The blame game and its unintended consequences

Iran is nuking up. North Korea is demanding one-on-one talks. China and France are lecturing the US to get our financial house in order. Afghanistan spirals toward chaos. The Obama administration’s reaction: it’s all Bush’s fault.

A very clear and discernable pattern has emerged from the office of the 45^th President: blame the 44^th President and then excuse itself from any criticism, now or in the future.

Valerie Jarrett declared "I think that what the administration has said very clearly is that we're going to speak truth to power. When we saw all of the distortions in the course of the summer, when people were coming down to town hall meetings and putting up signs that were scaring seniors to death."

Ms. Jarrett, a senior advisor to President Obama, doesn’t mince words – except these don’t make much sense. Truth to power? To whom or what is she bestowing such power? In this case, it’s a cable news network, and one that has the audacity to run stories contrary to the accounting shell game that’s being put out by the White House and the democrat majority Congress. Too bad the most powerful man in the world doesn’t have enough power.

While it may be a politically calculated distraction tactic, it certainly is preposterous that the White House doesn’t have a large enough megaphone or the clout to get their message out.

And when it isn’t targeting a news network, the administration seems perfectly content to go about a methodical blame-game, “It's clear that basically we had a war for eight years that was going on, that's adrift," said Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel. "That we're beginning at scratch, and just from the starting point, after eight years."

President Obama recently explained why his economic policies have not had a positive impact on the economy, "I don't mind cleaning up the mess that some other folks made…that's what I signed up to do. But while I'm there mopping the floor, I don't want somebody standing there saying, 'You're not mopping fast enough.'

A continuation of his post-inaugural speeches, with all-too familiar little chestnuts like, "…we have chosen hope over fear," and "restore science to its rightful place," and that he would never allow America to "give [our ideals] up for expedience's sake."

But it doesn’t just end with blaming Bush, it necessarily includes exempting and holding harmless any of his policies, "I expect to be held responsible for these issues because I'm the president. But I don't want the folks who created the mess…to do a lot of talking. I want them just to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess." While in France Mr. Obama stated, "there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive."

While Mr. Obama may find comfort in point his finger backward, the American people are reading his explanations as excuses and his rationalizations as “I can’t handle the pressure of the office you elected me to”. With Rasmussen showing his approval rating at 46%, there is less confidence in the man about hope.

-- Killswitch Politick

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The only war the administration is willing to fight

The Obama administration has finally found a war that it is more-than-willing to fight – and its not in Iraq or Afghanistan, and the enemies aren’t militant Islamic terrorists or warlords – it’s a war of words against FOX News.

While the administration plays Nero’s fiddle as Afghanistan backslides and unemployment creeps up toward 10%, it is pulling out all the stops in battling what it has publicly deemed the most important issues: health care reform most Americans are opposed to, and dirt-kicking a cable news network.

From a strategy standpoint, one wonders what in the name of Pete the administration is doing: since the row began two months ago, FOX News ratings have only gone up. Not to mention the political fallout: republicans who don’t much approve of the president’s policies aren’t being wooed, independents that put Mr. Obama in the White House are left to scratch their heads as his post-partisanship posture expires, and those on the left either already dislike FOX News and/or are concerned about more meaningful issues.

David Gergen, who has served in the White House as an adviser to Presidents: Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton said, "(White House officials) have gotten themselves into a fight they don't necessarily want to be in. I don't think it's in their best interest…I mean, for goodness sakes – you know, you engage in the debate.”

The fight between the White House and FOX News began in August when FOX News Sunday’s Chris Wallace fact-checked contentious allegations made by VA Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth.

Anita Dunn, the White House communications director, has stated that fact-checking an administration official was "something I've never seen a Sunday show do." By her declaration, Ms. Dunn seems to believe that any assertion or statement made by an administration official should be accepted at face-value and the American people don’t have a right to know what is and isn’t true.

FOX News has time and again asked for administration officials to come on the network to correct whatever errors might have been made however, Mr. Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, has likewise chimed in and the word is out – no administration official will be made available to FOX News – much like more troops won’t be given to the generals who request them.

-- Killswitch Politick

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