100 Days of Good, Bad and Ugly
Posted April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am in Protect America 
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FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY
The Good
- Iraq and Afghanistan: In his first 100 days, President Obama has largely continued to implement the strategic course laid out by the Bush Administration in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, which makes sense. U.S. vital interests do not change because of partisan shifts in power, and neither do the facts on the ground, the resources available to the nation, or the enemy’s objectives.
The Bad
- Dumbing Down Missile Defense: In his first 100 days, the President approved a roughly 20% cut for missile defense and abandoned deploying defenses to Western Europe.
- Appeasing North Korea and Iran: The White House downplayed the U.S. response to North Korea and Iran’s provocative missile launches and failed to obtain a serious U.N. Security Council response to either incident. Despite the advances made in these two countries, the President wants focus on “regional missile threats.”
- Change on Cuba: In his first 100 days, the President ended 50 years of U.S. policy on Cuba, claiming it had not worked. If a similar strategy were followed with the Soviet Union, the U.S. would have abandoned containment long before the Cold War ended. This new policy may leave other dictators questioning the seriousness of U.S. opposition to oppression and systemic violations of human and civil rights.
The Ugly
- Gutting the Defense Budget: In his first 100 days, President Obama proposed a budget that would cut deep into defense procurement programs while phasing out supplemental spending to cover the costs in Iraq and Afghanistan, which will now also cut into the “core” Pentagon budget.
- “Cold War” Weapons: These cuts were justified as eliminating “Cold War” weapons systems including the F-22 stealth fighter and next generation Navy destroyer. All the programs designated for elimination were started after the Cold War ended and were justified by Presidents on both sides of the aisle.
- Ho-Hum on Homeland Security: In his first 100 days, President Obama has been ambivalent and contradictory on homeland security and counterterrorism policies since 9/11, including avoiding the discussion altogether and reversing strategies at the border and with immigration enforcement. The Administration lacks a coherent approach to homeland security.
- Detainee and Counterterrorism Policy: President Obama has promised the closure of Guantanamo Bay and repudiated interrogation policies and has been unclear about reauthorizing vital counterterrorism tools granted by the USA PATRIOT Act. While dismissing past policy, the President has not offered any credible alternatives to address pre-9/11 problems in combating terrorism identified by the 9/11 commission.
Hit the Reset Button
- The Lesson of 100 Days: The President must start over on national security and reconsider unwarranted missile defense and Pentagon procurement cuts, finalize and implement change in reorganizing the National Security Council, and place serious effort in engaging with Congress and the American people on matters of national security.
Tags: 33 minutes, foreign policy, Missile Defense, National Security, Obama
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7 Responses to “100 Days of Good, Bad and Ugly”
MAS1916 – Denver, CO on April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am said:
Hitting the ‘reset’ button would be a relief – except we’d have to go through all this again! His major achievement really has been to weaken the US defense system and to extend the war on terror by an entire generation. What better recruiting tool is there for would-be-terrorists than a weak and gullible adversary?
Also, for a ‘tongue-in-cheek’ version of the Obama top ten accomplishments, there is a reasonably good one at:
http://firstconservative.com/blog/top-ten/obamas-top-ten-accomplishments-his-first-100-days
Jake LHC on April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am said:
A Million Lies in 100 days. obama has no credibility left with the middle class hardworking taxpayers. Take the Acorn voters out and he is a loser in the polls.
obama has been and inconsiderate incompetent marxist Liar for 100 days.
Reaganite Republican Resistance on April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am said:
I guess “velocity is a virtue” when you’re trying to ram a radical agenda down the throats of a economically shell-shocked populace before they wake-up to what you’re doing to the country. And what Obama is doing is dismantling everything that made America great… in the name of his wacked-out Marxist-professor mentors.
Seriously, only a fool would cheer programs with no historical precedent of success, i.e. astronomical pork-barrel spending while borrowing ALL of the money from communist China, a Jimmy Carter-esque pacifist foreign policy steeped in appeasement, embracing scum like Hugo Chavez while insulting traditional allies… and Obama and Co. display a pattern of dishonesty that is troubling, to say the least.
Check back with us in a year- when people start to come out of the ether after a couple international embarrassments and 10% inflation from the reckless print-money spending spree that The One if foisting on us.
In three years, people will wince at the very mention of the name “Obama”- and the GOP could win 40 states running Gilbert Gottfried.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
Rainboskies on April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am said:
My husband suggests that I stay away from the computer because I really do get angry and upset. I literaly cringe at Baloney Hussein Owe-me’s name and everything that he does. Why hasn’t ANYONE in Congress yelled to whoever will listen how the country is going down in a sewer??!!
Barb -mn on April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am said:
100 days of the good, bad and obama ugly.
Danielle on April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am said:
I think these first 100 days have really emphasized the failures of both Democrats and Republicans. This current administration should be looked at as motivation to change our worn-out idea of a two party system. The Libertarian Party, being the third largest party in the country, really has an opportunity to move into the spotlight as the party that truly represents the people and foundations of this country. So thank you, Mr. Obama, for failing to keep the spotlight of the new alternative for Americans.
Reagan Conservative – Tulsa,Ok on April 27th, 2009 at 10:20am said:
Obama has cut our Missile Defense System which makes us sitting ducks for an **Enemy ICBM Attack**.
Looks like **Jimmy Carter All Over Again** In Weakening Our National Defense.
The only way our enemies will listen is **Peace Through Strength** once said by Former President Reagan.