Tonight I could probably write about the 10.2% unemployment and mock Vice President Biden for saying that the stimulus bill was working better than he imagine.  I could also write about Pelosi’s health-care bill that would allow American citizens to be arrested for non-compliance for failure to get individual health insurance.  Or I could write about Nidal Malik Hasan’s comments that he was first a Muslim and then an American and he’s radical writings on the Internet calling for Muslims to rise up.  All of that would be very interesting, but I think tonight I would just like to post an article written by NBC in Chicago questioning Obama’s leadership and lack of sensitivity.  You be the judge.

President Obama didn’t wait long after Tuesday’s devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.

After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that the president would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to the president. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.

But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light president making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian affairs, the president thanked various staffers and offered a “shout-out” to “Dr. Joe Medicine Crow — that Congressional Medal of Honor winner.” Three minutes in, the president spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?

Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. The president should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That’s the least that should occur.

Indeed, an argument could be made that Obama should have canceled the Indian event, out of respect for people having been murdered at an Army post a few hours before. That would have prevented any sort of jarring emotional switch at the event.

Did the president’s team not realize what sort of image they were presenting to the country at this moment? The disconnect between what Americans at home knew had been going on — and the initial words coming out of their president’s mouth was jolting, if not disturbing.

It must have been disappointing for many politically aware Democrats, still reeling from the election two days before. The New Jersey gubernatorial vote had already demonstrated that the president and his political team couldn’t produce a winning outcome in a state very friendly to Democrats (and where the president won by 15 points one year ago). And now this? Congressional Democrats must wonder if a White House that has burdened them with a too-heavy policy agenda over the last year has a strong enough political operation to help push that agenda through.

If the president’s communications apparatus can’t inform — and protect — their boss during tense moments when the country needs to see a focused commander-in-chief and a compassionate head of state, it has disastrous consequences for that president’s party and supporters.

All the president’s men (and women) fell down on the job Thursday. And Democrats across the country have real reason to panic.

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1.  It’s official, as 8 more American lives were lost last night, October has become the deadliest month on record in Afghanistan.  More lives have been lost this month than 8 years ago when the United States invaded the country.  Our troops continue to pay with their lives over Obama’s ineptness and lack of leadership.  His dereliction of duty is causing a rapid deterioration in the morale of our troops and in the confidence of the Afghan people.  Will his supporters continue to blame Bush for Obama’s failure to act?  Will they continue to make excuses while our soldiers are left to die?  Will they ever put our men and women, our sons and daughters before party loyalty?   Sadly, I’m afraid not.

2.  Just when you thought there wasn’t anymore that a liberal could think of to control our lives they come up with something else.  Liberals are back at it with global warming and chief among them is the Climate chief.  According to Lord Stern, people need to stop eating beef and pork and become vegetarians.  You see, the methane gas produced by cows and pigs is a major contributor to man-made global warming.  Pass the broccoli mom.

3.  Remember when New York Democrats decided that it might be wise to raise taxes to pay for the budget shortfall and Republicans argued that raising taxes would actually cause a decline in revenue?  Are you wondering which side was proved right?  Click here to find out.

4.  Liberals love to repackage and relabel.  For example, an illegal alien is called an undocumented worker.  See, it’s much easier for a liberal to defend and build support for a “worker” than for someone who’s breaking the law.  So is it any surprise that Pelosi would want to change the name of the public option to the consumer option?  She could put as much lipstick on that pig as she wants, but it is still a pig.

5.  Heading 10 months into the Obama presidency and his promise of change, how’s consumer confidence?  After all, with nearly 1.5 trillion in new government spending in 10 months, surely the economy as been given a kick start and consumer confidence has gotten a boost.  Maybe not. Consumer confidence declined in October as more American worry about their jobs and salaries.  What?  Health-care  isn’t the most pressing issue of our time?

And that’s my news round-up for October 27, 2009.

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