Obama Phones It In

September 26, 2012 - 3:39 AM

During President Barack Obama's whirlwind visit to New York City, he delivered a speech to the United Nations.

In that speech Obama said, "The attacks on our civilians in Benghazi were attacks on America."

To keep close tabs on our response to those "attacks on America," Obama played footsie with the gals on The View. And attended a reception. And Tweeted about the nature of the global issue of replacement refs in the NFL. And, for all I know, took a turn as the Naked Cowboy in Times Square.

This is from that well-known right-wing mouthpiece, Time Magazine: He arrived in Manhattan on a glorious autumn afternoon and rushed to his first - and only - public event of the day: a taping of ABC's The View with his wife, Michelle.

Obama did find time to slip in his U.N. speech during which he also said:

"We were inspired by the Tunisian protests that toppled a dictator …"

"We insisted on change in Egypt …"

"We supported a transition of leadership in Yemen …"

"We intervened in Libya alongside a broad coalition …"

"We, again, declare that the regime of Bashar al-Assad must come to an end …"

Is it just me, or did Barack Obama sound like he was channeling George W. Bush?

Obama wagged his finger in the face of the Iranian delegation and warned them about their program to build nuclear weapons saying, "There is still time and space to [resolve this]. But that time is not unlimited."

He said the U.S. "will do what we must" to prevent Iran from getting a nuke, but late reporting gave no guidance on what that might involve.

Dear Mr. Mullings:

Stop it.

Stop what?

Stop pretending you're outraged at Obama's United Nations speech.

I, er, am …

Ok. I had no more emotional reaction to watching Obama's speech than Obama had giving that speech.

We were both phoning it in.

First of all, just having a pretend election does not a democracy make.

The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt didn't just send NGOs helping to establish democratic institutions out of the country; it raided their offices, stole their money, and have sicced Interpol on some of the Americans who left the country effectively making them the equivalent of international arms dealers.

Yeah, Barack. That's working.

After the attack on the Consulate in Benghazi, the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli did nothing to keep potentially sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands.

"Information," here, being defined as Ambassador Chris Stevens' diary. The "wrong hands," here, being defined as a CNN reporter.

Yeah, Barack. That worked.

We were wrong in attacking Obama for having dissed Benjamin Netanyahu and refusing to have a one-on-one meeting while they were in New York - or in Washington.

Obama didn't have a one-on-one (called a "bi-lat," short for bi-lateral) meeting with any foreign leader.

All those who believe Barack Obama hates doing the job of President but loves being President, raise hands.

Oh. Everyone.

At a concert in Washington, DC this week that noted expert in international political philosophy, Madonna, said: "For better or for worse, all right, we have a black Muslim in the White House, okay?"

That reminded me of one of my favorite Galen-isms: No matter how good your cause, there is always someone who agrees with you that you wish didn't.

Raise hands if you believe that if Clint Eastwood had said to the empty chair in Tampa "You are a Black Muslim" you think it might have created more of a sensation than a half-naked singer in Washington, DC saying the same thing.

All those who believe Barack Obama hates doing the job of president but loves being president, raise hands...

Oh. Everyone.

Finally, in New York, there was much ado about the spat between Japan and China over islands "called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, [that are] are controlled by Japan but claimed by China and Taiwan," according to the BBC.

Japan says they bought the islands. China says they were not for sale.

Japan hasn't, to my knowledge, said from whom they bought the islands but it is clear that my earlier suggestion it was from some guy named "Buster" was probably wrong.

On the Secret Decoder Ring page today: Links to the text of Obama's speech, to the NPR coverage of CNN and the Ambassador's diary; to Madonna's remarks and to the dispute between Japan and China. Also a bumper strip Mullfoto that's pretty good.