President Obama fells Trump, Birthers & Osama Bin Laden in the same weekend

Whether or not you feel like he has been doing a great job before this week, you have to admit, President Obama is on a roll, since Wednesday April 25th.

TIMELINE:

Wednesday – President Obama releases long form birth certificate, silencing birthers in general and Donald Trump as his most recent detractor.

“We do not have time for this kind of silliness,” he said. “We’ve got better stuff to do. I’ve got better stuff to do.”

But it was not “silliness”, was it? It was something more sinister. No President has ever been so scrutinized. Remember, Obama had already given a copy of his birth certificate – which Hawaiian authorities confirmed and verified was real and acurate – to prove his citizenship in 2008 in order to run for President. So, anyone who questioned that was basically calling him a liar. Many feel it was because he was black. Even Obama was troubled by it, saying

“I have to say that over the last 2½ years, I have watched with bemusement. I have been puzzled at the degree to which this thing just kept on going.”

Political scientist Thomas Whalen was quoted in the NationalPost saying, it was a

“humiliating day for the country.. It’s sad. We are in the 21st century, and this is something out of the Salem witch trials.” … “There is a devout segment of the population that refuses to accept a black man as commander in chief. They will grope for anything that might back up their argument.”

 

 

 

 

Saturday – The President releasing the birth certificate was in direct reponse to Donald Trump’s recent public challenge, announcing he would run for President and his first agenda was to force Obama to produce a birth certificate or leave office if he is not a citizen. But there have been plenty of bloggers, journalists, talk show hosts, political commentators saying that Obama either didn’t have a birth certificate, or that the one he produced wasn’t valid, claiming he is not a citizen and therefor cannot hold the highest office.

The New York Post and Daily News ran headlines “Now Shut Up!” next to Obama’s face and a birth certificate, although I don’t believe the President would actually say that. However, just in case you weren’t sure if Obama was taking a shot specifically and the Donald, he made a speech on Saturday, at the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, in front of 2,500 people.

Donald Trump was at the dinner and got boo’d when he made his entrance. Not only were hip hop notables such as Will I. Am and Russel Simmons in the house, the President also referenced Biggie & Tupac in his remarks, likening Trumps allegations to conspiracy theories that Tupac and Biggie Smalls (The NOTORIOUS B.I.G) are secretly still alive.

“Donald Trump is here. I know he’s taken some flack recently, but no one is more ready to put the birther issue to rest than the Donald,” President Obama said. “So he can focus real issues at hand facing America, like ‘Did we really land on the moon?’ ‘What really happened in Roswell?’ And, ‘Where are Biggie and Tupac?”

But Obama didn’t stop there! He goes in even further, making fun of the Don’s own show the Apprentice and ridicules his leadership “credentials” for running for the Presidency.

“We all know about your credentials, and your breadth of experience,” President Obama said. “For example, on a recent episode of Celebrity Apprentice, at the steakhouse, the men’s cooking team did not impress the men from Omaha Steaks. There was lots of blame to go around, but you, Mr. Trump, recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. Ultimately, you didn’t blame Lil Jon or Meatloaf, you fired Gary Busey. These are the kinds of decisions that keep me up at night. Well handled, sir! Well handled.”

If this were at a GrindTime Battle League battle we would call that one a “BODYBAG!!”

Sunday: I think the President’s stock rose about 10% just from that, which he really needs as his popularity according to polls have been at it’s lowest level in the past month. He definitely got a few points for that one-two punch on Donald Trump and the rest of the “Birthers“, but the knockout punch came Sunday night when Obama made the most significant announcement on the war on terror, since the capture of Saddam Huessein, that US forces had killed Al Quaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, in a firefight in Pakistan and that the US has the body and everything.

What makes this so significant is that the mission to find and capture of kill Bin Laden was initiated by the President himself, he was in the loop on the whole thing, and gave the final order to go in and take him, once they located him in Pakistan.

Shortly before midnight, the president addressed the nation, saying

“I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.”

finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

… today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.  A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability.  No Americans were harmed.  They took care to avoid civilian casualties.  After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.”

He went on to make all the politically correct points, noting that this was not against Muslims, but against Al Quaeda and Osama Bin Laden, that this actually is great for Muslims because the terrorist group had murdered thousands of true Muslims around the world, in carrying out their attacks. He said the obligatory “God Bless the United States of America”, actually quoted the pledge of allegiance and that was it. He turned triumphantly and walked away from the podium.

The political victories over the birthers and a possible opponent in his next run are like good solid singles – base hits for certain – but killing Osama Bin Laden? That was a grand slam. Out of the park with the bases loaded. The reporters on every station are interviewing people who have filled Times Square cheering in the street. There is a sense of hope, that the troops may come home, that we may have peace, that Al Quaeda is weakened, that family members of those who perished in the World Trade Center on Sept 11, 2001 will be comforted by the news that he has been put to justice, but there is also a hint of concern that this will make Bin Laden a martyr and that we are still vulnerable to future terrorist attacks.

Still, this is what people were waiting for, for a long, long time. Many people were mad that George Bush Jr didn’t accomplish this on his watch. This makes Obama a hero, in the eyes of a lot of people. Democrats were worried that right wing attacks on Obama’s presidency would weaken his image enough for a Republican to win in the next election. The countries reaction to this news Sunday night, going into Monday morning, is reminiscent of a war time president or even emperor, as in the days of Julius Caesar. When Caesar marched into Rome after being vicotorius on the battle field, he was cheered by the people. People love a wartime hero, a fighting King, a leading General. As commander in chief, Barack Obama is symbolically a wartime monarch returning from the battlefield wearing the blood of his enemy. (Interestingly, Jewish website WorldofJudaica.com called Obama “The new Julius Caesar for the Jews”; comparing America, with it’s 700 to 800 military bases worldwide, to the Roman Empire).

I wouldn’t want to be any Republican announcing they are running against Obama, this week. You are going to run to get rid of the guy who kicked terrorism’s ass ? That’s not a good look. As we get more details in the coming weeks, opinions may shift and change, but for now, this announcement was like a gift to the American people.

(Photo by Pete Souza)

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