Saturday Politics - President Obama Can't Be So Stupid as to Believe What He Says

Saturday politics is sometimes like fantasy football. ~~~~~ Today, we learned that President Obama told journalists off-the-record this week that he was too slow to appreciate public alarm about the attacks in Paris and California. That a US President did not immediately realize that Americans would be frightened about domestic jihadist terrorist threats, especially after San Bernardino, is preposterous. The anxiety has been reported all week in polls and mainstream media. Is Obama the US President from another planet? ~~~~~ Not satisfied with one ridiculous statement this week, Obama held his year-end news conference, giving a fairytale summary of his "achievements." Obama touted his Cuba diplomacy (Obama 0 - Castro 100), and Iran deal (Obama 0 - Iran ICBM tests). He said his Obamacare law has reduced the number of uninsured people to below 10% of the population for the first time since records began. He said 6 million people signed up for Obamacare health coverage for 2016 and noted that in all, 17 million more people gained coverage (Obamacare 0 - all Americans more costly, less available healthcare). He took pride in job growth without uttering "part-time," which is where the new jobs are. Obama said these "successes" are a result of steps taken throughout his seven years in office. Let's review Obama vs reality, using ISIS as the example. ~~~~~ Obama said this week the US-led coalition is hitting ISIS targets "harder than ever," but critics say the hits don't adequately strike training camps turning out 1,000 ISIS fighters per month. An unnamed critic in the Obama administration told the Washington Free Beacon : "These camps give them a continuous, fresh flow of fighters. Little is being done to destroy them." Officials say 20 camps in Syria and Iraq have been hit since May. But, critics say ISIS has run 60 such camps since 2014. The military has not been able to attack the camps, officials say, because many are located near residential and population centers, and strikes could produce civilian casualties. ~~~~~ Obama this week said ISIS leaders are being targeted, and the extremist group has lost 40% of the territory it held in Iraq. But, new territory is being added and leaders can be replaced. Obama said more bombs were dropped in November than at any other time, destroying ISIS "fighting positions, bunkers, and staging areas; their heavy weapons, bomb-making factories, compounds and training camps. In many places, ISIL has lost its freedom of maneuver." But, Long War Journal editor Bill Roggio told the Free Beacon in June that the number of both ISIS and al Qaida training camps is rising : “It is unclear if US airstrikes have significantly set back the Islamic State’s training program. We may not be hitting the training facilities quick enough to make a difference.” Attacks between May and December included strikes near ISIS' Raqqa headquarters and against training camps and staging areas. A December 17 military statement said a training camp near the headquarters was hit. Army Colonel Steven Warren, a coalition spokesman, told the media : "we have struck training camps and will continue to do so.” But, Representative Mike Turner said during a House Armed Services Committee November meeting : "there’s great frustration in the American public....logistics, supply lines, sales of oil, other operations of ISIS are going without challenge.” Brigadier General Mark Odom, US military head in northern Iraq, said the coalition launched a 17-hour aerial attack against an ISIS offensive targeting Iraqi Kurdish security ­forces. US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met with Iraqi Kurdish leaders Thursday and said the fighting shows how effective Kurdish forces are when backed by the US. ~~~~~ Dear readers, the more aggressive US airstrikes began after Russia started massive airstrikes. And, while Secretary Carter values the Kurdish forces, the US does not yet supply them directly, but via Baghdad, where 90% of the supplies are skimmed off for Iraqi shiite/Iranian militia. Obama cannot be so stupid as to believe what he says.