With each of his policies Obama takes a gamble. If they work hes OK. If they dont hes on the hook for the outcome. Consider the extent of his exposure:
* His involvement in Libya makes him responsible if Gaddafi stays in power and slaughters his own people and/or renews his connections with international terrorism. Obama will be equally responsible should Gaddafi be toppled and an Iraqi-style civil war erupts between his deposed supporters and the new government. As General Powell said you break it you own it.
* His support for the rebellion in Egypt and his action in forcing Mubarak from power makes him responsible should the Muslim Brotherhood take over the nation and use it as a basis for promoting terrorism and battling Israel undoing the Camp David accords.
* Obamas anti-oil drilling policies make him vulnerable should oil prices resume their upward march particularly so if the Saudi monarchy is toppled and prices surge. In that event he will be subject to blame for encouraging the wave or revolutions on the one hand and neglecting our domestic energy resources on the other.
* Attorney General Eric Holders weakening of our domestic anti-terror efforts and his curbs on investigatory tactics make Obama responsible for any major terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
* Should the economy enter a double dip recession it will be Obamas recession. No longer will the public blame Bush but they will realize that it is Obamas policies which have led to disaster.
Thats all a lot for a president to have on his plate. But Obama keeps helping himself to more responsibility without clear exit strategies and with only a hope and a prayer standing between him and disaster. He is now so dependent on the actions of other players -- Egyptian Muslims Libyan rebels Saudi insurgents domestic terrorists and global economic forces -- that he is no longer in control of his own destiny.
He is now truly the hostage of events. Not a good place for a president facing re-election to be.
With each of his policies Obama takes a gamble. If they work hes OK. If they dont hes on the hook for the outcome. Consider the extent of his exposure:
* His involvement in Libya makes him responsible if Gaddafi stays in power and slaughters his own people and/or renews his connections with international terrorism. Obama will be equally responsible should Gaddafi be toppled and an Iraqi-style civil war erupts between his deposed supporters and the new government. As General Powell said you break it you own it.
* His support for the rebellion in Egypt and his action in forcing Mubarak from power makes him responsible should the Muslim Brotherhood take over the nation and use it as a basis for promoting terrorism and battling Israel undoing the Camp David accords.
* Obamas anti-oil drilling policies make him vulnerable should oil prices resume their upward march particularly so if the Saudi monarchy is toppled and prices surge. In that event he will be subject to blame for encouraging the wave or revolutions on the one hand and neglecting our domestic energy resources on the other.
* Attorney General Eric Holders weakening of our domestic anti-terror efforts and his curbs on investigatory tactics make Obama responsible for any major terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
* Should the economy enter a double dip recession it will be Obamas recession. No longer will the public blame Bush but they will realize that it is Obamas policies which have led to disaster.
Thats all a lot for a president to have on his plate. But Obama keeps helping himself to more responsibility without clear exit strategies and with only a hope and a prayer standing between him and disaster. He is now so dependent on the actions of other players -- Egyptian Muslims Libyan rebels Saudi insurgents domestic terrorists and global economic forces -- that he is no longer in control of his own destiny.
He is now truly the hostage of events. Not a good place for a president facing re-election to be.
