‘Nothing’s impossible for the man who doesn’t have to do anything’

Mark Watson

Mark Watson

An old country saying describes the current presidential administration:

“Nothing’s impossible for the man who doesn’t have to do anything.”

When Barack Obama ostensibly lashed out at his underlings to, “just plug the hole”, he demonstrated again that he had never actually had to do anything before moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

No idea.

No idea.

Obama’s reaction to the Gulf oil rig explosion has been to find political purchase in demonizing British Petroleum.

Clearly Obama believes that if he finds enough demons to blame, a solution will erupt.

Just what one would expect from someone who’s never had to do anything. What a leader. Obama simply doesn’t know what to do and he wants others to make this and other problems go away.

On Wednesday the president promised not to rest until the gushing oil is stopped and the environment is returned to normal. Last night he was at an elaborate fund raiser for Senator Barbara Boxer, D-California, at a home built by Getty oil money.

Obama didn’t recognize the delicious irony of such a venue.

If Obama surrounded himself by folks who have actually accomplished something, rather than those who simply talk about things, perhaps the country could survive. Unfortunately for the country, Obama has filled his cabinet and czar slots with others who haven’t had to do anything either.

Take Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. Please. On Sunday Salazar promised to push BP out of the way if they don’t perform the way they should. “[W]e’ll move forward to make sure that everything is being done to protect the people of the Gulf Coast, the ecological values of the Gulf Coast, and the values of the American people,” he assured his audience.

In the 37 days since the blowout, however, Salizar has expected the problem to be fixed without providing solutions. Previously Salazar snarkily boasted about having a boot on BP’s throat until the leak is plugged.

That’s a sure way to get results.

Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who has been directing the government’s operations with the disaster, apparently didn’t get the takeover memo from Salazar before joining White House press secretary Robert Gibbs on Monday at a press conference.

Allen was asked whether BP should be pushed out of the way. “Well,” Allen replied, “to push BP out of the way would raise a question, to replace them with what?” Allen reminded reporters that capping the well was proving hard to do. “It is very difficult. It’s 5,000 feet below the surface, and it’s never been done before.”

A spiritual thriller by Dan Calabrese. Click the image to learn more and order a copy.

A spiritual thriller by Dan Calabrese. Click the image to learn more and order a copy.

The president says he won’t rest until the gushing of oil is stopped and the environment is returned to normal. Along the way he claims that the oil spill shows why the country can’t be dependent on oil.

It took the president from April 20 to May 26 to fashion such a comprehensive strategy.

He’ll return to the Gulf on Friday to review the situation on his way to his second vacation since the April 20 explosion. Until this potential ecologic disaster, Obama’s inability to fashion anything constructive has been ignored or misunderstood by those covering politics in Washington.

This disaster and Obama’s failure to show any leadership may be his presidency’s perfect storm.

Even MSNBC’s Chris “thrill up my leg” Matthews has complained that the Obama Administration had been issuing hollow threats to the oil company.

“Just plug it up and then we’ll stop blame-gaming,” Matthews complained on his show.

Obama’s “not having to do anything” reality has been a hallmark of his presidency.

He hasn’t authored a single word of his stimulus plan, his medical insurance-killing legislation, his cash for clunker debacle, housing rescue plan or any of the other drunken sailor-like spending sprees he has indulged in over the past 16 months.

Americans want their leaders to lead, something Obama has not done. To date, Obama has demonstrated an incapacity to do anything except promise not to rest until…fill in the blank.

What did the president do after the Christmas Day near-disaster over Detroit? Obama spent three days golfing before promising not to rest until all of those involved in the attempted in-flight bombing over Detroit are held accountable.

He’s promised not to rest until all Americans who want work can find work.

Whether it’s him not resting until businesses begin investing and hiring again or not resting until health care reform is achieved in the country, Obama has been doing a lot of not resting between golfing and vacations.

On Sunday’s “This Week” Cokie Roberts, a Louisiana native, mocked Obama for naming an investigatory commission: “That is what you do when you really don’t have anything else to do.”

If Roberts, Matthews and others can remove their Obama-colored glasses for good and talk about what actually is going on, it may be the end of the longest-lasting honeymoon period of any new president by the press.

A bitter divorce may soon begin in its place.


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