As Biden so inartfully predicted during the campaign, the world is testing Obama. Victor Davis Hanson writes at the Corner:
Abroad, some really creepy people are lining up to test Obama's world view of "Bush did it/but I am the world": The North Koreans are readying their missiles; the Iranians are calling us passive, bragging on nukes and satellites; Russia is declaring missile defense is over and the Euros in real need of iffy Russian gas; Pakistanis say no more drone attacks (and then our friends the Indians say "shut up" about Kashmir and the Euros order no more "buy American").
The buy American provision in the stimulus was unpalatable to most conservatives, but the reaction abroad was utterly predictable. Why allow the provision into the bill in the first place if Obama's response at the first sign of protest would be to roll over and give it up. It's bad optics, and as silly as the buy America concept is, one would like to see the president show a little back bone in dealing with our allies.
Of course, far more worrisome is how Obama is dealing with our enemies. VDH continues:
I can't recall a similarly disastrous start in a half-century (far worse than Bill Clinton's initial slips). Obama immediately must lower the hope-and-change rhetoric, ignore Reid/Pelosi, drop the therapy, and accept the tragic view that the world abroad is not misunderstood but quite dangerous. And he must listen on foreign policy to his National Security Advisor, Billary, and the Secretary of Defense. If he doesn't quit the messianic style and perpetual campaign mode, and begin humbly governing, then he will devolve into Carterism-angry that the once-fawning press betrayed him while we the people, due to our American malaise, are to blame.
As one Republican emailed in response to the provocations from Russia, Iran, and North Korea, "Voting present is not an option Mr. President."
