Levels of incompetence not seen in the White House since Jimmy Carter. The problem is, Obummer has no leadership skills, no ideas for fixing things, and no backbone. He's an academic, not an executive. He doesn't know how to lead. He a nice guy who's never had to make hard decisions by himself.
Note the point I've underlined in this article's headline: "the president has been silent"…
In times like these, that's just not enough.
Obama’s worst week as president
First Thoughts: In need of a Second Act
Obama in need of a Second Act… But so far, especially after a weekend of bad news, the president has been silent… Any regrets for the Republicans who decided against running for president?... First Read no longer sleeps… Huntsman -- who’s been a presidential candidate for just 48 days -- talks about the “grueling, never-ending” campaign… Romney returns to the trail… And Total Recall: Breaking down tomorrow’s recall races in Wisconsin.
By NBC's Chuck Todd, Mark Murray, and Brooke Brower
firstread.msnbc.msn.com
*** In need of a Second Act: There have been many ups and downs in President Obama’s first two and half years in the White House. But last week was arguably the worst of his presidency. It began with a debt deal that pleased few and represented retreat after retreat by the administration. Then came the Dow’s 500-point plunge on Thursday (and 800-point loss for the week). Next was S&P’s controversial downgrade of U.S. debt. And finally, on Saturday morning, the nation learned that Taliban forces shot down a U.S. helicopter in Afghanistan, killing more than 30 American soldiers. Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative -- it was a trying week for the country, as well as for Obama’s re-election chances. The question is whether the president uses this moment to reassure Democrats (who are worried about his political standing), the U.S. markets (that are reacting to the S&P news), and Americans (who are watching these negative stories unfold). This is a leadership moment. Will Obama seize it?
*** So far, presidential silence: But over the weekend, he was silent, although he released a paper statement about the losses in Afghanistan and his chief spokesman and Treasury secretary reacted to the S&P news. And today, his public schedule is mostly empty except for two fundraisers he attends tonight. He has to say something at some point, right? The S&P story, in particular, is an opportunity if he takes it. Partisans are using it for their own gain -- conservatives say it’s proof that the debt was too large, liberals are calling it the “Tea Party downgrade,” and GOP presidential candidates are happy to make the point that it happened under Obama’s watch. Yet as the president with the bully pulpit, Obama has the ability to call Congress to end its recess; tackle the mix of revenue increases and entitlement reforms that S&P says it wants (and which the White House itself proposed!); and explain what happened. Does he try to revive the “grand bargain”? Does he push the "Tea Party downgrade" talking point? Or does he hunker down for the month under the "We have the long view; you guys in Washington and in the pundit class always over-react to August news"? Bottom line: This feels different than a typical August distraction.
*** Any regrets? With this cascade of bad news, we’ve got to ask: How many Republicans are now regretting not getting into the presidential contest? Haley Barbour? Mitch Daniels? John Thune? Mike Huckabee? Even Mike Pence? If Obama looked formidable three months ago, he looks equally vulnerable now. Then again, those ups and downs are proof that so much can happen in the next 15 months…
Full article: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/08/7303906-first-thoughts-in-need-of-a-second-act
Gold is $1,581/oz today. When it hits $2,000, it will be up 26.5%. Let's see how long that takes. - De 3/11/2013 - ANSWER: 7 Years, 5 Months
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