Apr 13 2009
Far Right Is Now Officially “Around The Bend” – Updated
Update: Clearly someone in DC got their act together by calling in the experts – the Navy SEALS:
The operation to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips involved dozens of Navy SEALs, who parachuted from an aircraft into the scene near dark Saturday, landing in the ocean. The SEALs were part of a group of Special Operations forces involved in the effort, according to military officials.
Give credit where it is due. To authorize these forces was the right move, and they accomplished their mission quickly once on the scene. – end update
Listening this morning to talk radio was disappointing and brief (as I switched to music after listening to the far right go deeper into the fringes). The main thrust of today’s comments about the rescue of the hostage captain from the pirates was another indication the far right is completely lost. Some of the comments basically claimed Obama should have been clearer about his plans, supposedly so the critics would not make fools of themselves predicting failure. The other effort to deny the success of the outcome was some lame claims Obama did not give the actual order to shoot – which is actually a good thing. Team Obama authorized commanders on the scene to make the decisions, which is the right approach.
Hostage situations require patience. There comes a time where the criminals make a mistake and an opening presents itself. You have to let the people on the scene make the call. This is what happened and all the crew are now safe and celebrating.
The fact some in the conservative movement cannot recognize this as a success is a sign of how far around the bend they have gone. I and others could not tolerate the far left wishing ill will for Bush and not recognizing his achievements. I cannot fathom why anyone on the right would think those minimal standards do not extend to them as well.
Just another sign that the conservative talkers are out of sync and not up to the task of challenging the liberal forces at work in DC. If you cry “Wolf!” too many times and you are found wrong, then all credibility is lost. And credibility takes years to earn back.Â
It would be prudent for Obama critics to not be knee-jerk, the sky is falling about his every move. Team Obama did well in this case, and there is no reason to broadcast their moves in these types of situations. While Obama and our Navy succeeded, the far right has failed. Truly sad. It is not that hard to give credit where it is due. There will be plenty to criticize, we don’t need to make things up.
I have to agree with your assessment. I believe that the President did what he had to do to try to save the captain of this ship all the while knowing that it might go horribly wrong. He made the decision to trust the military to do their job.
I have to admit, I thought for sure that the President would abdicate negotiations to the UN, I thought that he would act more like carter and shy away from engagement. I have to admit that I am surprised that he acutally put an american life above the pirates lives, knowing the Presidents penchant for loving all things UN.
Giving props where due. the President handled this very well and the Navy did the best job ever.
Whats going to happen in the future and what decisions are going to be made, only time will tell. I hope that the president will keep up the pressure on these pirates and not back down in view of the threats of escalating carnage.
see ya
cathy 🙂
Yeah, when you find yourself tempted to slam Obama no matter what, or secretly wishing that things will go bad so that Obama will look bad, it really is time to back off. Presumably we voted **against** Obama because we **didn’t** want things to get worse. The fact that the pirates lost and have paid for their piracy is a reason to sigh with relief, not nitpick the results.
I’m willing to credit Obama with letting the SEALs do their job — even if I do still think his overall foreign policy is incredibly feckless.
Cathymv and Aitch748,
Agreed. We can give kudos now and watch how he does in the future.
This is a success. However, at best it is a short-term success. Most of the decision making was done by the on-scene commander within standard ROEs. Obama merely stayed out of the way. Will that remain the case if Harold Koh is confirmed to the State Department post he has been nominated to?
Any long-term solution would probably have to involve a significant presence of amphibious forces – and Obama is already delaying the purchase of newer amphibious vessels in an initial round of cuts. What will the next round be (and there surely will be a next round)?
This success does not change a lot of the facts: He is, with the proposed cuts, shortchanging the troops to pay for billions in pork.
Remember, Pablo Escobar became a good drug lord in the first year of the Clinton Administration. It didn’t mean that Clinton was a success on the national-security front by a long shot.
Mr. Hutchison:
I absolutely despise this man, and think his election to be one of the most horrible mistakes our country has ever made.
But…
Obama merely stayed out of the way.
I WILL give him credit for THAT.
If he can retain that attitude in future events (tell the experts what he would like, and them leave them to get it done, without micro-managing, there may be faint hope for him yet.
(Very faint; I still have faith in his ability to come up with another Charlie Foxtrot before the month is out.
–
The way I understand it there pretty much was no plan. There was no organized rescue effort. They simply happened to spot the pirate with a gun aimed at the captain and had a clear shot at the other two at the same time and the Navy commander on the scene ordered the snipers to take a shot.
According to the Pentagon press conference it was simply an opportunity that presented itself. It wasn’t a planned rescue operation and the “firefight” consisted of apparently a total of three shots.
Give credit where it is due—to the US Navy and that’s it. Once again proving the value of the US military over the everchanging elected. I’ll put my fate in their hands over the whims of the unwashed masses anyday.
It seems that the far left is around the bend too. My thought, is that the far anything never represented more the the far anything. Just because they are on the MSM programs doesn’t mean that they represent me or you. Kos is smart to not say what he says on TV, and the Dems are smart to always get the “far right” to speak up as if they represented the mainstream Republican thought.
EXAMPLE OF FAR LEFT THOUGHT.
Far left Daily Kos blog could hold it in no longer.
Today they lashed out at hero Captain Phillips, via LGF:
The pirates’ modus operandi is that they hold the crew, ship, and cargo harmlessly until a lot of money is paid to them. Phillips “heroic” actions put his crew and himself at risk. If he’d done nothing except acquiesce to the pirates’ demands, there would have been no risk, just possible discomfort until the extortion money was paid. Instead he put himself and the Seals at grave risk.
