Years ago Art Linkletter wrote a best selling book entitled “Kids Say The Darndest Things”. I’ve thought about that this week, except that I am tweaking his title for my column this week to read that “Politicians Say The Dumbest Things”.
Let’s start at the top of the chain. The president made a statement this week that those men and women who are recruited for ISIS are “disaffected individuals”. Disaffected? The word means someone who is resentful of authority, dissatisfied with their government.
When taken in the context of the rest of the president’s speech that day, I see why it is so easy for him to dismiss them. He does not see them as evil butchers of fellow human beings, but just as resentful people who will eventually grow up and settle down and we just need to give them time to sow their wild oats, so to speak. Maybe help them out financially to bolster their self esteem.
Speaking to more reporters on Thursday the President said “The idea that somehow (Syrian refugees) pose a more significant threat than all the tourists who pour into the U.S. every single day just doesn’t jive with reality.” He went on to say “So my expectation is after the initial spasm of rhetoric, the people will settle down, take a look at the facts, and we’ll be able to proceed.”
There is that phrase “people will settle down” again. This president is living in fantasy land, or is in complete denial, or even worse. I really wouldn’t care what he thinks if it were not that my safety and the safety of my grandchildren, and your safety, depends on his decisions.
Obama said on the morning of the very day of the terrorist attack on Paris that the Islamic State was not getting stronger and that they were “contained”. I think your bucket had a hole in it, Mr. President. Obviously ISIS was not contained.
A couple of days after the attack he said this, “"What I'm not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership or America winning”, adding “I’m too busy for that.”
Too busy? For what? Vacationing? Playing golf? Seems like you are never too busy for that stuff. But you are too busy to protect us, and our country and our way of life, because that protection only comes through American leadership and America winning.
Only 72 hours after the horrific attack in Paris while candles and flowers were piling up on the streets outside the concert hall where bloody bodies had fallen, and while the dead were still being identified and autopsied, there was no sign of grief in the White House. In the East Room Michelle Obama was dancing the night away, doing the Conga, in a room filled with Hollywood and Broadway stars, including Whoopi Goldberg of “Hitler was a Christian” fame.
I know this is no big thing but somehow it just doesn’t seem right that with so many families grieving over the loss of life, including the parents and friends of a young American woman, our First Lady chose to party at the White House. Nobody would expect her to be dressed in sack cloth and ashes, but a little decorum wouldn’t have hurt.
Years ago Art Linkletter wrote a best selling book entitled “Kids Say The Darndest Things”. I’ve thought about that this week, except that I am tweaking his title for my column this week to read that “Politicians Say The Dumbest Things”.
Let’s start at the top of the chain. The president made a statement this week that those men and women who are recruited for ISIS are “disaffected individuals”. Disaffected? The word means someone who is resentful of authority, dissatisfied with their government.
When taken in the context of the rest of the president’s speech that day, I see why it is so easy for him to dismiss them. He does not see them as evil butchers of fellow human beings, but just as resentful people who will eventually grow up and settle down and we just need to give them time to sow their wild oats, so to speak. Maybe help them out financially to bolster their self esteem.
Speaking to more reporters on Thursday the President said “The idea that somehow (Syrian refugees) pose a more significant threat than all the tourists who pour into the U.S. every single day just doesn’t jive with reality.” He went on to say “So my expectation is after the initial spasm of rhetoric, the people will settle down, take a look at the facts, and we’ll be able to proceed.”
There is that phrase “people will settle down” again. This president is living in fantasy land, or is in complete denial, or even worse. I really wouldn’t care what he thinks if it were not that my safety and the safety of my grandchildren, and your safety, depends on his decisions.
Obama said on the morning of the very day of the terrorist attack on Paris that the Islamic State was not getting stronger and that they were “contained”. I think your bucket had a hole in it, Mr. President. Obviously ISIS was not contained.
A couple of days after the attack he said this, “"What I'm not interested in doing is posing or pursuing some notion of American leadership or America winning”, adding “I’m too busy for that.”
Too busy? For what? Vacationing? Playing golf? Seems like you are never too busy for that stuff. But you are too busy to protect us, and our country and our way of life, because that protection only comes through American leadership and America winning.
Only 72 hours after the horrific attack in Paris while candles and flowers were piling up on the streets outside the concert hall where bloody bodies had fallen, and while the dead were still being identified and autopsied, there was no sign of grief in the White House. In the East Room Michelle Obama was dancing the night away, doing the Conga, in a room filled with Hollywood and Broadway stars, including Whoopi Goldberg of “Hitler was a Christian” fame.
