by Tina Grazier
Barack Obama’s style reminds me of Billy Flynn, the “razzle dazzle ’em” lawyer from the 2002 hit movie, “Chicago”. Billy Flynn is a high profile lawyer known for using the right song and dance to dazzle the court to make sure his guilty clients get away with murder. ** Billy dazzles:
Roxie, you got nothing to worry about. It’s all a circus, kid. A three ring circus. These trials- the wholeworld- all show business. But kid, you’re working with a star, the biggest! *** (singing) Give it the old razzle dazzle…Razzle Dazzle ’em…Give ’em an act with lots of flash in it…And the reaction will be passionate * Give ’em the old hocus pocus…Bead and feather ’em…How can they see with sequins in their eyes? (two three four) What if your hinges all are rusting?…What if, in fact, you’re just disgusting?…Razzle dazzle ’em…And they’ll never catch wise!
Obama dazzles! He works the room, transforming the crowd into a swooning frenzy, and then he tells them exactly what they’re longing to hear. He shuffles, he glides…working fast and loose, moving from issue to issue so there’s no chance to consider, complain, debate, or respond. The routine delivers a very exciting and entertaining act for his audience…but it’s lousy theater when the theme involves serious national security issues.
I feel for the president…I do. He’s an amateur actor who dazzled his way to the most powerful roll in the world…the job of President. He chose to do it at a time when America sorely needed a strong seasoned leader. He will live with the consequences of his decisions for his entire life. Like most young men without experience, he’s been floating on a cloud of high times, perhaps thinking it could go on like this forever. The inky black depths that are sure to follow in the second act will not be so heady. Critics are starting to turn in bad reviews…a lot of Democrats are not happy.
While campaigning Barack Obama made promises he could not possibly keep. He vowed to do things that might put our country, and other countries, in danger. He made promises that would later find him caught in an entangled national security mess. He played fast and loose with our security during rehearsals and now the curtain has been raised…it’s the big time. It’s time to get on with the show. on the show. This drama will unfold in The White House, the Halls of Congress, CIA headquarters, and of course, Guantanamo Bay Prison.
In just a little over 100 days the easy task of closing Gitmo has met up with reality. House Democrats have refused to fund the closing of Gitmo ($80 million) and European allies aren’t stepping forward to take prisoners…something Bush probably could have told him had he asked. He insists that trials will be held in America and then he backs down. The razzle dazzle man doesn’t have a plan…how could he, he never bothered to find out what he was up against.
Reality takes center stage in various headlines and reports:
* One day after taking the oath of office, the president issued a memo that read, “The government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears.” *** Last month, President Obama followed through by releasing the torture memos. His administration also said it would not oppose a judge’s order to release torture photos in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union. *** This week, however, the president flip-flopped. He will indeed try to block the release of the images by taking the case back to court. “The most direct consequence of releasing them, I believe, would be to further inflame anti-American opinion,” said the president, “and to put our troops in greater danger.” – Palm Beach Post *
* Top House Democrats raised tensions with the White House on a key foreign policy goal, rebuffing a request for funding to begin closing the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.President Barack Obama has sought $80 million… – WSJ *
*President Obama will restart military tribunals for some Guantanamo detainees, according to The Associated Press and other news organization, which are citing unnamed sources. Terror suspects are to have some new legal protections, they say. The Los Angeles Times reports that the administration will make the announcement tomorrow. The move breaks Obama’s campaign pledge – USA Today *
* Democrats’ Bill Would Bar Guantanamo Transfers to the United States” – LA Times *
* When the president decided to release classified memos outlining enhanced interrogation methods used by the CIA on al Qaeda suspects, he did so against the advice of five CIA directors, including his own. Clearly, he did not anticipate the firestorm this cavalier decision would ignite. The president was unprepared for demands from the far left for show trials on the memos and confused on whether government officials would or would not be prosecuted. The president also did not anticipate the reaction from Congress. Perhaps the most serious unanticipated ramification of the memos-release debacle is how it has devastated the morale of U.S. intelligence officers. – Washington Times *
The razzle dazzle president is suddenly dancing to a slightly more conservative tune leaving his dazzled friends feeling confused and disgruntled. Is he motivated by a sincere desire to honor the oath he took to defend this nation or is he just indulging in a little more razzle dazzle? Time will tell, but let’s hope he’s a man who can change to become a man of conviction when it comes to our national security.