Waiting for Obama. pl

I am going to withhold comment on the developing situation until I hear what BHO says.  pl

Comments

[confusedponderer]

Intercepts caught Assad rejecting requests to use chemical weapons, German paper says

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/09/09/201515/intercepts-caught-assad-rejecting.html#.Ui9fST-uqIx#storylink=cpy

[ex-PFC Chuck]

Some comic relief from the Obots on the alleged left, although it's anything but a laughable situation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z-sdO6pwVHQ

[walrus]

I said at the outset of Obamas Presidency that I labelled him a narcissist to the point of being a sociopath, although of course I am not a trained psychiatrist.

One of the consequences of this state is the capability to do monumentally stupid things of the "How could anyone possibly be so stupid?" category.

I therefore believe a strike on Syria, ordered personally by Obama for his own gratification, is still possible

[Medicine Man]

We shall shortly find out if Obama is a true believer or if he is simply trapped in a snare of his own making.

[twv]

Obama wants Snowden back.
Obama threatens "force" in Syria.
Putin: Bad idea.
Obama reduces "force" threat.
Putin: Offers to collect Assad's chemical weapons with UN.
Obama/Kerry plunge for this lifeline.
Putin cancels UN meeting on this offer.
Putin sits in Kremlin, drinks vodka and pulls Obama's chain.

Executive decision making from a community organizer and part-time lecturer.

[John Minnerath]

mmph! Good thing I wasn't drinking a cup of coffee when I watched that one.

[Bobo]

This is what we get when we elect a spineless individual. Anyone else after seeing a CW attack on innocent civilians would have launched against both sides two weeks ago and this would all be in the past. Not Barry drag it out till he sees a face saving outcome.....This has already bit him in the rear and will bite there again.

[Bandolero]

Michelle Obama Opposes Syria Strike, Obama Says

http://breakingnews.sy/en/article/25174.html

[VietnamVet]

Colonel,

I await your comments.

We will clearly see if regime change is still the intent of the US government or if Russia saved the President’s ass from his Red Line debacle. This sure feels like a cold war moment. Has any adviser point blank told the President:

1) The Shiites (Iran and Hezbollah), Christians, Kurds and Alawites will defend themselves from a Sunni Jihad till the end of time,

2) Russia has security treaties with Syria and Iran, and

3) Attacking Syria can quickly and easily escalate into WWIII unless the civil war is quarantined?

[Matthew]

MM: That depends on the wording of any UN resolution. Kerry's bad faith was made manifest when he chirped that the Syrians bear the "burden of proof" regarding the destruction of their chemical weapons. Like Saddam, this is clearly a burden they cannot meet.

This Op-Ed from Rep. Alan Grayson is particularly devastating to Kerry et al's credibility. See http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/07/opinion/on-syria-vote-trust-but-verify.html?_r=0

[mbrenner]

A series of leaks this afternoon already have given away the story line:

1) Things have unfolded to the US advantage according to an ultra-sophisticated plan that has been in the design stage for months (even before the chemical attack)

2) America firmness has been the key to inflecting Russian attitudes and to get Assad to bend the knee.

3)The US, and Obama personally always prefers peace to war; therefore we will pursue this possible opening vigorously - but also rigorously to ensure that there are no escape hatches

4)America will emerge from this crisis with credibility enhanced.

5)Little will be said about a resolution of the civil war itself - except that the international community must and should unite to address a human tragedy. Success in dealing with the chemical arms issue holds out hope that it will be able to do so. He looks forward to working with other world leaders in pursuit of a solution.

6)God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

*If you believe this rendition of recent history, you doubtless see Zero Dark Thirty as the Gospel Truth and John Wayne movies as documentaries of the Old West

[steve]

He will warn against the dangers of peace.

[Ha Ha Herman]

I would like some Congress critter to ask Rice, Powers, Kerry, Obama, or Clap, if Bander Bush has ever threatened the U.S. with terrorist attacks, as he did Putin.

[NancyK]

As you said, you are not a trained psychiatrist and you do tend to use the word narcissist liberally. Probably most politicians are narcissists, that being said there is no reason to believe that President Obama is a sociopath or that he will strike Syria for his own gratification. I agree neither he nor his administration has handled this situation well and his leadership skills are lacking, however to imply that he has personality disorders is a bit over the top and would enjoy bombing and as a result killing others for his own gratification is over the top.

[Mark Logan]

MM.
I'll bet on the snare.

How much "under the rose" stuff happened in this would be interesting to know, but it might be one of those "50 year" deals.

I think he took a big risk but got what he needed to get. Assad needed to declare victory or at least have plausible deniability, and that also involved somebody else proposing the deal.

May he be more careful with "lines", assuming he regrets this one.

[seydlitz89]

I'm still hoping for "kick the can down the road" . . .

[stanley henning]

It is fascinating to see the Russian approach to handling the Gas issue - either Obama was so smart as to cause this to arise or the Russians are smart - actually, both sides may be smart. We need to get out of the poison gas crap and move on!

[mbrenner]

There is a logical contradiction between the assertion that it is essential to keep the threat of military action viable - yet, Obama proposes postponing the Congressional votes that would confirm and validate it.

Why? he'd lose the vote. Better to weaken the threat by a non-vote than cripple it by a rejection.

[Tyler]

Well save the date: we agree on something.

[Farooq]

Sir, that was one hilarious/painful youtube video. Makes you laugh and want to cry at the same time. :P

I hope everyone who supported Obama's message of hope with teary eyes will watch this and take a lesson for next time.

[joe brand]

I assume from the absence of a reaction post that the President of the United States has caused Col. Lang to sigh heavily and drift off to sleep.

[JerseyJeffersonian]

I've been right with you in your appraisal of the likely psychological make-up of President Obama all along, even though you had a tough sell early on with others who frequent this site. Subsequent behaviors exhibited by President Obama have, to my mind at least, only tended to support your sense of the man.

There is nothing more dangerous and unpredictable than a cornered narcissist, as their whole self-image comes under attack; they love to be the one in command, the smartest guy in the room. The immediate impulse to lash out cannot be discounted out of hand, no matter the strength of the rationale for a reappraisal of their position, since logic may not govern a malignant narcissist's actions. Pray that in this instance it does, both in the immediate future, as well as in the more distant future, when the desire to avenge the wounded ego may achieve expression in a most unexpected and unlooked for way. Petulant, unstatesmanlike behavior we have already seen in his refusal at the G20 meeting to seriously engage with President Putin. But surprise, surprise, that same President Putin may have given him a way to walk his rash "red line" pronouncement back. Yet don't expect gratitude from a narcissist. Rather, expect abiding hatred. And when, as narcissists in positions of power so often do, they have surrounded themselves with sycophants, this situation remains fraught.

[Omonaija12]

Hummmm..........

Narcissistic personality is common to all politicians. More so for one without the familial network and wealth that typically eases rise to the highest office in the world

Sociopathy is a different animal. It's a mania. What has Obama done that supports that assertion. Note that Obamacare doesn't count.

I'd say Bill Clinton, Anthony Weiner and Elliot Spitzer tick off both items.

[William R. Cumming]

PL! Waiting for you but in the meantime most analysis indicate a confused message from the President who obviously is well out of his depth!

[Babak Makkinejad]

Russia has no security treaty with Iran; she has no strategic level of cooperation with Iran, and she is no friend of Iran.