The Obama administration announced that Attorney General Eric Holder will assign a special prosecutor to take the first step in bringing to trial CIA operatives who used extreme measures to interrogate terrorists. These extreme measures did not include torture, but merely threats and coercion which caused those interrogated to reveal details of planned terrorist attacks, and further permitted the United States to prevent them.

Others have persuasively argued that prosecuting those who defend our country encourages our enemies, discourages our own people, and makes our allies wonder why they’re on our side at all. However, under the present administration, anyone who takes an oath to defend our nation should be ready to be prosecuted for doing his or her duty, and crucified for going above and beyond the call.

The Obama administration prefers that its Justice Department dismiss criminal cases against its friends. This happened last week in the dismissed case of Democrat New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson’s shady deals with campaign contributors, and last month with the dismissed case of Democrat Senator Chris Dodd’s questionable favors bestowed by Countrywide Mortgage. Instead, Attorney General Eric Holder’s wrath is directed at Americans serving on the front line against terror. Further, there seems to be no statute of limitations on such vital practices as interrogating, interdicting, hunting and killing our nation’s enemies. So here is a list of some additional targets for Obama DOJ investigations:

Navy Captain Stephen Decatur, who in February, 1804, sailed his schooner Enterprise under the hostile guns of Tripoli harbor and in a daring raid destroyed the captured American frigate Philadelphia, denying the valuable ship to the terrorist Tripolitanian enemy.

Colonel William Travis and the defenders ofthe Alamo, who in February, 1836, obliged Mexican General Santa Ana and his army to find out what Texans are made of.

Marine Captain Lloyd Williams of the 5th Marine Regiment who, prior to the valorous stand of soldiers and Marines at Belleau Wood in June, 1918, responded to a French officer’s suggestion to withdraw from the exposed position, “Retreat, hell–we just got here!”

Or the civilian passengers of United Flight 93, who on September 11th, 2001, met the greatest terrorist attack on our nation with courage, resolve, and selfless sacrifice so that others might live.

Admittedly, these Americans are all beyond the pitiful jurisdiction of Eric Holder. Their cases have, in fact, already come before the Highest Power. (No, that is not a reference to Rahm Emmanuel.) But it is certain that before the Ultimate Judge, these heroes were not only acquitted, but honored, feted, and invited to sit on the side of the angels, which is certainly where they belong.

And they’ll be saving a place for those CIA operatives now threatened by the earthly courts of lesser men.

Basic political tactics dictate that bad news is released on a Friday, preferably before a big holiday weekend, when few people are paying attention. The current administration has had no shortage of bad news of late, but last Friday they announced that their previous ten-year estimate of the budget deficit (about $7 trillion) was too low. The revised deficit estimate for 2010-2019 is $9 trillion–two trillion dollars higher than before. 

Until Obama came to the Oval Office,finding something to spend two trillion dollars on was a challenge. Now that Obama and the Democrats are in charge, of course, spending two trillion dollars is an almost monthly occurrence. But in the old days (prior to 2009), two trillion was a lot of money. It’s the sort of price tag one would expect for waging a protracted world war, finding a cure for cancer, turning the Sahara Desert into fertile farmland, or colonizing Mars. And such ambitious programs would be exhaustively debated in Congress, in the media, and among voters across the country. Because two trillion dollars is more money than any previous administration has spent on anything, and we’d want to be sure we were getting our money’s worth. 

But the value of two trillion dollars has changed under Barack Obama. The current president seems to think that he has been issued the world’s most powerful credit card, with no limit and easy terms–spend however much you want, and simply mail the bill to successive generations. Under Barack Obama, massive spending is the solution to everything. But this is not two trillion dollars invested in a major piece of legislation or vital investment in our nation’s future. This is two trillion dollars of accounting error.

And remember, this is only an estimate of what the deficit will be ten years from now. In the first six months of the administration, that estimate has already been adjusted upwards by two trillion dollars. That estimate does not take into account more wars, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, energy disruptions, or pandemics. Any of these occurrences could cause the estimate of the deficit to be bumped upward again. By how much more next time? Two trillion? Five trillion? Ten trillion?

The administration released this information on a Friday, hoping Americans would be too busy enjoying their weekend to notice. Barack Obama hoped to set the example by flying off to a Martha’s Vineyard vacation in the direct path of Hurricane Bill. If the president isn’t worried by this looming tsunami of red ink, why should any of us be concerned? Besides, every thousand-page piece of legislation the president champions carries a multi-trillion dollar price tag. What’s a couple more trillion added to a multi-trillion dollar debt we have no way of repaying anyway? Max out the credit card and head for beach!

