For some, Obama can do nothing right

I have a question for some, but not all, of you reading this column. Is there anything this president can do that will dissuade you from trashing him or his administration? It’s a simple question not unlike the one asked of Secretary of State Kerry last Monday.

I suspect your simple answer is a little more punitive than the one given by the secretary. At least Kerry didn’t call for the removal of Assad. On the other hand, there are some of you who will not be placated until President Obama is sent packing back to Kenya.

An unvarnished look at recent events makes my point. The president drew the now-infamous red line concerning Syria and the use of chemical weapons. That line was undeniably crossed on Aug. 21 when Assad used saran gas to kill more than 1,000 of his fellow citizens.

Pundits, politicos and, yes, even cartoonists were quick to point out to the president his ultimatum. At the time, he was weak and indecisive for not acting quickly to back up his red line rhetoric with action. If you remember, he was waiting for inspectors to gather evidence before deciding what sort of response America should take. Waiting for evidence? What craven wussiness!

When the verdict of mass murder came in, Obama became an over-reaching megalomaniac for considering a military strike. It should be noted that Obama’s decision to use force was met with consternation from both ends of the political spectrum.

He was, of course, roundly condemned by the “I-know-you-are, but-what-am-I” crowd on the right. But he also drew the ire of some of our more liberal brethren on the left. Folks like ultra-liberal independent/socialist Bernie Sanders and Libertarian firebrand and Ian Rand namesake Rand Paul found themselves on the same side of the political bed. Kudos, Mr. President. Getting these two together is no easy accomplishment.

In the mean time, support from overseas was starting to wane. England, one of our staunchest allies, was backing away from that internationally agreed upon red line and Germany was less than enthusiastic. Well, at least the president had Sweden in his corner. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure Obama appreciates the backing of Sweden. My genealogical footprints are all over that part of the globe and I am exceedingly proud of that heritage, but no one’s been afraid of Sweden since the 11th century.

So what’s a president to do? Well, Obama thought it would be a sound constitutional idea to involve Congress. You know, that body that has now tried 45 times to defund Obamacare. It’s a tactic not only doomed to failure, but is illegal to boot. This is the same group that is threatening a default on the country’s debts and to destabilize the global economy because of an ideological temper tantrum within the Republican Party. Yeah, those guys should be up to the job of deciding whether or not to bomb Syria.

Now Obama’s wishy-washy, indecisive and all over the map. He gets us all cranked up for a cruise missile quickie and then resorts to the Constitution. What a tease. In fact, the president is on pretty shaky ground when he starts lobbing ordnance at whomever he chooses unless they pose an imminent threat. In reality, he has precedence on his side (see Libya, Panama, Cuba, etc.). Some of those in elected office and in the public at large who called for the president to consult Congress before issuing a strike are now criticizing him for consulting Congress. If Obama came out in favor of puppies, some of you would say he is sending the wrong message to cat lovers.

The latest development is Syria’s offer to surrender the chemical arsenal it doesn’t have to the international community for destruction. This deal would be brokered by Russia. Great, now Obama’s in cahoots with the Ruskies. Shouldn’t we be taking the lead on meddling in another country’s affairs? Instead, Obama lets those filthy Commies grab all the glory. How dare he make us look impotent in the eyes of the world while at the same time making us look tyrannical in the eyes of the world.

So no matter what tack the president takes, he will be too weak, too overbearing, too cunning and way too ineffective. And he manages to be all these things at the same time. Even his harshest critics have to admit that sort of political flexibility is impressive.

In an article by Tom Howell of the Washington Times, Senate Minority Leader John Cornyn of Texas is quoted as saying: “Military force is like a hammer, and you can’t thread the needle that President Obama wants to thread with a hammer.”

Then in a speech on the Senate floor the right honorable senator from Texas characterized the pending strike as: “halfhearted” and “ineffectual,” and he predicted a “propaganda disaster.” OK, I guess Cornyn means we should not resort to our incredibly powerful military. We should instead rely on our incredibly powerful military.

He’s not alone in his distaste for all things Obama. There are quite a few just plain folks who would disagree with the president no matter what direction he took (refer to filthy puppy lover a few paragraphs up).

So here’s my suggestion to President Obama.

• On the Affordable Health Care Act, propose a new plan that would exclude 99 percent of the country and watch the Republicans rush toward a single payer plan.

• On the debt ceiling: Thumb your nose at the entire world and tell them the United States of America refuses to make good on its debts. I’ll bet the GOP leadership could even muster support for a few tax increases just to show you what’s what.

• As far as Syria is concerned, let Congress know that the likes of Vladimir Puten and Bashr al-Assad are more reasonable negotiating partners than our own elected representatives. Unfortunately, that last part is true.

As for those of you that can’t help but be on the opposite side of anything, anything put forward by this president. Perhaps a little soul searching is in order.

Chuck Legge is a freelance political cartoonist who lives in Sutton. His political cartoons, “The World According to Chuck,” are printed in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman and other newspapers around the state and nation.