Credit Where It's Due, Even to Barack Obama

OK, so it's completely obvious to anyone who knows me and/or reads this blog that I did not vote for Barack Obama and pray every day that he gets voted out in 2012, that I think he has already established himself in the first year of his first term as one of the worst presidents in history, and that most of the things he believes and is trying to accomplish may very well turn America into a failed European style nation and bankrupt the United States.

With all that said, I am with Drew from Ace of Spades on this one. Back in April, in a craven attempt to pander to the ACLU and appease the left wing of his party, President Obama agreed to release about four dozen pictures purportedly showing detainees being abused by U.S. Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was widely criticized for this decision not only for its obvious political nature at the expense of national security, but because he didn't issue an executive order or appeal the judge's ruling in the ACLU's lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court. Today, after speaking with military officials, President Obama changed his mind and ordered the Department of Justice to fight the release of these photographs because their release could damage America's image around the world and endanger American troops.

Although I believe there may be an ulterior motive here (i.e., wanting to get the photo controversy out of the news in order so that people will tune out and not pay attention to his domestic agenda which is on course to destroy capitalism and America's economy as we know it), I believe President Obama is making the right call here. It is highly likely that the troops who committed the abuses have already been disciplined or prosecuted, and with the looming problems of an unstable Pakistan and an almost-nuclear Iran, the damage done by the release of these photos would far outweigh any political benefit the president hoped to gain by releasing the pictures. All the reasons for the president's change of mind may never be known, but I am glad to see he is capable of making a decision that puts our nation's security interest ahead of his personal political ambitions.

On another front, President Obama is asking Congress to send him a bill reining in some of the worst abuses by credit card companies by Memorial Day. I think the general principles actually sound pretty good, especially egregious situations, like someone who has a great payment history but is late one time getting his interest rate raised to 30% and slapped with hundreds of dollars in fees. My hope is that a good bill emerges which cracks down on consumer abuses while not crippling the credit industry. See I can say good things about President Barack Obama, and twice in one day no less! Of course, just like Noel at Cold Fury says, all statements from Obama come with an expiration date, and everyone close to him is subject to being thrown under the bus if they make him look bad, so if Obama ultimately reverses himself on the photos discussed above for some political reason(s), then forget all the nice things I just said...but FOR NOW, good job Mr. President.