The news shows today are all warbling about how wrong it was that there were no US representatives in the line up of dignitaries leading the million person march against terrorism. Yes, it was noticeable. Kerry was in India. Holder was at a terrorism meeting in Paris. Obama didn’t go and biden was in Delaware. There were no senators or congress folks there.
Yes, it looked bad. Did we not get the memo? I can’t really think of a good reason why NO one from the USA went to stand tall with the other dignitaries from Europe and the middle east to sent the strong message that we don’t tolerate terrorism. The lack of an American delegation sent a really bad visual to the rest of the world.
Was the White House and Congress wrong not to send a delegation? Did we look weak, uncaring or scared in the eyes of the world?
WTF was our President doing yesterday? Why could he not be bothered.
This is, honestly, part and parcel of the sh**ty job he does as President. Just like the guy before him. Where was he? What was he doing? Why is it acceptable for him to not be properly engaged in world events?
I’ll bet even money he watched the football games yesterday, and sat around bitching about how hard it is to be President.
Like his predecessor, the job is well beyond him, he doesn’t take it seriously, and people keep making excuses for him. Each of them adapted an attitude in their second set of Presidential debates of “this job is hard, and if you want to give it to someone else, that’s okay with me”. My main point that I want to make is, they’re the same guy, the same incapable doofus who has coasted through life based on charm and arguable good looks, separated mainly by ideology.
Congress should have sent a delegation also. I am not letting any of them off the hook.
How does it make us look – decadent, as if we have an unengaged leader and we let him slide by.
Which is actually the case.
I am glad that Obama was not there. The US Ambassador was in attendance.
It is time for the rest of the world to stand up and take on the terrorists – we can no longer afford to be the leading force in both money and resources. Time for the world to take up the same battle in one front. If Obama was there it would appear that the other leaders were just following the US again, and he would have overshadowed others in attendance like Netanyahu and Abbas. They need to step up. It is not up to the US to finance every other countries security. Too much emphasis is put on the optics of the photo opportunity and not on the substance. I can imagine the same groups that are offended that he did not attend would also be critiquing his choice of clothing if he did attend.
Also, our secret service does not like the President attending ‘spontaneous’ events like this – they prefer a longer preparation and planning time for the President to attend an event and make sure he is safe. It is known that the sleeper cells in France were put on alert to stage more violence. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/01/10/europe/charlie-hebdo-paris-shooting/
“The lack of an American delegation sent a really bad visual to the rest of the world.” – I couldn’t agree more Moon. I was pretty shocked that NOBODY from the administration went to this. I can almost give President Obama a pass…. almost. But isn’t that what the Vice doofus Biden is for? Was he that busy in Delaware that he couldn’t be bothered or did they not send him out of fear that he would embarrass us with one of his ‘just Joe being Joe’ routines?
Either way, Kerry showed up there today… a day late and a dollar short which seems to be the status quo for this admin when it comes to the world stage. But like I always say, when Joe Biden is your admins foreign policy expert you can expect things like this.
I also agree with you Moon that Congress should have sent a delegation and your right, they should not be left off the hook either. But having said that, the onus is on the administration for things of this nature. I’m disappointed that no Congressional delegation went but I’m embarrassed not one person from the administration went.
Now excuse me while I look for a thermometer, I must be hallucinating or something. I think we just agreed on multiple points…
The president of France told Netanyahu not to come. But he INVITED Abbas, of FATAH.
Hell, Erick Holder was in Paris at the time! Why did he attend????? Very weird…
I don’t get that Cargo… Netanyahu is the leader of a country that suffers the most, and sustained terrorist attacks on planet earth. Why/how in the hell do you tell him NOT to come?
Ah, I found out why Obama didn’t go to this event… from the WP:
“Obama phoned Hollande, said at a speech in Tennessee that the United States stands with France and on Thursday visited the French Embassy in Washington, where he signed a book of condolences.”
That is the official White House reason as to why Obama did not go to France…. because he had already called Hollande, “signed a book of condolences” and said in a speech that the US “stands with France”. Okay, now I feel better (eye roll)…
@Jackson Bills
http://www.timesofisrael.com/report-claims-france-didnt-want-netanyahu-at-paris-march/
Hollande thought that the presence of the Israeli president would be “too divisive.” When Netanyahu announced he was coming anyway, Hollande invited Abbas even though Abbas routinely glorifies Muslim terrorism.
Hollande did show some class later by joining Netanyahu at a memorial later.
