Fight to Win

Blessed
Complacency is a kind explanation for Washington's latest plan to make it harder for the National Security Agency to prevent the next attack. A bill recently introduced by Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, with the blessing of President Obama, went so far beyond earlier proposals that a judge writing on behalf of the entire federal judiciary last week objected that the bill is unworkable and unconstitutional and would make terrorism likelier. (L. Gordon Crovitz, Wall Street Journal, 8/10/2014)

Thanks to the efforts of Vermont's senior statesman Patrick Leahy, America's ability to fight terrorism is now weaker. And so this:

...no one should be surprised if intelligence fails to stop the next attack. In an area where accountability has been scarce, the names on the to-blame list would begin with Barack Obama and Patrick Leahy.


Sheared
The question is whether she (Hillary Clinton) can belittle Barack Obama as much as she must in order to win, but not so much that it plays as an act of sheer betrayal. (Frank Bruni, New York Times, 8/11/2014)

A Liberal commentary that we (gulp) agree with....


Disavowed
There are a few possible answers to that one. One is that the views she expressed in the interview are sincere and long-held and she was always a closet neoconservative; Commentary magazine is delivered to her mailbox in an unmarked brown envelope. Another is that Mrs. Clinton can read a poll: Americans now disapprove of the president's handling of foreign policy by a 57% to 37% margin, and she belatedly needs to disavow the consequences of the policies she once advocated. A third is that she believes in whatever she says, at least at the time she's saying it. She is a Clinton, after all. (Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal, 8/11/2014)

So what is Hillary thinking now that she has begun distancing herself from Obama?  There is certainly a part of us that thinks she is or was a 'strong defense' Democrat. She voted for the Iraq War and agreed with Bush that Sadaam Hussein had WMDs. One can conclude that the Howard Dean faction of the Dem party pulled her to the left forcing her to disavow earlier positions. Which, of course, does not speak well of her on issues of fortitude and consistency.


Stuffed
As the criticism became public, Obama was doggedly sticking with his plans to go on vacation — a decision that, if not in the category of stupid stuff, could fit under the heading of “tone deafness.” (Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 8/11/2014)

It is Liberals who are now attacking the Vacationer-in-Chief.


Urged
The Obama Administration was so preoccupied with a grand political solution in Baghdad that for weeks it refused to arm the Kurds for fear of offending Mr. Maliki, even as it was urging Mr. Maliki to resign. How's that for consistent logic? (Wall Street Journal, 8/11/2014)

Possible Obama responses? 

I never urged Maliki to resign.

It is all Bush's fault.

Fore!


Stunned
After nearly four decades in elected office in Hawaii, Gov. Neil Abercrombie was dealt a stunning defeat in his bid for re-election over the weekend, becoming the first incumbent governor in the state’s history to lose in his party’s primary....The race will almost certainly mark the end of Mr. Abercrombie’s long political career. At age 76, he collected only about 31 percent of the vote, compared with 66 percent for Mr. Ige....Mr. Abercrombie enjoyed strong support from the Democratic establishment, including President Obama, as well as huge fund-raising advantages. (New York Times, 8/9/2014)

A firmly entrenched Democrat backed by Obama IN HIS HOME STATE secures only 31% of the vote!

November could be fun!