I applaud the crew, the Seals, and the military chain of command for their actions. I think Phillips was in error–if not a grandstander, then greatly misguided. Does anyone know what Maersk’s orders to Phillips and the other Maersk masters are in a piracy matter? Probably to do nothing to incite trouble and to notify the shipowner and the U.S. Navy. The captain works for the shipowner and must follow those orders. The master who fails to follow the shipowner’s orders is guilty of the crime of barratry if a financial injury to the shipowner results.
Kathie,
Agreed. The fringes are called the fringes for a reason. Kos is a blithering idiot. He proposes we succumb instead of eradicate.
But screw ups by the left don’t legitimize screw ups from the right, IMHO.
KauaiBoy,
No one is taking anything away from our military by giving kudos to their CinC.
AJ, I’m not saying one justifies the other, just that they both exist. Usually one is heard louder then the other, like a political strategy to pretend that the crazies are only onesided, which clearly they are not. All the dems of any note went to the KOS convention, so it seems that they think KOS has a big voice and I think he gives talking points to MSM. But seldomly do you hear KOS quoted except on Air America, which few listen to if you believe their ratings.
It hurts more when the crazies come out on the right (I didn’t say far right), because in the main I want the right to succeed, as in my humble opinion they have a better governing philosophy.
Kathie,
You are expressing my feelings exactly!
Found this at HotAir
For you AJ
Video: Did Betty Brown ask Asian-Americans to change their names?
posted at 12:18 pm on April 13, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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I’ve seen this floating around the blogosphere for a few days, and on the surface, it seems indefensible. Rep. Betty Brown allegedly told a witness at a Congressional hearing that Asian-Americans should change their names to make it easier for Americans to deal with them. Outrageous, yes? Well, it would be if that was what Brown actually said — but her words got taken out of context from a conversation about transliteration. In fact, she explicitly explained in the question that she didn’t want anyone to change their name (via Michelle):
Compare and contrast……
President Obama authorizes force if the Captain’s life is at risk. Three terrorists got killed to save the life of one Captain.
President Bush authorizes force (waterboarding) if KSM and two other terrorists will not talk to save American’s lives from another 911. All three lived to fight another day in court.
kathie:
The first was a rescue operation. The three terrorists were armed men holding a captive at gunpoint.
The second was torture. The three terrorists were unarmed, helpless captives in our custody.
And you’re going to “compare” them because they both involve “force”?
Wow. Seriously – what is wrong with you?
guy,
The difference is the waterboarding (which is lame to call torture) stopped hundreds of deaths.
Each had weapons trained on our people.
You’re too cavalier with other American’s lives. If, sadly, the next attack takes someone close to you maybe it will become clear.
Hope you never have to learn that lesson.
AJ
Methinks you give the CinC way too much credit. Nor did I imply that you were taking anything from the military (methinks meknows you better). Other than staying out of the way, I am sure he added nothing to the discussion. If he had done nothing he would only prove his limited usefulness and really gin up the other side. I’m not looking to make friends with the socialists but applaud your ability to maintain hope.
And while I don’t want our nation or its resolve to ever be tested again, this wasn’t much of a real test. 4 Kaatheads with AK47s is no match for one well trained SEAL let alone a squad. And sending that shrill squaw Hillary to deal with over–testasteroned thugs like L’il Kim and Imamadman isn’t giving me much hope that this guy knows how to lead.
Kathie:
Usually one is heard louder then the other, like a political strategy to pretend that the crazies are only onesided, which clearly they are not.
When you’ve got a screeching left leaning formerly MSM always telling us how bad the ‘far right’ is and how great the ‘far left’ is creates the impression that all the crazies are on one side, If you don’t think there are crazies on both sides, read GuyFawkes above.
I agree as well. Give credit where it’s due. I honestly did not believe President Obama would decide to authorize military force. I believed he would have kept on pushing for negotiations, or pay a ransom. That was my fear more than anything.
Could the rescue operation been carried out sooner? Of course. But I think it’s wrong for us to be obsessed with trying to find any fault with Obama’s handling and suggest that he waited until life was at risk. If we can’t give Obama credit when he does something right, we’re no better than the far left was during Bush’s tenure.
So kudos to Obama. He did not melt away and offer a ransom as I feared he would. He does have a backbone. And a job well done as always, to the U.S. military. And to Captain Phillips, a true hero, a leader that should be raised up as an example.
I hope the White House is aware of the wars we fought with the Barbary pirates two centuries ago. The only way we can stop this scourge is by not succumbing to “peace at any cost” and standing up for our maritime rights and citizens.
AJ: All I read is spin, spin, spin, and more spin. Disgraceful.
I think you credit Barry too much in this incident. I would give him more credit for being a quick study or a desperate study than anything else.
His first instincts were awful. Housing? Just arrest Barney Frank. Having a talk with HRC at the jungle gym. Just issue a standard, we will use any means necessary to ensure the safe return of the hostage. But no, just spin, spin, spin.
This is America. the strength of the American military is the freedom of junior officers to make command decisions at the scene without delay.
The normal ROE would have covered snipers, rescue attempts, and any other engagements the commander of the Bainbridge deemed necessary. I suspect that the first order President Obama gave was to restrict the normal ROE. I’m sure the Navy impressed upon the CinC the necessity of restoring the normal ROE. Someone smart in the WH finally saw the virtue of such a course. It must have been that teleprompter.
So if any credit is deserved by the CinC, it is allowing the military to take any action it deemed necssary under the normal ROE, something the previous administration would have done without hesitation. To put it another way President Obama finally decided to act like President George W. Bush. That should drive the fringe left nuts. This won’t hurt the far right fringe. The issue for Republicans is immigration. Has been since 2005 and will be until the GOP resolves that it will not lose the Hispanic vote anymore.
An afterthought, how about some credit to the FBI for keeping the hostage alive while the WH dithered.