“But isn’t that what the Vice doofus Biden is for? Was he that busy in Delaware that he couldn’t be bothered ”
It’s the PRESIDENT’S job here. He had no other particular commitments. I assume he wanted to watch the football games and chill during the weekend. And so he did.
Not sure how you end up bashing Biden over this. It was other WORLD LEADERS who were there, not world Vice-Presidents.
Not really. He can’t go places like that on short notice. The security would be impossible.
@Jackson Bills
Check your pulse too while you are at it.
Any number of people could have gone who aren’t the president. I don’t think he should have gone. Logistical nightmare.
@Moon-howler
Man, had to lay down for a spell… because I agree with you yet again. The logistics of security and coms on such short notice would have been a nightmare (especially given that the Secret Service didn’t have ample time to scout out the best whore houses in the near vicinity) which is why I give the President somewhat of a pass. However, there were plenty of other high profile targets there…. soooooo, a pass yes, but only by the slimmest of margins.
Which is why I ask again…. Holder? He was IN PARIS AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT! Sorry, Attorney General Eric ‘we are a nation of cowards’ Holder… and he couldn’t make it, either he is a coward or his boss is a coward for not sending him. Take you pick.
Vice doofus Biden would have just been an embarrassment so I get why he didn’t go but Holder was there and didn’t attend. What other U.S. Administration official could have logistically made it to this? Apparently Kerry was tied up, Obama was watching football, Biden… well it’s Biden I’m mean really… but Holder? He was there, just a few hundred yards away from where this event took place.
Anyone want to take an over/under bet on how many of the French officials that Holder met with attended the event? I’m going to try to look that up but if ‘investigative journalism’ actually existed we would already have that answer.
How many times haven’t I heard about people on the right bitching about
Obama’s travel; about how much it costs and the number of people that are required
to precede and accompany him, not to mention the cost of transporting him and his limousine.
It’s not like he could say / OK, folks, I’ve decided to fly to Paris tomorrow to join the
march.
However, I DO agree that Holder should have shown up.
Doesn’t the Ambassador count for anything?
Eric Holder was right there in Paris. He is at the the top of the pyramid on our domestic counter-terrorism roster except for POTUS himself. His face is familiar in this internet world. He should have been named the special rep of POTUS for this event. In fact, he should have suggested that himself to Washington. No muss. No fuss. No sudden logistics nightmares for Embassy Paris and the Secret Service.
Beyond that, I suggest that the USA does not have to take a backseat to anyone in our national dedication to fighting terrorism. We have been in the field a long time — long before 9/11 even. I reject the suggestion that missing this one event makes us look like we aren’t serious and empathetic. 17 people died in France. At the same time, an estimated 2000 were killed by Boko Haram in Northeast Nigeria. Many people tried to swim for an island in Lake Tchad to save themselves and drowned in the effort. Where is their parade? Time to get back to work right here. We are the ultimate target.
@Wolve
I don’t really care if the President went. I didn’t expect him to nor would I expect him to suddenly become an anti-terrorist fanatic if he did. It would have been more posturing. At least this time, his lack of concern is honest and obvious.
This is the cause du jour. Where was this outrage when Islamists killed 2000 in Africa, or hundreds in Pakistan, or any number of other civilian targets? Why is THIS what outrages the media?
We know why. Because some of THEIR people died.
The march in Paris was wonderful. Marches are great. Now…what will they DO with that energy?
Will we finally recognize the evil that causes this? I doubt it. By the next day, the parts of the press were blaming the magazine for provocation. Others refused to show the cartoons. Others refused to actually blame fundamentalist Islamists.
As you and I both know, until one can define the enemy, NOTHING serious will be done.
If 9/11 didn’t wake up the western world, why should this?
I am not actually sure what your point is. Who is “they”, “their”?
It must be sad to be so ….absolute and unaccepting of other points of view.
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t blame fundamentalist Islamists. I think where we might part in our thinking is blaming Muslims.
You know, if you know there are rattle snakes and copperheads in a particularly warm, sunny field, you don’t go walking in that field in your bare feet and with exposed legs.
I thought seriously about putting up cartoons here. Nah…I am not going to poke a stick in the eye of a bear, as far fetched as I think it sounds. What’s the point and what are the possible consequences. I would have to have a far greater need other than something to fill a blog spot to expose Elena, her family, me and my family to the potential risk.
You might think that is being a coward. I think it is doing risk assessment and living to fight another day. I think it is prudent.
@punchak
Oh please… Not only me but most of the ‘right’ commenters here have agreed with your sentiment about President Obamas absense but your so blind to see it.
