Courtesy Daily Mail

Did you watch the speech?

Samantha Power took the podium at Columbia University on Monday night sounding hoarse and looking uncomfortable. In two hours, President Obama would address the nation on Libya and Ms. Power, the fiery human rights crusader who now advises Mr. Obama on foreign policy, did not want to get out in front of the boss.

“I’m not going to talk much about Libya,” she began, though when it came time for questions she could not help herself. “Our best judgment,” she said, defending the decision to establish a no-fly zone to prevent atrocities, was that failure to do so would have been “extremely chilling, deadly and indeed a stain on our collective conscience.”

That the president used almost precisely the same language was hardly a surprise. For nearly 20 years, since her days as a young war correspondent in Bosnia, Ms. Power has championed the idea that nations have a moral obligation to prevent genocide. Now, from her perch on the National Security Council, she is in a position to make that case to the commander in chief — and to watch him translate her ideas into action.

“She is clearly the foremost voice for human rights within the White House,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, “and she has Obama’s ear.”

Are we in Libya because of Gaddafi’s atrocities? Still the world’s policeman? The Arab League? Oil? Power pressed in recent weeks for military intervention in Libya in the face of misgivings voiced by her superiors on the president’s National Security Council.




  1. MikeN says:

    Mr Confusion, some of your statements regarding Kosovo are actually about dropping bombs on Iraq. Could you also pull Bill Clinton’s statements from the time, and tell us whether you believe Bill Clinton was telling the truth when he said Saddam Hussein was a threat?

  2. MikeN says:

    So it’s not OK to depose a ruler who paid money to Palestinian families of suicide bombers, hosted terrorists on his soil, and was pursuing WMD programs, but it’s OK to depose a ruler who agreed to give up his WMD programs, including nuclear centrifuges, and paid $8 million per family to the victims of the Lockerbie bombing, as well as paid up millions more for other terror attacks, because for the former a Republican is president.

  3. KD Martin says:

    Interesting that no one commented on the gist of the article, that we seem to be at war in Libya because of the rants of one person: Samantha Power.

    “Now, from her perch on the National Security Council, she is in a position to make that case to the commander in chief — and to watch him translate her ideas into action.”

  4. Benjamin says:

    #32 conFusion said, “The easiest way to identify a “Regressive” is just to look at what channel their TV is turned to. It won’t be PBS.”

    Hmm. When I watch TV, it is usually on PBS. Dr. Who, Red Green, that astronomy guy that comes on, This Old House, Nova, New Yankee workshop, Ask This Old House. I don’t pay for cable and I don’t like reality TV that is on the networks.

    Although the only criteria I meet of being a “regressive” is I believe we are over taxed and I think the Hawaii-born Kenyan should be impeached for going to war without the approval of Congress. The Constitution says that Congress declares war.

  5. bobbo, had enough dogma today? says:

    Benji–you are right that being proud of being a pea-brain is all you need to be a regressive.

    We aren’t over taxed–by definition we are in deficits which requires spending cuts and tax increases, Obama is not a Kenyan, its an unsettled point of law as to whether or not a UN Mandate authorizes the Pres to use military troops or not. Pure hypocrisy on YOUR part to suggest impeachment when Congress itself is not doing it.

    Yes, pea-brained regressive for sure.

  6. Benjamin says:

    #42 Obama is half Kenyan. I am half German and half Scottish. Heritage is not a bar from being President, just location of birth. I believe Obama was born in Hawaii so he is eligible to be President.

    We are overtaxed. Commercial property tax and Corporate income tax are both the highest in the nation, so all the jobs that are created are in neighboring states. So your belief that we are overtaxed is incorrect.

    However the point is that Obama is violating the Constitution by going to war in Libya. Our Constitution says that Congress declares war, not the President. I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt if Congress authorizes use of military force.


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