there is that new, idiotic rule about laptops, books, etc.

    As per Palin, its really too far in the future to worry about her as a candidate. Lets get through 2010 first.

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