What Will They Say About Obama Now?

For days we’ve heard from the right how Obama was doing nothing about captured American hostage Captain Richard Phillips.  (At right, the crew members of the Maersk celebrate his release).   The Wall Street Journal headlined a story, “The Pirates Challenge Obama’s Pre-911 Mentality,” going after him for refusing to comment. Even the liberal Huffington Post critically called a story, “Obama On Pirates: Declines To Answer Question.”  Another site blared “No Balls Obama” claiming he has no backbone.  None of these venues, along with the predictably critical right-wing talk radio had the sensibility to acknowledge that it was very likely that negotiations were going on behind the scenes, and that the sensitivity of the situation demanded silence.

Now that Phillips is safe, we learn that Obama twice gave permission to use force if necessary.

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.

I wonder if the Bama Bashers will have the decency to recant some of their earlier statements.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.