While President Obama evinced minimum passion in his speech against murderous terrorists Monday, he has had plenty of fire when talking about Republican rhetoric. Their attacks on his Syrian refugee program, he claimed, were based on "hysteria."
One of his particular targets is Texas Sen. and presidential candidate Ted Cruz, a vocal critic of the president's refugee policy. On Capitol Hill Wednesday, Cruz said he had enough with the cowardly insults and challenged him to an in person debate.
"If you want to insult me, you can do it overseas, you can do it in Turkey, you can do it in foreign countries, but I would encourage you, mister president, come back and insult me to my face," the Texas senator and Republican presidential candidate said this on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
The media, for once, appears to be siding with the Republican leader. Why is the president being so defensive about his failed foreign policy? they wondered. Why is he showing more anger toward Republicans and reporters than against radical terrorism?
The GOP is not condemning Obama's refugee plan for no good reason. They, like many Americans, have legitimate concerns about welcoming Syrian refugees with open arms, when even our Homeland Security officials have admitted we don't have a comprehensive screening policy in place.
Yet, once again, Obama can't seem to stomach an argument against his policy, no matter how justified. How sad our president is incorporating partisan politics at a moment we badly need a unifier.