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Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

Obama deeply impressive on '60 Minutes' about Bin Laden mission

Posted on Sunday, May 08, 2011 at 10:38 PM

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President Obama was measured, cool and reflective in his '60 Minutes' appearance on Sunday night , giving credit where credit is due but also showing a flinty side that is usually hidden.

He was discussing the Bin Laden killing of course and at the end of the interview he flashed anger when asked about people who do not believe Bin Laden should have been killed, sparked by numerous articles in the European press denouncing the loss of life.

Such people should have their heads examined said Obama with a glint in his eye we don't see often in public.

We forget some times just how hard-nosed this man must be to come from relative obscurity as an African American and become president of the United States.

Based on this interview and the accounts of the decision making around the raid I think we have chosen wisely with this president.

He described in depth the real life decisions he had to make about whether to pursue what he rated as 55-45 percentage call on whether Bin Laden was in the Pakistan compound.

This was not the easy rhetoric of "dead or alive' or chest pounding but an incredibly serious decision about whether to enter another sovereign country, shoot up a compound leaving many dead and get out safely.

What was clear was that he planned for every eventuality which is what any good leader will do.

Asked about the downed helicopter in the early moments of the mission he said a contingency had been agreed which made it possible to continue.

The fact that he went through a full schedule of weekend events knowing what was in store for him that Sunday was an incredible balancing act.

How he managed to visit hurricane victims, go to a shuttle launch that was postponed, speak at a White House correspondent's dinner, make a graduation address in Florida, all the time knowing that his entire presidency likely rested on whether the Osama mission was a success was amazing.

This young president also put in context the inanity of the furore over birth certificates and such nonsense when he described his greatest fear all that week was of losing some of the incredibly brave special forces who took part in the mission.That is the stuff of American history and split second decision making.

That is what this country should be about not carnival barkers like Donald Trump and silly side shows.
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READ MORE:
Irish Muslims react to bin Laden death

Bin Laden had a Donald Trump - sized ego but looked like a broken old man
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42 Comments

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peterson | May 14, 2011, 01:25 PM EDT

Obama is all smoke and mirrors --- even his own party is raising their eyebrows ..smear him with Preparation H and he might disappear.

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Irishjule | May 13, 2011, 03:08 PM EDT

Niall, the only things impressive about Obama are his good looks and cool manner. Read, "Dreams from my Father" to learn what he is really like, how mixed up and racist. His friends even tell him, "Barry, it's all about you." He tried to deny his white side and made disparaging remarks about white people. I heard him say that if a baby should survive an abortion, the baby should be left to die rather than receive any medical care "because it would not be fair to the mother." Is it fair to let a newborn starve to death and suffer not to mention immoral? He is a terrible president with Marxist leanings. He wants to distribute the wealth that enterprising people have worked hard for and give to to lazy do-nothings. (If people are disabled, that is a different story.) Also, he lies. He will say anything that will benefit him. If people would check his voting record and, yes, watch Fox News occasionally instead of the biased media who will report only what is beneficial to Obama, they would be better informed. Obama is getting us deeper and deeper into debt and devaluing the dollar. Look how the price of food and gasoline has gone up and all the people out of work. One mention about the albatross so-called health care plan..it will cut benefits and tax job creating companies. There is too much to write about here, but please, people, be INFORMED!

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vincentruane | May 10, 2011, 12:00 PM EDT

Yes Niall it is true, many of these attacks against the general welfare of the American people were originated by the Republicans but alas they have been continued by Obama, so where is the change we can believe in? With the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, there was a major change in the controll of the democratic party and it is self evident, that this wasn't for the good or general welfare of the America people! The destruction of most of America's manufacturing base by the Republican, Democratic and Media Axis, through the disastrous Nafta agreement is a perfect case in point.Also I am still waiting for a journalist to point out what a disaster the Nafta agreement has been for Social Security!

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nicgearailt | May 10, 2011, 11:53 AM EDT

I voted for this man and have never felt it was anything but wise...I will vote for him again...I did like John McCain too. I have great respect for this man and seeing him succeed as President makes me proud to be an American. Overcoming the odds is what he is all about...you may not like him politically..that's fine but give him his due respect. He inherited the worst of all situations/messes..call it what you want...there was never going to be a rapid resolution. we are all going through this journey together,and no doubt ,will be smarter and wiser as we go forward.This is the President we are fortunate enough to journey with...he will educate us all ...

