I grew up in a hunting household. My mother and her husband were big game hunters and fisher-folk of the first magnitude which is why, perhaps, we ended up living in Montana, near the best trout fisheries in the world and, of course Yellowstone Park, where elk and moose are plentiful. (And tasty, too.)
So I’m not usually sickened when I see the hunter posing with the lifeless bodies of the hunted. I have a photo album full of such images.
Still, I didn’t like the pictures which the LA Times printed in April of the Marines in Afghanistan posing with their day's work. I thought they were in bad taste and, I thought the Times was wrong to publish them – it simply sends an unfriendly message. That message being, “Yes. We’re out to kill our enemies and, no, we’re not bashful about it.”
War is such an untidy business!
Now, with the anniversary of Navy Seal Team 6’s stunning raid on Osama Bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan which ended in that terrorist’s demise, I see the Commander in Chief making a bit of political hay claiming the successful kill for himself and his administration and posing with his prey in a more (but not entirely) subtle way.
Good for him!
It isn’t as if Barack Obama has much of a record to campaign upon. Even if we allow him the luxury of blaming Bush – he’s going to do it anyway so why bother objecting – the economy was not altogether his baby and he certainly didn’t manage to rock it to sleep successfully. Step outside. The wailing you hear is the entire nation weeping for the loss of their security and dreams for the future. He has to bear that burden and it does weigh him down some.
I try to find something for the President to hold up and claim as his legacy. To date I’ve had no luck. I suppose you could point to the staggering increase in the number of Americans now on Food Stamps and claim that it was this administration who found those starving citizens and fed them. Or, in the alternative, you could frame it this way: “George Bush caused these people to lose everything. I saved them by expanding the SNAP program.” Deus ex EBT.
He was, I’m sure, planning to hold Obamacare up to his adoring public as his biggest triumph but, of course, the Supreme Court will be striking the legislation down in a few months leaving the President with nothing to crow about save his successful supervision of the Bin Laden assassination. I say, go for it Barry!
Use that Bully Pulpit while you can, Mister President. Fly Air Force One to Afghanistan in the middle of the night (at the rate of $181,757.00 per hour) and remind us all that you are still the Commander in Chief - strong, unwavering and formidable to a flaw. I’m not sure the American people will buy it, but you’ve got to give it a try!
By the way Barry – keep Michelle and her buds home for the next few months. Those Spanish vacations don’t poll well.