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.
------
READ MORE:
Irish Muslims react to bin Laden death
Bin Laden had a Donald Trump - sized ego but looked like a broken old man
------
42 Comments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.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.
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!
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!
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 ...
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.
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.
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.
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.....
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
McNamara31 | May 09, 2011, 04:12 PM EDT
snakehips... Bravo! I'm with you!Where were the voices of opposition when George Bush took us into Iraq while sending a “small” contingency to Afghanistan to look for this murderer? (in 2002 5,200 military in Afghanistan vs 120,000 in Iraq) I live within 30 minutes of the trade towers had family members in the towers, and I say Bravo! Mr. President, don’t let the bigots get you down. Where were they when the prior administration stoked the flames of fear with all the “get your duck tape” rhetoric they passed to the media? Where were their voices when GWB “master of show, and no substance” landed on a aircraft carrier in his “Mission Accomplished” photo op. And where were they when GWB put two wars on credit cards while giving out more tax cuts and supporting deregulation changes that enabled the financial crash of 2008. Obama works smart, and gets the job done. Some negative posters below, mistake planning and intelligence for weakness, because they saw “so little” of it in the last administration. Obama has been taking out al Qaeda leadership with drone activity, quietly, for the past two years but you won’t hear that applauded on Fox, or any of his accomplishments. People who buy into the Fox machine are feeding their own biases and bigotries because they know full well they will get it there 24/7. And lastly, did you notice who were the majority of those celebrating Osama’s death outside the White House and in Time Square? They were the “young”; Obama’s core group, those who will come out again in 2012.
McNamara31 | May 09, 2011, 04:07 PM EDT
Trealach, I don't accept your quid-pro-quo hypothesis and time and space will not allow me to explain why I believe the only acceptable end-game was the one accomplished in Abbottabad. Vital to success was speed and with this imperative came a brutal but necessary calculus: no harm to women and children and no prisoners. Morality aside, in war this is not an uncommon calculus. The real risk to the SEALs was not from within or around Bin Laden's compound, it was the possibility of an attack from Pakistani military gunships and/or ground forces. Had this happened it would have been a bloody mess - with untold consequences. The SEALs did indeed risk their lives and the president did indeed make a courageous decision to take that risk. Had it gone the other way it would have been the end of his presidency - and I'm sorry to say that some proud Americans would have been over-the-moon with delight.
NJIrishWitch | May 09, 2011, 03:14 PM EDT
@snakeships - Any time someone disagrees with Obama, the race card is used to defend him. Frankly, that argument is completely exhausted by small minds. You are the racist for the assumption that everyone who is reading this article and adding their comments is anything but black. Personally, I would like to see Senator Allen West get some experience in Congress and run for President sometime in the future. He is a true leader.
snakehips | May 09, 2011, 02:45 PM EDT
It is so easy for the previous commentators below to come up with disparaging remarks about the President. In the final analysis, they do not have a clue or the least bit of expertise as to what they are talking about. We know several things, 1)He weighed the life or death decision on sending in our young soldiers, as the percentages were against him. That is courageous! 2)Why should he show remorse for wanting to kill a mass murderer and serial killer? 3)He showed leadership worthy of our voting him into office. You people who just can't stand the thought of a black man as your President and can't depart from your ideological delusions can't see the forest for the trees. God Bless President Obama and his brave team and God Bless the United States of America! Job Well Done!
Towngate | May 09, 2011, 02:22 PM EDT
NIALL, A Chara: You are right! Obama is truly Impressive. Apart from his domestic chores, he is also running three 'peace wars', an international terrorist murder squad: and what is truly impressive is that the Puppet can do all that with your head stuck so firmly up his jacksy! ~ ~ Niall, take it out ~ have a good wash ~ and return to writing with a bit of integrity. Or else declare this site an partisan Political Broadsheet ~ because your Posting on this thread is something we might expect from the likes of Trump!
NJIrishWitch | May 09, 2011, 02:20 PM EDT
jeffmackie, I can't agree with you more! This man has shown how inept he is by taking 16 HOURS to approve the mission. It was all Bush's policies that were followed and an Obama supportor will never admit it. Shame how some are so blinded by those in high places.
