Obama's Wind

In an interview with Fox News Channel's Bill Hemmer, Senator Obama responded to a question about his not visiting wounded soldiers in Germany by saying: "It was scheduled, we intended to go, and we got wind that there was some concern that this might be perceived as political because we were using campaign resources." What strikes me are the phrases "we got wind" and "it might be perceived". He based a decision like this merely on "we got wind" or "it might be perceived"? I can maybe understand changing plans if you "got wind" that the enemy was planning some attack, but we're talking here about our own side . . our own troops. Certainly Obama and/or his people could have talked with the appropriate people in the military to get their facts straight, and make arrangements that would satisfy the military wishes. Obama is not the first politician to visit wounded troops in Germany, so this is nothing new. Most politicians who make this kind of visit probably hope that it comes out to their advantage during a campaign, even if the visit was not a media event. To me it seems like a shallow, convenient excuse, designed like every other excuse this guy comes up with. It's designed to make him look like he is always right, always the sensitive one, always on the right side. Has he ever admitted that he was wrong . . on anything? The surge? Reverend Wright? Not visiting the troops? Not holding any committee meetings on Afghanistan? 57 states? Obama is supposed to have great judgement. "We got wind" and "it might be perceived" are two really great criteria for judgement.

Barrack Obama's Obsession With Himself

Just when we thought Bill Clinton was the most self absorbed politician of our time, along comes Barrack Obama, vying for that distinction. Charles Krauthammer has a great overview of Obama's elevated view of himself in this article. Below is a sampling:

"Americans are beginning to notice Obama's elevated opinion of himself. There's nothing new about narcissism in politics. Every senator looks in the mirror and sees a president. Nonetheless, has there ever been a presidential nominee with a wider gap between his estimation of himself and the sum total of his lifetime achievements?

Obama is a three-year senator without a single important legislative achievement to his name, a former Illinois state senator who voted "present" nearly 130 times. As president of the Harvard Law Review, as law professor and as legislator, has he ever produced a single notable piece of scholarship? Written a single memorable article? His most memorable work is a biography of his favorite subject: himself.

It is a subject upon which he can dilate effortlessly. In his victory speech upon winning the nomination, Obama declared it a great turning point in history -- "generations from now we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment" -- when, among other wonders, "the rise of the oceans began to slow." As economist Irwin Stelzer noted in his London Daily Telegraph column, "Moses made the waters recede, but he had help." Obama apparently works alone."

Tony Snow & Katie Reider

Over the past few days two very special people lost their battle with cancer. I did not know Tony Snow, but he had always been one of my favorite Washington personalities and commentators. He was straightforward, honest, and decent with the people he interviewed. Just last week I was thinking that, apart from his illness, Tony would have made an interesting pick for Vice President. Katie was my niece's sister-in-law. She was extremely talented, always funny, and just fun to be around. As a musician and performer, Katie career was gaining momentum just when she was struck with her cancer.

Tony and Katie had a lot in common, but the one thing that stands at the top was their infectious love for life. They were always engaged with whatever or whoever was before them. That passion carried over to their battle with cancer. Their strength and their courage was amazing, earning respect from anyone paying attention. Our world, and certainly my world, will be a bit emptier now that they are gone.