"Obama's got the wind at his back"
Ever since President Obama announced to the nation that U.S. forces found and
killed Osama bin Laden, the President has been pitch perfect. At ground zero,
the President did not milk the moment of his triumph. He paid silent tribute to
the victims of 9/11 and to the "courage and capability" of the brave Navy SEALs
who carried out the nation's will.
The conflicting stories about the mission resulted from National Security
Advisor Thomas E. Donilon being corrected by CIA Director Leon Panetta. In
addition, it appears that the mission all along, despite assertions to the
contrary, was to kill bin Laden, not capture him. Who cares? This is a side
show, ultimately inconsequential and irrelevant. Bin Laden was a mass killer.
As President Obama said, "The death of bin Laden marks the most significant
achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat Al Qaeda."
The decision not to release photos was the correct one. We don't parade around
with heads on sticks.
President Obama and his team have led with wisdom and courage.
After months of detailed planning, the decision - "It's a go" was fraught with
peril. Not an easy decision for our Commander in Chief. How fortunate we are to
have such a thoughtful, measured, decisive, and cool center of command. John
Brennan, U.S. Counter-Terrorisom Chief, characterized the mission as, "one of
the...gutsiest calls of any president in recent memory."
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who has served eight Commanders in Chief,
stated, "This was the perfect fusion of intelligence analysis and military
operation... the most courageous call I have ever seen a President make."
From most all accounts, President Obama has
the respect and support of the entire nation for his bold, and triumphant
action.
Historian Douglas Brinkley states, "throughout history there have been pivot
points for presidents, from Truman's Berlin Airlift in 1948 to Bush after
9/11...Americans have always liked Obama, but they never knew whether he was a
real commander in chief. Now they do."
President Obama should leverage the ovation to regain control of the national
conversation and achieve two major goals.
[1] End the Afghan war. Bin Laden was in a suburban mansion in the military
town, Abbottabad, Pakistan not in a cave in Afghanistan.
[2] Bring the Federal budget deficits and overall debt under control by cutting
spending (including the Pentagon,) reforming the tax code, and restructuring
social benefits. On this front, he has reason and mathematics on his side. The
job doesn't get done by cutting spending alone. Add to this the necessity to
invest in education, infrastructure, and energy to insure tomorrow's jobs and a
winning future for America.
President Obama has the platform and a citizenry who are now listening to him.
Can he harness the unity and pride to confront the many challenges we face? His
intellectual rigor is an enormous asset. He has proved he is both tough and
smart. Common sense is on his side too.
Richard O. Schwab was formerly associate head of school and middle school head,
Cincinnati Country Day School. He is also neighborhood team leader, Glendale
Organizing For America Community Team (www.gofact.blogspot.com).
Richard O. Schwab
