That’s some serious psychosis you’re cultivating there.

Get some help.

I think Larry’s point makes perfect sense – Obama’s job here isn’t ‘chief negotiator’ and find it quite the correct course that the President didn’t see the need to grab a microphone at every juncture over the last 4 days. In fact, if he held a daily press conference and given a big a speech on the situation — I think many people would have quite rightly had PLENTY to criticize.

Containing the situation until assets were in place and a rescue plan ready to go necessarily means keeping the public and press out of the situation to the greatest extent possible… so while Gingrich, Beck, and the rest of the doomsayers were taking their free shots about a feckless response — the “feck” was coming.

A bunch of tough-talking and speechifying would have served absolutely no purpose in this situation.

FBI negotiators kept the pirates contained, while the navy cordoned off the area – remember Friday, we had a situation with other pirates supposedly en route – and a SEAL team was dropped into the area to enact a rescue plan.

I’m sorry you had to spend a few days worried about piracy because the administration didn’t feel the need to assure you that your weekend fishing trip would be pirate free — but I trust now that 3 pirates are dead, a 4th is being held, and Captain Phillips is free and unharmed — you can again feel safe taking to the waterways?

The failed state of Somalia is to blame for the pirates. I think there are plenty of tendrils of blame that can go to a whole host of entities – the AU’s lack of a response, the UN ineptitude, and the US (under both Dem and GOP administrations, including the current one) for having virtually nothing in terms of policy to deal with the situation in Somalia.

I take nothing away from Captain Phillips – especially his bravery in offering himself up as captive to get the pirates off his ship and ensure the relative safety of his crew – but it seems to me that having the special ops team in place and their amazing marksmanship in a difficult environment also played a big role… and like it or not – and as much as the decision was certainly influenced heavily by the appropriate folks on the JCS and others – the buck ultimately has to stop with the CiC who gives the order.

That doesn’t seem to track to me… every statement that’s come from the administration has done precisely that — heaping praise on the military for accomplishing the mission.

I’m just pointing that from all reasonable points of view, everything seems to have worked properly.

The pirates were kept at bay by negotiators until the assets and opportunity arose to resolve the situation, the President authorized a military solution, and once the assets and opportunity were in place — and the military performed the mission flawlessly.

Whether rightly or wrongly, the CiC has always gets too much blame or too much praise when an operation goes well…. FDR faced investigations (and more than a few voices of blame) over Pearl Harbor. FDR also got an enormous amount of credit for directing US efforts in WWII. Kennedy got a lot of credit for handling the Cuban missile crisis, the same as he got a lot of blame for the failed summit that many think gave Kruschev the idea he COULD plant missiles in Cuba. Reagan got plenty of credit for the end of the cold war, and also got plenty of blame for Beirut and the Achille Lauro and the escape of Abu Abbas. Clinton got plenty of blame for Somalia. Bush got/gets plenty of blame for Iraq.

So far as military actions go, the buck stops with the President, for better or worse. It just seems silly to use this as an opportunity to attack Obama over some hypothetical.

Maybe.

But I sure am reading plenty of comments here that ring more with disappointment than happiness. I still see plenty of posts that echo last week’s well… wurlitzer echo chamber (He didn’t act soon enough… He waited… He had to have his arm twisted).

I defer to Larry’s expertise, but everything sure seems to have worked right here.

The hijacking happened Wednesday. The first naval response arrived Thursday. Per ABC news, the special ops team was secretly dropped in over the weekend.

Seems to me, the smart thing to do WAS to ‘negotiate’ until you had the assets in place to attempt a military solution.

Reading the comments here, I cannot help but think some of you (not all by any means) are disappointed that Captain Phillips isn’t dead and the pirates escaped…

Inflammatory, for one, and nonsense, for two.

The comments here indicate that all agree the captain is a genuine American hero who deserves much credit (except according to Larry), regardless of how they feel about Obama.

To suggest otherwise is shameful and indicates that you have an axe to grind.

There is no such thing.

Somalia is a near complete anarchistic state – there is no functional state apparatus and hasn’t for nearly two decades. I’m not bashing Bill Clinton here, but Somalia has only worsened since the failed intervention in 1994.

There are two choices here — either an extensive and enormous military deployment to embark on a nation building escapade, or, an expensive and extensive naval deployment (I’ve heard 200+ ships to properly control the sea lanes at risk… we have 16 in area).

I don’t think we have the capabilities or the will to nation build in Somalia at this time.

Does Obama deserve a medal? No.

But – the captain is free, 3 of the 4 pirates are dead – the 4th is in custody. Trying to find some sliver of a way to attack Obama on this is pretty stupid.

Our nation functions best with a vibrant and REASONED opposition… BooZoo is absolutely right – when the opposition becomes so automated that everything the opponent does is wrong, you become pretty irrelevant in the national discussion.

I agree with you, Larry. If you listen to Hannity and Rush, no sooner does Obama get out of bed each morning than he begins to f*ck up. Dude can’t even brush his teeth right. The cartoonish portrayal of him hurts conservatism. Give credit where credit is due.

So no, Larry. I DON’T agree that Obama deserves any credit.