Barack Obama "Overwhelmed" by Economic Crisis

Why did the Obama administration bungle the protocol for the state visit of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown? The Sunday Telegraph is suggesting an explanation that is bone chilling in its implications.

"Barack Obama's offhand approach to Gordon Brown's Washington visit last week came about because the president was facing exhaustion over America's economic crisis and is unable to focus on foreign affairs...

"Sources close to the White House say Mr. Obama and his staff have been "overwhelmed" by the economic meltdown and have voiced concerns that the new president is not getting enough rest."

Translated, this suggests that President Barack Obama and his White House staff are incompetent and are incapable of doing their jobs. The implications of this revelation, so early in the Obama administration, should give pause. While the Obama administration is foundering in its so far unsuccessful attempts to deal with the economic crisis, it is neglecting foreign policy and national security to the extent that it cannot even properly handle the proper protocols for a visiting head of government from one of America's oldest allies.

America's enemies cannot help but notice this situation. One can only imagine what is going through the heads of such people as Osama bin Laden and Ahmadinejad of Iran as they plot their next moves against the United States. The combination of a President in over his head and enemies eager to do the United States harm is invariably lethal. One can only look back to the Carter administration and the Iran hostage crisis or the Clinton administration and the Somalia fiasco to imagine what is in store for the United States under Barack Obama.

How this situation came about is also suggested in the Sunday Telegraph article.

"The Sunday Telegraph understands that one of Mr. Obama's most prominent African American backers, whose endorsement he spent two years cultivating, has told friends that he detects a weakness in Mr. Obama's character.

"'The one real serious flaw I see in Barack Obama is that he thinks he can manage all this,' the well-known figure told a Washington official, who spoke to this newspaper. 'He's underestimating the flood of things that will hit his desk.'"

One suspects that the African American in question is former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Therein may be the key for avoiding calamity.

In the private sector, in the ordinary course of events, when a new hire is seen to not be up for the job, he or she is let go. That is not an option for a President of the United States before the next election. Impeachment, while a theoretical possibility, is unlikely to say the least. Besides, removing Barack Obama from office would put Joe Biden into the Presidency.

If Barack Obama is feeling "overwhelmed" by the job he so eagerly sought, then he should get some competent, experienced help. Barack Obama should ask for Rahm Emanuel's resignation as White House Chief of Staff and replace him with Colin Powell.

Colin Powell likely burned a lot of bridges with the Republican Party during and after his tenure as Secretary of State, but he retains the respect of a lot of people in both parties. He is relatively competent and certainly experienced in dealing with a variety of issues. Colin Powell, as White House Chief of Staff, would certain provide the kind of adult supervision that the Barack Obama administration so desperately needs.

It may be ironic that Colin Powell, who at one time might have become the first African American US President for the asking, may have it within him to save the administration of the actual first African American President.

Source: Barack Obama 'too tired' to give proper welcome to Gordon Brown, Tim Shipman, Sunday Telegraph, March 7th, 2009