At first I thought Bolton’s strong criticism of Obama’s competence and lack of a robust foreign policy was over the line. After all, Republicans used to shame the Democrats about their criticism of how the war was going, saying this only helped the enemy. Here’s the thing, though. I don’t think there was anything Bolton said that our foreign allies and adversaries haven’t already surmised from Obama’s actions. Obama discredited himself before Bolton could do that. So, sad to say, I think Bolton’s remarks are excusable. The one good thing I can point to that Obama has done is he has continued the effort to bring about a stable Afghanistan, but he has also weakened our ability to fight the war. I only hope the military succeeds despite these obstacles. It’s better than the alternative.

Bolton even criticized the Bush Admin. for good measure, and for a good reason. Since Bush’s second term, our government has consigned itself to the idea that Iran will get a nuclear weapon, and we won’t do a thing to stop it. It’s yet another symptom that we believe we can stop fighting the war, and the war will stop, because we are too afraid of the consequences of aggressive action. Bush had one thing right, though he didn’t apply it consistently: Weakness is provocative.

I don’t watch Glenn Beck often, but I think one thing he’s said lately is true: In the near future we’re going to have to make a choice between guns and butter. What I fear is that we’ll choose butter, because we often can’t see the world beyond our own backyard, and plunge ourselves and the rest of the world into darkness.

That’s what I thought back when he was elected. I thought it a fine thing that our country had elected its first black president, but I thought it a shame that we as a country didn’t think about electing someone who was wiser from having had governing experience. Obama and his Democratic supporters had made a calculated move (and this is documented). They WANTED someone with no background, and no record to speak of. That way no opposition research could touch him on votes he had made and issues he had supported. He was a blank slate–a mirage, if you will. That was the idea. It goes to show that we are capable of electing an empty suit. Scary. It reminds me of this scene from the movie “The American President”. I liked the movie even though I disagreed with the politics. The “President” in the movie makes a sly joke about presidents being “beloved who can’t find a coherent sentence with two hands and a flashlight.” That’s liberals for you, thinking that eloquence equals leadership. Nevertheless I thought this scene was a good commentary on the discernment of the electorate: We have trouble telling the real thing from a mirage sometimes.

http://c-span.org/Watch/Media/2010/02/20/HP/R/29841/CPAC+wraps+up+annual+meeting.aspx

you have to move the little time meter thingie to the 2 hour mark.

That is all.