Obama on First Combat Death of An American General in Decades: (Silence)

 

By Andrew Malcolm
IBDEditorials.com

President Obama has a habit of issuing formal statements of sadness upon deaths in the news. Usually they begin "Michelle and I were saddened..." And they include the words "our hearts and prayers go out to the families."

Obama does it somewhat more than most modern presidents, especially if the dead person is an African leader like the president of Gabon. Or the prime minister of Ethiopia. Or the president of Ghana. Or the president of Nigeria.

Obama marked the passing of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez. He's been saddened by the departure of obscure one-term politicians and prominent ones like George McGovern, both Democrats, as it happens. And by the death of Arlen Specter, a Republican who converted to Democrat upon losing a GOP primary.

This president's been saddened by the victims of tornadoes and terrorism, by the passing of a poet, the death of an Army general and last week of a Reagan aide who was pro-gun control. Obama also hailed a deceased Grammy winner.

Obama even felt the need to suggest ways Americans could honor Trayvon Martin, the black Florida teen who died in a sidewalk confrontation with a neighborhood watchman.

This week, Maj. Gen. Harold Greene became the highest-ranking U.S. military officer to die in the Afghan war. He was assassinated and a dozen others wounded at a training camp near Kabul by a man in an Afghan army uniform, the first American general to die in a combat zone since the Vietnam War.

But Obama had nothing to say, issued no White House statement. Wednesday during several public events, including a 40-minute pre-vacation news conference, the commander-in-chief uttered not a single word about the violent death of one of only about 200 Army generals.

Strange behavior from someone who so often pays lip service to the devotion and sacrifice of U.S. military volunteers and behavior likely to confirm widespread skepticism of the Democrat's sincerity.

In the news conference, Obama was all about Africa and its investment opportunities, not even a secondary topic on the minds of Americans, who now award Obama his lowest job approval yet, 40%. And 36% on foreign policy.

On the day his defense secretary warned of a possibly imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine, Obama said his sanctions are working to deter Russian aggression. How so? Chuck Hagel says Putin's massed 20,000 more troops by Ukraine and war there is "a reality and a threat and a possibility.”

No wonder Americans feel a national drift with a feckless, uninvolved ex-legislator as "leader." They don't want another war. Who does?

But they would like some leadership, a sense their twice-elected president is involved with more than fundraising and golf, doing more than passively watching world events worsen. And conniving every domestic move for some political gain.

This is, after all, a nation and super-power at that, not a municipal collection of geographic wards.

In his news briefing, Press Secretary Josh Earnest sought to dodge comment by saying an investigation was underway. That's this crowd's go-to excuse for cover-up.

Here's how pathetic the Obama minion was: Earnest wouldn't even say the fallen general's name.

"This shooting," Earnest said, "is, of course, a painful reminder of the service and sacrifice that our men and women in uniform make every day for this country. The thoughts and prayers of those of us here at the White House are with the family of the general."

Of course, it is. And of course they are. This Obama administration spends words as if they're mere millions of dollars.

So, we'll say a few words about the 55-year-old husband and dad of two. Boston-born, he became such a devoted Red Sox fan, the youngster would circle in red their wins in the newspapers he delivered. He joined college ROTC and loved it.

Aides hinted to White House reporters that Obama did not want to elevate one soldier's death over any other. Well, in his 34-year military career the two-star general was elevated regularly above his peers, as was his wife Sue, a retired Army colonel.

In 13 years, 2,322 Americans have died in Afghanistan, 74% of them during Obama's five-year presidency.

Here's the real reason for no White House comment: Afghan soldiers turning on Americans undermine Obama's entire hasty withdrawal narrative, that our job is done and Afghans are ready to take on their own security by year's end.

Gen. Greene was to begin a two-week home leave tomorrow. He planned to take his wife, their grown children and his 85-year-old father to a pair of Sox games at Fenway Park. Instead, the family will assemble at Arlington National Cemetery for the funeral of the man whose service and sacrifice the Obama White House refused to acknowledge.