I know this is no big thing but somehow it just doesn’t seem right that with so many families grieving over the loss of life, including the parents and friends of a young American woman, our First Lady chose to party at the White House. Nobody would expect her to be dressed in sack cloth and ashes, but a little decorum wouldn’t have hurt.
Then there was Secretary of State, John Kerry, (or Lurch as those of us with happy memories of watching the Addams family like to call him) who made the statement this week that he could understand that there was a certain rationale, or legitimacy, in what the terrorists did at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in January - that he could understand that they were upset with the cartoonists. But what about the five who were killed a few days later who had nothing to do with the cartoons?
Does Kerry honestly believe that he can justify those kinds of murderous attacks by saying if you can come up with some reasonable explanation, then it is OK? But again, we are talking about the mindset of this administration which appears to be delusional.
You may remember what I wrote in a column last December where Hillary, speaking at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. referred to the approach she uses to deal with all these issues which she calls “smart power”. She said this included “leaving no one on the sidelines, showing respect even for one’s enemies, trying to understand and insofar as psychologically possible, empathize with their perspective and point of view.”
Empathize. There’s another word for you. It means to share the same feelings as another person, the vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. Really? I can’t even bear to watch the horrible events on television such as the Paris shootings. Why would I even want to experience vicariously the feelings, thoughts and attitudes of those who committed these crimes? Can you imagine someone with this kind of mentality serving as our Commander-In-Chief?
Then there was the profound theological discussion which took place on “The View” this week. I don’t watch this, but my Facebook friends always make sure I’m aware of the fatal flaws of the feminine fecklessness displayed there. Whoopi Goldberg made the solemn pronouncement that some Christians are “monsters” and she used Hitler as an example. Hitler, she said, was a Christian because he hated Catholics.
My favorite “I can’t believe she said that” story concerns Hillary. In the most recent batch of her emails released this month, Judicial Watch found one from Huma Abedin, Hillary’s “connected at the hip” confidante, close aide and clothing advisor, wherein Huma sent an email to another Clinton aide asking her if she had reminded Hillary of a certain appointment the next morning. The other aide replied that Hillary was in bed for a nap at the time but she would remind her later. Abedin wrote back: “Very important to do that. She’s often confused.”
Hillary Clinton is often confused? Imagine that.
Then there was Secretary of State, John Kerry, (or Lurch as those of us with happy memories of watching the Addams family like to call him) who made the statement this week that he could understand that there was a certain rationale, or legitimacy, in what the terrorists did at the offices of Charlie Hebdo in January - that he could understand that they were upset with the cartoonists. But what about the five who were killed a few days later who had nothing to do with the cartoons?
Does Kerry honestly believe that he can justify those kinds of murderous attacks by saying if you can come up with some reasonable explanation, then it is OK? But again, we are talking about the mindset of this administration which appears to be delusional.
You may remember what I wrote in a column last December where Hillary, speaking at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. referred to the approach she uses to deal with all these issues which she calls “smart power”. She said this included “leaving no one on the sidelines, showing respect even for one’s enemies, trying to understand and insofar as psychologically possible, empathize with their perspective and point of view.”
Empathize. There’s another word for you. It means to share the same feelings as another person, the vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another. Really? I can’t even bear to watch the horrible events on television such as the Paris shootings. Why would I even want to experience vicariously the feelings, thoughts and attitudes of those who committed these crimes? Can you imagine someone with this kind of mentality serving as our Commander-In-Chief?
Then there was the profound theological discussion which took place on “The View” this week. I don’t watch this, but my Facebook friends always make sure I’m aware of the fatal flaws of the feminine fecklessness displayed there. Whoopi Goldberg made the solemn pronouncement that some Christians are “monsters” and she used Hitler as an example. Hitler, she said, was a Christian because he hated Catholics.
My favorite “I can’t believe she said that” story concerns Hillary. In the most recent batch of her emails released this month, Judicial Watch found one from Huma Abedin, Hillary’s “connected at the hip” confidante, close aide and clothing advisor, wherein Huma sent an email to another Clinton aide asking her if she had reminded Hillary of a certain appointment the next morning. The other aide replied that Hillary was in bed for a nap at the time but she would remind her later. Abedin wrote back: “Very important to do that. She’s often confused.”
Hillary Clinton is often confused? Imagine that.
Comments