Reuter’s news agency reports that the attack of an American cargo ship by Somali pirates is merely an “annoying distraction” for President Obama, a distraction that is turning attention away from his crucial domestic agenda.

Tell that to Andrea Phillips. She’s the wife of Richard Phillips, the ship Captain being held hostage off-shore from Kenya, who now has a price tag of $2 million on his life. Call me crazy, but I’m guessing that for Mr. and Mrs. Phillips and their friends and relatives, this situation amounts to more than an “annoying distraction.”

In fact, I’m guessing that Barack Obama’s important plans to seize more control over the energy, banking, healthcare, pharmaceutical and automotive industries, have more corporate CEO’s fired, raise taxes, make healthcare and college education “universal,” and convert America to a “green energy economy” are probably not even top-of-mind for Mr. Phillips and those who know and love him. Right now, they have no choice but to focus on surviving in a very dangerous world.

I don’t wish the Phillips’ troubles on any American, and I regret what is happening to them right now. But I do wish more of us had their focus.

In less than three full months of the Obama presidency, we’ve seen some sweeping changes made to our nation’s foreign policy, and during this same brief period we’ve seen a series of new foreign threats and challenges emerge. Of course, Mr. Obama promised changes in foreign policy during his campaign, which included a promise to meet with our nation’s enemies.

Since 1979, it has been the policy of the United States that the sitting U.S. President will not meet with the executive head of a nation that is a known “state sponsor” of terrorism, and because Iran has been known as such, no President in the last three decades has met with Iran’s leader (this would include President’s Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush, if you’re keeping track). Continued...