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pmunited | May 10, 2011, 11:45 AM EDT

Vincent, pensions & social security are under attack from the Republicans, not the Democrats. The national debt was caused by Bush giving tax cuts to the very wealthy, going to war in Iraq but not paying for it, passing a medicare drugs policy without funding it and dropping any regulation on the large financial institutions, who then crashed the economy. The idea of government watch lists is straight out of Glenn Beck fantasy stories.

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seanomelbourne | May 10, 2011, 01:48 AM EDT

The loyal billionaire owned media like Murdoch!! maybe you should stop looking at the lying Fox/GOP channel and when quoting Unemployment rates etc you source your information. Keep sipping your tea party kool aid and you'll end up with a nose bigger than Pinocchio.America is choking on it's brand of capitalism and driving the middle class into servitude and when someone comes along(Obama) to rescue you lot your judgment is clouded by the propaganda machine of the Koch brothers and their ilk and you Vincent will share the same servitude middle class America will suffer if changes are not made. No leave pass for you my son.

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vincentruane | May 09, 2011, 10:41 PM EDT

Your Quote."I think we have chosen wisely with this President!" Hard to believe you wrote that. A 17 per cent unemployment rate, the dollar on the brink of collapse, the buying power of people's wages gone down near 20 per cent,a massive increase in the national debt,hundreds of thousands of babies killed in near every state in America by abortion, and the loyal billionaire owned media constantly atacking peoples pensions, also getting ready to attack social security. People who love freedom and democracy been put on government watch lists. Change we can believe in indeed! You as a journalist should know better than to be fooled by the camera and the professional coaching.

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McNamara31 | May 09, 2011, 10:26 PM EDT

mamaginnty.You're right. The NYT reported.. Bush allowed "two dozen" members of Bin Laden's family to be urgently evacuated from the United States in the first days following 911.....

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Hannah1879 | May 09, 2011, 09:51 PM EDT

@mamaginnty...Very well said. I can't agree with you more. Bush didn't care about getting Bin Laden..his family was tied to theirs. Years were wasted with him in office and U.S. troops were killed in vain.

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mamaginnty | May 09, 2011, 09:30 PM EDT

Bush did not want the job of getting Bin laden killed, didn't he sneak all of B.L's family out of America the day after 9/11 plus he was in partnership with them on oil deals just like his father. He wasn't even interested in how many were killed, " just let me get my friends the Bin Ladens out of the country first, then I'll deal with 9/11 ." peterson...so true about BUSH.

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McNamara31 | May 09, 2011, 08:10 PM EDT

cathy/marty...."HE STOLE THE ELECTION" In fact, 52% or 63.4 million Americans voted for President Obama. That's how "our" democracy works. Your statement is delusional, and you should be "called" on it.

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cathy/marty | May 09, 2011, 07:49 PM EDT

Niall it's called politizing!!! Look at me, see what I did. ME,ME,ME, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR ME.THE DECISION WAS MADE TO KILL OSAMA WAS MADE BY MANY PEOPLE. HE JUST APPROVED IT.BT THE WAY SEAN HE'S NOT A GREAT PRESIDENT.HE STOLE THE ELECTION.

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laff1948 | May 09, 2011, 07:07 PM EDT

Congrats Niall. You have proven to be to Obama what Monica Lewinsky was to Clinton. Tip: don't wear blue.

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seanomelbourne | May 09, 2011, 06:13 PM EDT

The naysayers on the right cannot come to terms with the facts because the facts prove what a great president Obama is.It's boring listening and reading the Fox/GOP whingers.

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terrypat | May 09, 2011, 06:07 PM EDT

I recall, back when the War on Terror was young, that if someone criticized our CIC, bushjr., well!, then the neocons would accuse that person of subversion or an enemy of the US, a non-patriot and should move to Canada as they dd not deserve to be a USer. Oh yes, you all know that this was true. Now, all the neocons do, all day long, is criticize O'Bama, our present CIC and they claim that NOW, that's perfectly acceptable. Hmmm, . . , . What up? right wing?? Two standards in effect? Pick and choose your CIC? Sorry, bite it and move on. We Liberals have. Unless, like the war-on-drugs, you arrogant, sanctimonious slugs of human waste want to politicize the War-on-Terror and leave it as relevant only during a republican Administration. Come on, . . . enquiring minds want to know.

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