President Obama is still blaming President Bush.
It’s 2015.
The last time President Bush saw the inside of the White House, iPads and Instagram did not exist.
Yet President Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night was littered with veiled references to his predecessor.
“When we make rash decisions, reacting to the headlines instead of using our heads; when the first response to a challenge is to send in our military?—?then we risk getting drawn into unnecessary conflicts, and neglect the broader strategy we need for a safer, more prosperous world.... I believe in a smarter kind of American leadership.”
And then there was this.
“At the same time, we've learned some costly lessons over the last thirteen years.”
And this:
“That's how America leads?—?not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.”
“Persistent, steady resolve”? Please. Antiseptic, eunuch indecision is more like it. Red line, anyone? Shouting “We are Al Qaeda Yemen” and “We have avenged the Prophet Mohammed” still not enough to warrant “Islamic” as an adjective to extremism?
But, of course, he had to throw in the politically correct line, completing the triangle begun with “the future shall not belong to those who slander the Prophet” and “I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.” The finishing touch was: “It's why we continue to reject offensive stereotypes of Muslims?—?the vast majority of whom share our commitment to peace.”
Interestingly, this was the only reference to Islam. There was no mention of Al-Qaeda, the first time since 2001. There was no mention of the English-speaking world, or Western civilization.
Listening to President Obama, it is clear he considers himself a superior intellectual force, smarter than everyone and everything that has come before.
This was a State of the Union speech defined by its hypocrisy.
The most divisive President lecturing on unity. The most political President lamenting the realities of politics. The greatest fundraising President expressing sorrow about constant fundraising. The most partisan President calling for bipartisanship. He’ll veto any change to just about everything, but hey, he will work with Republicans! His true feelings were revealed the one moment he was sufficiently brave enough to go off the teleprompter, insufficiently gracious to let smattering applause at his great revelation that he had no more campaigns to fight, quipping, “I know because I won both of them.”
Elsewhere, he was remarkably consistent. His laundry list of free college tuition, raising the minimum wage, climate change action and raising taxes was straight out of the Marx playbook.
What’s the take-home message?
He’s a lame-duck talking a big game, threatening vetoes and bringing policies that are dead on arrival.
Time for a new term: PINO. President in name only.
He doesn't behave like a President. He doesn't act like a President.
And he certainly doesn't lead like a President.