John5319 | May 09, 2011, 02:20 PM EDT
Birthers are "carnival barkers" in just the same way the narcissistic Obama polishes up his bathroom mirror with his EGO. This article points out that he did "giving credit where credit is due" but it conveniently forgot to mention the word ... Bush didn't it? This is just another in a series from the Propaganda Ministry of whores. When a world leader stands to bloat that: “Tonight, I can report ... And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta ... I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden ... I met repeatedly with my national security team ... I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action ... Today, at my direction ... I've made clear ... Over the years, I've repeatedly made clear ... Tonight, I called President Zardari ... and my team has also spoken ... These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief ... Finally, let me say to the families ... I know that it has, at times, frayed ..." I suggest that this article "periscope" have it's glass lens cleaned, for the face in the mirror is NOT WHAT IT SEEMS to be. This is the spin machine in overdrive, trying to make Obama appear to be saint as he totally "transforms" a great Nation into one of government subsistence, serfdom, and enslaved of it's citizens into the BONDAGE of the elite banking "political class" of government spending.
terrypat | May 09, 2011, 01:48 PM EDT
Hey, jeffmackie, Like I said, Bullseye!, O'bama scores!! bushjr couldn't hit the broad side of a barn.
deburca | May 09, 2011, 12:59 PM EDT
@ Nicomax - Spot on. And I am sure nobody on the Right will expose themselves to this excellent 60 Minutes interview because it's easier to stay in the muck and spin of FOX than to open their eyes and let the president set them straight.
irishpjk | May 09, 2011, 12:56 PM EDT
I think Obama lovers cav't even smell the BS when they are knee deep in it. Most of the first reports were bs, and now we get fresh bs every day. Do you belive no one took a photo of a cleaned up dead Bin Laden. It will be hard to keep this up until election time. I won't be very surprized if Bin Laden shows up alive and well some day soon
Nicomax | May 09, 2011, 12:51 PM EDT
This type of performance is what bothers his haters the most. If he actually bumbled it, or put on a smirk and smile like his predecessor, they would be much more content, and relegate him to the proper role they have chosen for people who look like him.
McNamara31 | May 09, 2011, 12:47 PM EDT
pflynn70 "He's still a "non leader" leftist liberal socialist who has no idea of what the hell he is doing"... You have to get out of the house and away from (Fox News) every once in a while. Then you will begin to see how ridiculous your comments and degradation really are.
terrypat | May 09, 2011, 12:46 PM EDT
Like I wrote elsewhere, " BULLSEYE!!, How about the kid now??!!!".
Trealach | May 09, 2011, 12:44 PM EDT
@TomSwinford - This was nothing more than cold blooded murder, and the US should hang it's head in shame. You said "We now know that this was a Clear & Kill mission, period. Lengthy surveillance and solid intelligence provided a 99 % certainty that the SEALs would meet little or no resistance. They didn't. As fully intended, all male adults were killed, whether armed or not, whether resisting or not." Since Al Queda is your enemy, then on your perspective it would be perfectly acceptable for them to raid an apartment block where Americans are living anywhere in the world and kill them - armed or not, resting or not. On that basis America has no right to whine! The mere fact that those who did the killing wore a uniform, breached the Sovereignty of another Country, makes them no less a Terrorist than those they shot.
Hannah1879 | May 09, 2011, 12:37 PM EDT
It seems like everyone is an armchair politician with an major in military expertise. Enough is enough..Bin Laden is dead, it happened when Obama was President. Let it be.
