Ron Christie

The numbers don't lie. I read in The Washington Post this morning about how the administration was touting the economic recovery due to the so-called stimulus package passed earlier this year. Here's what Vice President Joe Biden noted in a speech released yesterday by the White House quoted by the Post:
 

"The Recovery Act has played a significant role in changing the trajectory of our economy and changing the conversation about  the economy in this country," Biden said in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. "Instead of talking about the beginning of a depression, we are talking about the end of a recession."

Perhaps with the wall-to-wall coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial service (some would say excessive extravaganza) yesterday you missed President Obama's remarks to the graduates of the New Economic School in Moscow. Once again, the president has left the United States and gone abroad to denigrate his country — our country — to elevate himself as some sort of übercitizen of the world.

This time, Mr. Obama failed to pay tribute and honor the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform who protected the United States and Western Europe from the threat of Soviet aggression during the Cold War. Moreover, he failed to mention the steadfast determination of America's 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who stared down the threat posed to the free world and brought communism to its knees and ultimate defeat utilizing the doctrine of peace through strength.

Perhaps with the wall-to-wall coverage of the Michael Jackson memorial service (some would say excessive extravaganza) yesterday you missed President Obama's remarks to the graduates of the New Economic School in Moscow. Once again, the president has left the United States and gone abroad to denigrate his country — our country — to elevate himself as some sort of übercitizen of the world.

This time, Mr. Obama failed to pay tribute and honor the sacrifices of our brave men and women in uniform who protected the United States and Western Europe from the threat of Soviet aggression during the Cold War. Moreover, he failed to mention the steadfast determination of America's 40th president, Ronald Wilson Reagan, who stared down the threat posed to the free world and brought communism to its knees and ultimate defeat utilizing the doctrine of peace through strength.

In case you've missed it: Earlier this year, President Obama told the CBS “60 Minutes” program and the American people that he didn't believe terrorists were entitled to Miranda rights. We've all seen and heard these rights being read on television, but I'll put them here for handy reference:

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, an attorney will be appointed for you.

Prior to interrogating a suspect in police custody, officers must read words similar to those above and the suspect must acknowledge the waiver of such rights if an interrogation is to commence to satisfy Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

On the television screen before me, Air Force One has just landed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and President Obama has just descended the stairs, where he was met by King Abdullah.

Was that President Barack Hussein Obama? I only ask because the White House aides traveling with the president stressed Mr. Obama's ties to the Muslim world: His father and uncles were Muslims and the young Obama lived in Indonesia, the largest population of Muslims in the world, until he was 5 years old.

CARY, N.C. — A quick review of The Associated Press a few moments ago had rendered me momentarily speechless. One item notes that the president is "Open to prosecuting Bush administration officials who devised the legal authority for gruesome terror-suspect interrogations, saying the United States lost 'our moral bearings' with the use of the tactics."

This just two days after White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel told reporters that the administration had no interest in prosecuting CIA officials and one day after the president himself traveled to the CIA to stage a photo opportunity for himself where he assured the CIA employees he "had their back." The audacity of the president is seemingly endless.

Lost in the euphoria of the Obama European tour last week was the stunning lack of objectivity of the American media. If they had bothered to pry their eyes away from the Obamas and reflect on several of his conversations, they might have reported news to the American people that would have given them pause for reflection.

First, consider the meeting President Obama held with his Chinese counterpart last week. China had invited the new president to visit Beijing — Obama accepted. Obama also vowed to work with China to garner more influence with the International Monetary Fund. And what did we, the American people, receive in kind? Nothing. No concession or pledge to work to reduce the threat posed on the Korean Peninsula by North Korea. Oh, nice missile test launched by the North Koreans a few days back.

I have refrained until now from being overly critical of the Obama administration as it completes its early days in office. Back in 2001, I remember, it took us a few months to get the kinks out and streamline our operations in the Bush administration, so I've afforded Obama's team a certain level of professional courtesy.

Now, however, I'm wondering if they have any idea what steps must be taken to secure the country from those who seek to harm us. Lost in the discussion of the stimulus bill, the pork-laden omnibus bill and President Obama's new budget is the lack of focus on national security issues. Why is the president seeking to cut funding to the military when every other domestic pork project seems to prosper under his watch?

The Wall Street Journal just reported that President Obama is trying to avert a political firestorm by directing his Treasury secretary to take every legal step possible to stop AIG from awarding $165 million in bonuses.

The president and many in Congress are doing what they do best: seeking to put the blame on someone else while pretending they had nothing to do with the problem at hand. President Obama, Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) all voted for the TARP bill that gave the Treasury secretary billions of dollars to allocate with no congressional oversight or accountability.

Earlier today the U.S. Senate cleared a procedural vote that will allow a bill to reach the floor to allow voting representation for the District of Columbia in the United States House of Representatives. That we've reached this point, where the direct words of the Constitution are ignored regarding how composition of the House shall be formed, is nothing less than stunning.

Consider the following, from Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman (I), a man I genuinely admire for his independence and strong support for the protection of Americans from terrorist attacks. During his remarks on the Senate floor this morning, Lieberman noted that citizens of our nation's capital are "the only residents of a democratically ruled national capital in the world who have no say" in how their nation is governed. "It's time to right this injustice," Lieberman said.