People and Politics by Patrick Roberts

Barack Obama wimping out already on key appointments like Susan Rice -- GOP will be delighted that he failed to stand by his top pick for State

Posted on Friday, December 14, 2012 at 07:02 AM

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President of the United States Barack Obama

Is Barack Obama already wimping out in his second term?

The news yesterday that Susan Rice was withdrawing her name for consideration as Secretary of State and the apparently inspired leak that former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel will be Secretary of Defence indicates so.

Whatever else Democrats have come to know, it is certain that Barack Obama is not someone you want to be in a foxhole with.

By turning his back on Susan Rice, an African American woman, and refusing to fight for her, he has sent a signal of clear weakness despite his handsome election victory.

By apparently anointing Chuck Hagel, who voted 78 per cent with his party as Secretary of Defense, Obama is playing roll over and having his tummy tickled by the good ol’ boys of the GOP.

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Republicans will be laughing all the way to the bank with this one. Their nightmare scenario was opposing a black woman so soon after losing the black and minority vote by record levels in the election.

Not only will they not face that but they will also have one of their own ensconced in the key Department of Defense.

They will even have the milk and water,hopelessly defeated, presidential candidate John Kerry to kick around in the State Department. Joe Lieberman Mark Two anyone?

When it comes to fighting for his friends and those who delivered the White House to him, Barack Obama is already missing in action.

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Hagel voted 78 per cent with the Republican Party, that is hardly the voting record of a moderate GOP member who could make a difference to this administration.

Obama has just once again reached out to calm the right wing opposition to him and ignored his own base who got him elected.

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He is in deep danger of going down in history as Jimmy Carter-like in how wimpish he has become in office.

Instead of confronting his foes he wants to embrace them. They are far too clever for that, but they are perfectly willing to wait him out knowing that sooner or later he will capitulate as he did with Susan Rice.

This is not a promising start for this administration. See more: Right-wing Irish , Irish GOP

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Padraig8 | Dec 14, 2012, 09:47 AM EST

Mr Roberts:As usual you are critical of the wrong people the PRESIDENT is going along with Susans Decision to not go for the job and cause a hassle,the only thing i am concerned about is that he does not pick Kerry because then the Repubs will try to grab that Sen Seat away from the Dems with Brown.

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stanchaz | Dec 14, 2012, 09:12 AM EST

Hey--maybe SUSAN did not want to go thru all the hassles. And maybe she did not want for Mr. Obama to use up his momentum coming off the election in this kind of battle. INSTEAD of blaming Obama--you SHOULD blame the Republican obstructionists - who for the past four years have put politics ahead of the business of running the government. The unprecedented backlog of j Obama's judicial appointment which they refuse to act upon is one piece of evidence ....and nearly bringing the government to the point of bankruptcy for the first time in our history , to achieve their political ends is another , These Republicans are not only sore losers- they have no shame, and no real concern for the electorate.

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Rebelforce | Dec 14, 2012, 09:10 AM EST

In American political parlance, Susan appears to be a victim of being "Borked".

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wjb1tex | Dec 14, 2012, 08:37 AM EST

Why the references to Rice being an African American and a Black ? You didn't mention that Hagel is white or whatever kind of American.

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