Nine words missing. Stated clearly by Navy Vice Admiral William Gortney. But not directly, publicly, and loudly by our commander-in-chief:
“The United States government policy is to not negotiate.”
Apparently, Malkin seems to consider herself a strategy expert when it comes to rescusing an American citizen from a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean containing armed Somali pirates. How foolish of me to doubt her.
Something tells me that there was little "negotiating" going on, and more of an effort to keep the kidnappers talking while the Navy positioned themselves to strike.
Oh, wait, I think that's called "strategy".
But the discussion doesn't stop there, not by a longshot.
The Malkinites went on in, claiming that Obama had to be asked twice to authorize the use of force, and that he essentially buggered-up this whole operation from the start:
On April 12th, 2009 at 5:19 pm, BlameAmericaLast said:
I believe the negotiating part means — we do not give in to ransom requests, etc.
The military had to ask Obama TWICE to get him to agree to take decisive measures. Let’s just hope when North Korea decides to launch a missile that may be headed for the US, he won’t think TWICE to shoot it down.
On April 12th, 2009 at 5:25 pm, Artbyruth said:
The fact that Obama was even asked…let alone TWICE…to use military force is frightening and shows his lack of experience.
I would have preferred it was Obama who TOLD the military to send in the SEALS!
That's when a follow-up commentor asked a simple question:
On April 12th, 2009 at 5:29 pm, chapoutier said:
The military had to ask Obama TWICE to get him to agree to take decisive measures
Cite?
To which the following response was given:
On April 12th, 2009 at 6:14 pm, BlameAmericaLast said:
Cite?
Foxnews about 45 minutes ago. Julie Banderas was on.
That's right, Julie Banderas.
Turns out that she, and the bulk of the commentors that were falling over themselves to slander Obama's leadership abilities in the face of a successful mission, were only partially correct - and I use the word "correct" in the most minimal ways.
Seems that Obama was more tuned into the situation than Malkin's followers are willing to admit.
The Defense Department twice asked Obama for permission to use military force to rescue Capt. Richard Phillips from a lifeboat off the Somali coast. Obama first gave permission around 8 p.m. Friday, and upgraded it at 9:20 a.m. Saturday. Officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations said the second order was to encompass more military personnel and equipment that arrived in the Indian Ocean to engage the pirates.
White House officials on Sunday said Obama received regular updates by phone and in person at the White House — including 11 memos — and during his daily intelligence briefings with senior officials. The National Security Council last updated the president on a contingency plan for Phillips at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, according to a timeline of events released Sunday afternoon by the White House.
The president was in the residence Sunday when officials called him to alert him the five-day standoff was over, officials said.
And, as an interesting turn of events, it appears that one conservative blogger is actually ready to give some credit to Obama:
Kudos to the SEALs, and kudos to Obama for making the right call. If this had gone badly, he would have taken the blame, so it’s fair to credit him with taking the steps necessary to finally bring this to a happy conclusion.
That one comes from none-other than Ed Morrissey over at HotAir.
And, if you can stomach wading through the near 1400 comments in that thread, you'll see the same rhetoric used to "blame" Obama for actualy doing the job that he was elected to do.
And it wasn't just Malkin and the easily-led automatons at HotAir that were aching for Obama to flub this one up. Fox"News" was laying the groundwork for their "I told you so" segment that is going to have to be put on the cutting-room floor.
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