Republicans Go Bonkers Over Obama and Flight 253
By David Corn
As 2009 comes to a close, it seems that some Republicans are looking to reach new heights of rhetorical excess. The bumbled-and-thwarted Christmas Day terrorist attack has caused many GOPers to become hysterical, as they crassly seek to exploit this near-tragedy to bash President Barack Obama. Ex-Veep Dick Cheney, no surprise, has led this dishonorable charge, issuing a statement:
As I've watched the events of the last few days it is clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war. He seems to think if he has a low-key response to an attempt to blow up an airliner and kill hundreds of people, we won't be at war.
And Representative Tom Price, the head of the House Republican Study Committee, followed suit:
As our nation was once again targeted by extremism, this is a time for great resolve and strong presidential leadership. The slow trickle of troubling information, bizarre statements from administration officials, and a staggered response from the President, however, do not instill confidence that the White House appreciates the gravity of this situation.
There's no way to be polite about this: these guys are going bonkers--and they're hypocrites. When Richard Reid -- now infamously known as the al Qaeda shoe-bomber -- was arrested on December 22, 2001, after failing to ignite his home-made bomb on a Miami-bound flight, then-President George W. Bush, took no public action. He didn't even mention this failed terrorist attack for six days, and then all he said, at a press conference, was that the episode demonstrated the need for vigilance:
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http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/12/31/republicans-go-bonkers-over-obama-and-flight-253/