Although the President deserves credit for his decisions to make the raid on Bin Laden’s compound a top priority and to direct the operation as one that would involve American Special Operations personnel rather than using B-52 bombers, the resultant confusion and contradictory statements about the details of the raid are dramatically taking away the well deserved national relief we felt on Sunday night and Monday morning and replacing it with a renewed sense of frustration with this Administration.
Below is a brief report from POLITICO where Obama’s Press Secretary admits even he is not sure of the chronology of events. However, in the confusion we are reminded that this President and his team have a two year track record of dithering, hesitancy, mistakes and ruinous policies. What should have been a major accomplishment for him is now degenerating into just another embarassing episode in what still looks like a one term Presidency to me.
Kudos for bringing a mass murderer to final justice, but you really, really should have gotten your story straight before you ran with it.
~~John Cronin~~
POLITICO
JAY-TALKING: Here’s what you need to know from Tuesday’s White House briefing with press secretary Jay Carney:
– The White House hasn’t released the photo of Osama bin Laden’s corpse because it is “gruesome” and could inflame enemies’ passions, Carney said. “We are making an evaluation of a need to do that because of the sensitivities involved,” he said.
– Carney wouldn’t even say whether President Obama has seen the photo. “I don’t want to get into who’s seen the photos or where they are,” he said.
– Underscoring the complicated nature of the American team’s attack on bin Laden, Carney was caught in a crossfire of his own when he was asked about the number of floors in the compound in Pakistan. “Even I’m getting confused,” Carney said as he looked through his notes.
– Carney wouldn’t say whether bin Laden’s sea burial was videotaped, but he urged reporters “to be patient.”.