One other bit of weekend news most Americans won’t notice came out on Sunday. Rasmussen reports that the president’s approval rating is the worst since he took office. While 27% of respondents strongly approve of the president’s performance in office, 41% strongly disapprove. Rasmussen’s numbers are the lowest for the president of any major national poll, but all show steady deterioration in support for Obama. It may be that Americans are paying attention after all. And they have two trillion more reasons to do so since last Friday.

by Lance Thompson 

The steady drop in President Obama’s approval ratings has been attributed to the recent acrimonious debate over health care reform. But I believe that debate is only a minor factor in Americans’ growing dissatisfaction with the president. The real source of Obama’s declining popularity is his character.  

Every election of a non-incumbent is a matter of taking a chance. Political campaigns present candidates in the best possible light, and voters try to determine from all the hype and hoopla what sort of leader the candidate will be. However, it is impossible to be certain. We must infer from campaign themes and statements and behavior how the candidate will conduct himself in office. 

Once the election is over, voters compare the elected politician with the expectations they formed while he was a candidate. They hope that he will at least be true to the promises he made during the campaign. In the best of worlds, he will exceed the expectations of his supporters and prove to be an inspirational and visionary leader. 

The elected politician scores well when he demonstrates strength and depth of character. There are many aspects of the quality of character, but some elements are generally agreed upon. A president of character keeps his word, stands up for his country, and takes responsibility for his actions. President Obama has failed all of these tests of character. 

It is certain that many on the left who voted for Obama are pleased with his performance. After all, he has moved this country toward socialism in more ways, at a much faster rate, and at far greater expense than any American president in history. For those who idealize the redistribution of wealth, the dismantling of capitalism, the hobbling of our industries with taxes and restrictions, the takeover of private companies by the federal government, and total state control of our health care system, Obama has delivered in spades. 

However, liberals would have voted for Obama anyway. His margin of victory came from the many independent and nonaligned voters who thought it worth the risk to vote for an unknown quantity. These are the people who are turning away from Obama in droves, and the reason is his character.

Obama promised to lower taxes for 95% of Americans. He said this with a straight face, even though less than 60% of Americans pay taxes. Not only was the math against him, but he has already stated that taxes may have to rise for middle income taxpayers to supply revenue for his various programs. Obama promised to raise ethical standards and bring transparency to the White House. He has since appointed tax cheats to his cabinet, placed a racist on the Supreme Court, and bullied private industry to accede to his takeovers of banks, auto companies and other private concerns. He promised to publicly post on the internet all important legislation for a week prior to passage. Since coming to office, he has supported a Democrat Congress in its rush to enact massive spending bills before any Senator or representative could read them. Obama’s administration has been one broken promise after another.

Obama also fails the test of standing up for our country. His strongest suit in the area of diplomacy seems to be to travel to foreign countries and apologize for American misdeeds or disavow long standing policies. Nations that have risked much to be our allies–the United Kingdom, Israel, former Soviet republics–are thus taught that we cannot be depended on. But he does not stop there. He supports the legally deposed president Zelaya of Honduras; seeks closer ties to the terrorist-sponsoring governments of Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba; and shrugs at the nuclear and ballistic missile advances of North Korea. Obama makes no demands, defends no principles, and commits himself to none of the great causes of American foreign policy. He is a president ashamed of American exceptionalism, and, by extension, of America herself.

Obama does not take responsibility for his decisions. He inherited an $800 billion dollar debt from President Bush–largely due to the last-minute spending on the TARP financial institution bailout. This was a lamentable decision on the part of the previous administration. But Obama has doubled and trebled that debt, and wants to multiply it again, and continues to blame the deficit spending on the previous administration. Obama, in six months, has spent more money than all other presidents combined, but when this point is brought up to him, he blames the last guy who sat in his chair. When will Obama take responsibility for the trillions he has spent, and the trillions more he demands?

Finally, the health care debate again focuses attention on character. Obama, who promised to make the public part of the legislative process, has instead tried to rush hundreds of pages of health care reform through the Democrat Congress. When details began to leak out, and Americans protested, Obama’s administration asked his supporters to report anyone who opposed his agenda to the White House. He allowed Democrats in Congress to demonize his critics as un-American, subversive, and dangerous. And despite Congressional Budget Office estimates that his proposals will cost more, accomplish less, and cause more damage than Obama claims, the president continues to insist that the legislation be passed. At one time, Obama’s personal credibility may have carried the day on this issue. But now, after more than half a year of Obama, the majority of Americans no longer accept his claims at face value.

Voters have months of campaigning to decide if they like a candidate enough to vote for him. After the election, it takes another few months for them to decide if they’ve chosen wisely. Character takes time to reveal itself. Obama has had ample time to demonstrate his character. It appears, as time goes on, that more and more Americans find him wanting.