Obama and Libya: A "hidden-hand" presidency?

By: Christine Delargy
Topics: In The News ,; Washington Unplugged ,; Obama Administration

As the administration walks a political tightrope explaining its role in Libya, has a schism formed between President Obama's rhetoric and the mission's end goal?

Mr. Obama and the administration have repeatedly said U.S. policy is to remove Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi from power, while the United Nations defines its mission as strictly humanitarian.

In an interview with CBS News political analyst John Dickerson Friday, former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns noted contradictions between the two objectives and mounting confusion on the definition of success in Libya.

"The problem with this operation all along, and its not just a U.S. problem, it's coalition-wide, is there's been a contradiction between the rhetoric and the fuzziness of what the end state is," Burns, who served in the Bush administration, said.

Dickerson also discussed Mr. Obama's "risky" and "nuanced" message on Libya with his weekly politics roundtable, which included National Journal Group editorial director Ron Brownstein, the New York Times' White House correspondent Peter Baker and Al Arabiya Washington bureau chief Hisham Melhem.

"He doesn't want this to consume everything he's doing the way he felt President Bush got consumed in Iraq and Afghanistan," Baker said, noting that Mr. Obama was an "anti-war candidate now presiding over three wars."

Characterizing Mr. Obama's style as "hidden-hand presidency," Baker said the president's approach in Libya is "not new."

"In Afghanistan he's tripled the troops and you wouldn't know it because he's not out there talking about this all the time," Baker said.

"He is able to achieve a great deal of what he sets out to do, but not in a process that looks as though you have the president of the United States carving through the wilderness," Brownstein said.

In the Middle East, Brownstein said Obama has a "clear desire that we not be the fulcrum of the discussion," though Melhem countered the U.S. is "expected to play a role" by many in the region.

The panel pegged Mr. Obama as a "reluctant warrior," a role Melhem said could be "perceived overseas as weakness."

Dickerson and the roundtable also discussed 2012 politics and the one-year anniversary of Mr. Obama's health care reform law. Watch the full video above.

Christine Delargy
Christine Delargy is a producer for CBSNews.com.
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by wethepeopl3 March 27, 2011 2:52 PM EDT: Heres my question, if we are such good people to try to implement democracy in a foreign country, spend so much money on invading (And making money off the sweetest oil in the world down there)why wouldnt we send our own planes in to carry it out? But no we couldnt dirty our hands with such maniacle work so we send everyone else in instead. All of the air strikes conducted in lybia have been conducted by foreign aircraft.; Reply to this comment


by Dustintehwind March 27, 2011 9:58 AM EDT: I walked outside yesterday and stepped on an ant. It did not make the news. That is all Obama has done. America has the greatest air power in the world. Did anyone believe it would be more than stepping on an ant?
The question has never been will we succeed? The question is why are we involved? I hate that the hypocrite,lying Obama got the USA involved but now that we are we have no choice but to succeed. If we fail if Qaddafi stays then America will look week and Obama will look like the fool he is but the Middle east will lose its chance to gain freedom and reform.
After we succeed then Obama by his and his VP's own words should be impeached.; Reply to this comment


by wethepeopl3 March 27, 2011 3:23 AM EDT: Agreed, What was the telepromter reader in chief ahem...i mean obamanation ahem... sorry i didnt watch the brainwasing device today..Obaaama doing when the nuclear reactors were breached? he was playing basketball at the NCAA. Mainstream media didnt even get a story out about the reactors until two days after secondary media. Now is that what you call good media???; Reply to this comment


by Dustintehwind March 27, 2011 12:39 AM EDT: Obama has always been a schism a psychopathic schizoid.

Schism : division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties. His words never match his deeds.

psychopathic: of, relating to, or characterized by psychopathy or antisocial personality disorder. Obama is to in love with Obama to ever be social. You must love and understand the greatness of his majesty for him to grace you with his wisdom.

Schizoid: People with SPD are seen as aloof, cold and indifferent, which causes some social problems.

Vacations while everyone else is suffering.
Most individuals diagnosed with SPD have difficulty establishing personal relationships or expressing their feelings in a meaningful way, and may remain passive in the face of unfavorable situations.
Unable to make decisions to lead or to give clear direction and dependency on the teleprompter.

Their communication with other people at times may be indifferent and concise. Because of their lack of meaningful communication with other people

Onama: Uh , I mean . You know , Well, UM, etc..... I said that then but now . That is not what I meant when I said what I said.

Obama has always been a schism a psychopathic schizoid.

Any questions?; Reply to this comment


by wethepeopl3 March 26, 2011 10:53 PM EDT: What buisiness do we even have in Lybia. It isnt even our country. I believe we have sufficient problems to deal with right here at home. We should be concentrating on the real problems facing the American people such as the globalist takeover of our Country. It is pathetic to see my country fall into shambles because the American people are so intellectually lazy that they wont even look at whats really going on, they are too concentrated on the latest Fad and Phase. Most of the people out there dont even know what our contitution is!; Reply to this comment


by tdavis001 March 26, 2011 12:03 AM EDT: For once we went to war for actual humanitarian reasons. Real crimes are being committed real time against the Libyan people. In Iraq the alleged crimes occurred 10 years earlier. Second this is actually happening. It is not a manufactured situation as Iraq was. Third the people of Iraq actually asked for help. Fourth the international community has joined this effort because it is a principled and morally right effort. Rather ironic isn't it....; Reply to this comment


by jessytell March 25, 2011 8:34 PM EDT: by ajvw March 25, 2011 6:18 PM EDT
cBS - what a lame attempt to cover barry's incompetence.

CBS makes it their job always to protect Obama.; Reply to this comment


by jessytell March 25, 2011 8:33 PM EDT: Obama will put his finger in the air, as soon as he takes his head out of his a---ss and see how the polls are running today, and then decide what to do. That has always been his policy what few times he has had one and it will always be his policy because he is a brain dead man with no clue at all.; Reply to this comment