Apparently, our Flip-Flopper in Chief has flip-flopped again on the idea of a truth committee aimed at possible prosecution of Bush administration lawyers who offered analysis of interrogation methods.
As I said here, I believe that Barack Obama released these memos, and these particular memos, for political purposes. And it looks like I was right.
Sadly, the debate within the White House over releasing classified documents had little to do with national security. Instead, the argument rested solely on what political advantage could be gained.
A source familiar with White House views said Obama's advisers are further convinced that letting the public know exactly what the past administration sanctioned will undermine what they see as former vice president Richard B. Cheney's effort to "box Obama in" by claiming that the executive order heightened the risk of a terrorist attack.
The President was more concerned with winning a political debate with a former vice president than whether such information would compromise national security. In fact, as this story shows, the entire White House was more concerned with political fallout than they were with how our enemies might view such disclosures.
The problem with all this is that Obama's strategy backfired. Many people have asserted that the interrogation techniques yielded valuable information, and that other techniques had been tried and failed. And others noted that Congress members knew of the techniques and either approved or did not object to them. There were calls to have memos confirming this information released. And as the controversy built, the White House has looked increasingly out of control, thin-skinned and childish.
The White House also misread the public when it comes to the memos and interrogation of terrorists. Most Americans considered the release of these memos to endanger national security. And more Americans think the court system is too concerned with individual rights versus national security. If Obama thought releasing these memos would create more enthusiasm for his weakening of our security, he guessed wrong.
In certain respects, it isn't surprising that Obama seems to be stepping in the manure with each new day. Obama's inexperience at running any organization for a significant length of time means he is less prepared to anticipate problems and react with restraint. Worse, Obama's hubris makes him thin-skinned and unwilling to accept criticism or work with political opponents. Remember "I won," and his ridiculous attacks on Rush Limbaugh? Couple these with the recent report on the rise of right wing extremists (despite concerns about the report) and the childish but no less dangerous threat regarding health care and budget reconciliation, and you've got the makings not of a president but an immature and spoiled brat. What an embarrassment to American citizens.
|