Trealach | May 09, 2011, 12:35 PM EDT
@jeffmackie - On your analogy then, Bush must take the blame for the current financial crisis. We all know he's responsible, so he should be held accountable.
deburca | May 09, 2011, 12:27 PM EDT
@ pflynn - Your comments are so detached from reality that they are not even worth debating. That kind of spin indicates an irrationality that can not be reasoned with.
deburca | May 09, 2011, 12:24 PM EDT
@jeffmackle The same year Bush disbanded the Bin Laden commission is the year Bin Laden's mansion in Pakistan was built. Bush attacked terrorism by waging wars to the tune of $4 trillion and ended by saying he didn't really care or even THINK about Osama Bid Laden anymore! 2 1/2 years into his presidency President Obama not only Commanded the mission that took Bin Laden out, but also took in the largest intelligence cache in history! And he did it by first telling the CIA that he wanted the search for Bin Laden put back on track as soon as he came into office and then by making the courageous decision to take the risky route and send the Navy Seals in. AND he and his entire administration did it by planning since August and keeping their mouths shut about it. All the while the GOP was playing theatrics over birth certificates and other nonsense. Bush gets no credit... in fact, I won't be surprised to find out that the Bush administration knew and ignored Bin Laden's whereabouts for most of Bush's administration.
Suivness10 | May 09, 2011, 12:20 PM EDT
Simply said, Obama executed a 'job well done,' to quote his own words to the troops.
jdi2269 | May 09, 2011, 12:17 PM EDT
NIALL, WHY DIDN'T YOU MENTION THIS RAID NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE NATION HAD FOLLOWED SENATOR OBAMA'S INTERROGATION POLICIES! DO YOU BELIEVE ANY PRESIDENT WOULD REALLY APPROVE A UNAUTHORIZED MILITARY RAID IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY IF THERE WAS TRULY A 55% CHANCE OF SUCCESS? IT'S JUST ANOTHER OBAMA SPIN TO HIDE HIS INEPTNESS WITH OUR ECONOMY AND FOREIGN POLICY!
jeffmackie | May 09, 2011, 12:11 PM EDT
George Bush set the agenda to kill Bin Laden. He should get the credit not the person who was President when it happened. Who got the credit for the USA placing a man on the moon? JFK or Nixon?
jeffmackie | May 09, 2011, 11:30 AM EDT
I voted for President Obama and will, in all likelihood, do so again. I believe that he has the ability and potential to be a great president. I was disturbed, however, at the grossly exaggerated and amateurish way in which the WH reported the action. A "fierce" and "ferocious" 40 minute firefight during which an armed and resisting Bin Laden was killed - was not quite as heroic as initially reported. In fact, the WH spent the next several days walking back and climbing down from earlier super-hyped mis-statements. We now know that this was a Clear & Kill mission, period. Lengthy surveillance and solid intelligence provided a 99 % certainty that the SEALs would meet little or no resistance. They didn't. As fully intended, all male adults were killed, whether armed or not, whether resisting or not. I have no sympathy for those despatched to their waiting 72 virgins, save for the woman accidentally killed in the cross-fire. I realized from the first euphoric reports that the timeline and the narrative didn't make sense. If I knew this, then surely the WH knew it too. Having to walk back and climb down time and again diminishes this otherwise tremendous achievement and makes our top officials look dumb. The "fog of war" excuse is BS. As a Vietnam combat veteran I know about the fog of war - it was dark but there was no fog here. This was a superb action. An arrogant and fanatical mass murderer was taken out but this was no Entebbe 1976. In trying to make it so we look foolish.
clonmel21 | May 09, 2011, 11:29 AM EDT
pflynn70 Spot on!
Helen Ferone | May 09, 2011, 11:04 AM EDT
Thank the security and the Navy Seals for a job well done. The president only gave the "ok".
apchaney | May 09, 2011, 10:47 AM EDT
Thank you pflynn70, You hit the nail smack on the head.
pflynn70 | May 09, 2011, 10:15 AM EDT
Fact is Obama was scared S---less, he was very worried he was listening to Valerie his "trusted aide pal in the W.H" who was trying to stop the raid alltogether. He's still a "non leader" leftist liberal socialist who has no idea of what the hell he is doing. He is and always will be "over his head" in this job as president. It was his other aides like Leon Pinetta who forced his hand and made to decision to kill Usama.
Juanice | May 09, 2011, 10:14 AM EDT
Thank our good Lord that this beast is dead.. For this we can thank our president.. Thank you Mr President you have made this world a safer place for everyone.