What about king doofus Biden? What about Holder who WAS THERE? Take off your obviously ideological glasses and pause, just for a minute, where was ANY member of this administration?
I agree with those who have suggested that the President should have sent our racist-in-chief, the Rev Al, who is for all intents and purposes is a member of the Administration. He could have stood against violence, the killing of innocents, support the police and security tactics, morned the death of the police officers, the killing of christians and even oppose the killing of Americans. And the beuty of it is that there would have been TV cameras there to get Als pictures.
Meh. So the President didn’t go. The VP didn’t go. Just the ambassador to France. I’m no Obama fan, and have plenty to disagree with this administration.
But to bash him for not attending a completely symbolic unity rally? Meh.
How does a rally make the French safer? It doesn’t, anymore than our post 9/11 rallies made us safer. What makes the civilized world safer, is identifying and eliminating terrorists.
Were I the Obama Whitehouse spokesman (wouldn’t that be a trip) I would have responded to the various press questions as follows:
“While the highest-ranking member of the administration to attend this unity march was our US Ambassador to France, that is his job, after all. The President, as CinC and leader of the free world, is focusing on combatting the threat of terrorism, including that inspired by radical Islam. In pursuit of this objective, the President has been consulting with other high-ranking officials, who were also needed here, rather than at a unity rally. They were exploring the many ways we can really combat terror, such as cutting off their funding, imposing sanctions on nations that provide funding and support, developing actionable intelligence on their plans, locations, and organizations, with the ultimate objective of having Seal Team 6 or a hellfire missile deliver our response, and communicate our resolve. Or, he could have gone to a unity rally, and had some photos taken, shook some hands, and delivered a speech. That would do the trick. Next question…”
Now this is what gets me VERY angry. Obama didn’t attend the Thomas Eric Duncan memorial service either. He also failed to mourn with the families of the 2,000+- victims of the Boko Haram market attack last week. It’s been almost 9 months, and Obama has never visited Chibok. And the parents of the normalistas cried with no American shoulder to cry on. And in Peshawar the children just returned to school, and Obama was absent from that grand reopening. Last September people remembered the one year anniversary of the Westgate Shopping Mall attack where 67 were killed. Obama was absent. And no one complained. In fact, no one gives a [gratuitous profanity deleted by moderator].
But when a handful of white people get killed, people get upset that Obama doesn’t pay homage to the victims. In the words of Rihanna, “[gratuitous profanity deleted by moderator] YOU!!!!”
I am not moderating El Guapo. That is self moderation. I am fairly easy on profanity as long as it isn’t used at each other and as long as it doesn’t involve my 2 unfavorite words in the English language that slap people in moderation.
The U.S. has done more to fight terrorism than any other country. So the President didn’t show up, link arms and chant “Je suis Charlie.” BFD. Any Eurocritics need to step up and tell us how many more terrorists they have killed or captured than the U.S. first, and maybe even stop bleating about George Bush’s “war crimes.” It’s as if they’ve just discovered last week that terrorists are dangerous to white people.
Did anyone notice what Obama WAS doing?
He met the NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs on Monday. That was something not to be missed. That was more of a priority.
To me, he abrogated responsibility, failed to lead. The issue of encouraging the nations of the world not to cow to terrorism should be near and dear to his heart.
I would bet even money that on Sunday, he was watching the NFL games.
So what! Why do we care what he was doing? This idea that life has to be over here when something happens in another part of the world amazes me. What good does that do? It’s hypocritical.
@Emma
Exactly.
If 9/11 didn’t wake up the western world….then why should this?
Someone should have been there. Biden or Kerry would have sufficed. Sheer klutziness on the part of the President’s staff.
I found it interesting that an Orthodox Israeli newspaper ran the photo of the first rank in the march but edited out all the women leaders. The medieval is still with us in so many ways.
I found that horribly offensive also Scout, not just interesting. While we paint all sorts of pictures of radicalized Muslims, there are also others out there with medieval ways. Of course, everything is justified as part of “their religion.” The peeping Tom rabbi comes to mind as do all the Father Perverts, preying on children. Oh and not to leave out protestants, how about Branch Davidians and Fundamentalist Mormons trying to “wed” (read BED) 12 year olds.
Now I have pissed them all off. I suppose I will be a marked woman today. Just to help them find me, I am headed out to Sweetwater in Centerville in a while to meet up with my BFFs.
By the way…..
The photo at the top….where the leaders supposedly marched?
FAKE. They were NOT at any march.
http://www.theospark.net/2015/01/the-last-march-of-hypocrites-but-wheres.html