Walk Like An Egyptian

Remember the good old days when Obama said if he was elected gasoline would never go over $2 a gallon because, unlike the evil W, he was not beholden to the oil industry? Remember when he said his very nomination would cause the oceans to heal? Remember when he said that all we had to do was talk to everyone, even our enemies and with a handshake instead of the gun we could come together to solve all the world’s problems like gentlemen?
          
Well, if Obama has proved one thing, it's that talk is cheap. These days he’s letting predator missions do his talking in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He’s letting his attorneys talk for him in court against 26 states vowing to overturn the health care law-- it seems they’re only a Supreme Court decision away from doing that very thing.

He agreed to meet unconditionally with any world leader and by simply showing up, he could regain the respect and admiration for the United States. There would be no need to display a cowboy attitude to the world, as this obviously got President Bush nowhere. Meet, greet, sip a little wine, dazzle them with Michelle, talk. Problem solved. Of course, after this meeting he would then wake up and have breakfast, but he is the only president to be able to so effectively “work” even while he is sleeping.

Now he is facing Egypt and is scolding the leaders for not showing greater restraint and giving the protesters his Presidential Seal of Approval. Respect them, work with them, and come to an agreeable solution. Remember the health care negotiations when Republicans were shut out of the process, told that Dems knew better, and how dare they go against his holiness? Now that the Republicans hold court in the House, Obama suddenly wants to work with them to “improve” (aka hold losses to a minimum) health care.

Back to Egypt. Funny how when Iran was holding protests, Obama said nary a word for days, and even then gave no hope to the protesters who were literally beat back into a controllable submission. His “Reagan Polish Resistance” moment came and he idly stood by like the commoner on Royal Grounds. When the time to take history by the horns comes, he is led by events and reacts to them. That is leadership at its weakest and just shows how when the chips are down, all Obama knows how to do is eat them.