Hotline chronicles conservative bloggers psychotic nonsense regarding Obama and hostage rescue.

[jefferson_dem]

SOMALI PIRATES: See, Obama? Nobody Respects You!

Conservative bloggers spent much of the weekend accusing Obama of demonstrating weakness in his response to the kidnapping of an American sea captain by Somali pirates:

RedState's bs: "The Somali 'pirates' are at it again, and this time they've provided the United States with that foreign policy crisis that VPOTUS Biden predicted would occur. The pirates terrorists are now targeting US-flagged and manned vessels, and that puts our Eunuch-in-Chief in a position where he must (heaven forbid) make a real decision. To no one's surprise, he and his administration have decided to play nicey with the terrorists and negotiate with them. <...> It's very simple: the pirates are terrorists. Terrorists only understand force. Using 'hostage negotiators' simply shows the Somalis and the other Muslim (and other) terrorist communities out there that Fluffy isn't going to lift a finger to stop them. The emasculation of the United States is well underway, and it will not stop until something far worse than a rowboat full of buffoons with guns hits us."

Pajamas Media's Roger Kimball: "The Age of Obama is shaping up to be another age of 'negotiation,' i.e., an age of accommodation and capitulation."

Power Line's John Hinderaker: "This could be a sort of acid test: if the Obama administration can't bring itself to visit harsh retribution on pirates, when will it ever be willing to use force to defend American citizens and American interests?"

Hot Air's Ed Morrissey: "The pirates have not heeded our power because thus far we have shown an unwillingness to wield it. Just as with religious-extremist terrorists, they will feast on American targets as long as they sense that reluctance to seriously deal with the problem."

NRO's Victor Davis Hanson: "Piracy may or may not be a matter of American national security, but the American people will not for long stand the notion that a captive brave American ship captain risks his life to escape, while formidable American naval power either cannot or will not punish the miscreants."

RedState's Warner Todd Huston: "hese skinny, underfed, unorganized and ill-equipped pirates are making a fool of what is ostensibly the most powerful man in the world. <...> Obama is being tested from the most unlikely of sources. He is failing that test and showing the world that his 'America Sucks' tour of Europe was not mere glad-handing boilerplate. Obama is proving that he means to defang the most powerful nation in the world. Obama apparently intends to hobble the United States of America. If this is not the case, he'd better step up to the plate and end this pirate outrage quickly."

SOMALI PIRATES II: You Still Suck, Obama

Although CNN reports that Obama "granted two separate requests from the Defense Department to go forward with a military operation to rescue Captain Richard Phillips," most conservative bloggers are denying that Obama deserves credit for the rescue:

Gateway Pundit: "Sorry libs. Obama did not give the direct order to kill the Somali pirates. You'll have to wait another day for the cut-and-runner to earn his hero badge."

RedState's Jeff Emanuel: "Despite the Obama administration's (and its sycophants') attempt to spin today's success as a result of bold, decisive leadership by the inexperienced president, the reality is nothing of the sort. <...> Instead of taking direct, decisive action against the rag-tag group of gunmen, the Obama administration dilly-dallied, dawdled, and eschewed any decisiveness whatsoever, even in the face of enemy fire, in hopes that the situation would somehow resolve itself without violence -- thus sending a clear message to all who would threaten U.S. interests abroad that the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has no idea how to respond to such situations, and no real willingness to use military force to resolve them."

RedState's Caleb: "Playing pansy politics with pirates put the Captain's life at increased risk. His first escape attempt was thwarted by the thugs as Phillips remained adrift from the aid and cover of the US Navy, which sat restrained by an administration too cowardly to let slip the dogs of war. Each day the tension and humiliation of a nation grew. The emboldened pirates fired upon our men of action, who thus restrained could not yet act in kind. The terrorists' defiant lack of fear inspired their fellows to target other American vessels. All while the community organizer in chief flipped through his conflict resolution handbook. But here, at long last, the captive captain is free. He leapt clear and our faithful Navy, apparently at last free to take the safety off, rid the world of three contemptible degenerates and have the fourth in custody to question. So the bold leap into the sea frees the President of the burden to act. In the end, Captain Phillips wasn't saved by the President, but by his own courageous plunge and the deadly professionalism of our men with guns. The President, you see, was saved by the Captain."

Hinderaker: "Scott noted earlier this morning that the White House is taking credit for the rescue of Captain Phillips. That's OK with me; in fact, I hope Obama gets some credit, as it may embolden him in future crises where military force may be necessary. However, based on what we know so far, it doesn't appear that the rescue owed much, if anything, to the White House. <...> In fact, the White House gave the most cautious authorization for the use of force that it possibly could have. Obama -- like, more significantly, Captain Phillips -- was saved by the willingness of the on-scene commander to stick his neck out and the skill of the Navy's snipers."

http://blogometer.nationaljournal.com/archives/2009/04/413_obamas_3_am.html

[Duer 157099]

1. "Damned if you do, damned if you don't"

Perfect example.