Obama's "One President" Gambit

Washington Post: Democrat Defers To Bush On Foreign Policy - But Not On Economy

(Washington Post)  This story was written by Michael D. Shear.

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When it comes to repairing the faltering U.S. economy, Barack Obama offers vision, numbers and detail. But as Israeli bombs and Palestinian rockets explode in the Middle East, the president-elect has responded with silence.

With 20 days until he takes office, Obama is likely to encounter a region reshaped by new violence once he becomes commander in chief. But he has refused to engage in diplomatic conversation before then, insisting that to do so would undermine President Bush. "President-elect Obama is closely monitoring global events, including the situation in Gaza, but there is one president at a time," said Brooke Anderson, Obama's national security spokeswoman.

But while the "one president" philosophy has kept Obama mum on emerging foreign policy crises since the Nov. 4 election, he has abandoned it when it comes to the economy, talking at great length and in great detail about his plans for the nation's financial recovery.

Obama -- and the usually loquacious Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. -- are deferential to Bush on international affairs. Meanwhile, they have all but taken over from the current White House occupant the job of designing an economic rescue, declaring weeks ago that "work starts today."

The difference offers a glimpse into Obama's careful governing style, in which the 44th president and his team weigh the risks of action against the political advantages of doing or saying nothing.

"It seems clear he's just cherry-picking those things that serve his purpose and staying as far away from Middle East troubles as he can," said G. Calvin MacKenzie, a professor of government at Colby College in Maine. "Come January 21, he's going to have to deal with some of these issues. But politically, there's no good news there. There's no benefit in him getting involved with that sooner than he has to."

Aides say the president-elect's silence on foreign policy follows a long-held principle that reserves such issues to the president. Offering a competing voice could have immediate consequences for U.S. policy.

"President-elect Obama believes it is important to adhere to the constitutional principle that there is only one president at a time, and it is extremely important in the arena of foreign policy that it is clear who is speaking on behalf of the United States," incoming press secretary Robert Gibbs said.

As a candidate, Obama said he would rebuild the nation's reputation and promised to end the Iraq war while shifting resources to Afghanistan. But the economic collapse has dramatically refocused his agenda, especially for the first few months of his administration.

In the most recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, two-thirds of Americans highlighted economic issues as the top priority for Obama and the next Congress. Fewer than 1 percent cited a "foreign policy" concern as their primary issue. Nine percent singled out the war in Iraq as the top problem they want the next administration to tackle, a big drop from the issue's prominence before the primaries.

Even among Americans' foreign policy concerns, the Israeli-Palestinian issue ranks low. In a September Pew Research Center poll, 25 percent called "finding a solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians" a top long-range priority for the United States, putting it at the bottom of a 12-item list topped by protecting the country against terrorism and preserving U.S. jobs.

Shortly after the election, Obama signaled that he would spend the 11-week transition largely in the background, deferring to his predecessor. But when it comes to the economy, he has been anything but a political wallflower.

Obama has asked Congress to have a stimulus package ready to "jolt" the economy by the time he is sworn in. And weeks ago, he assigned his economic advisers to work with Congress to write the legislation. "With our economy in distress, we cannot hesitate and we cannot delay," Obama said Nov. 25. "Our families can't afford to keep on waiting."

On Dec. 2, he met with the nation's governors, pledging to work with them to put people back to work. Five days later, in a radio address, he unveiled a plan to fix the nation's infrastructure, including the crumbling transportation grid, and to invest in green technology.

His aides are deep in discussion with the Democratic leadership in the U.S. House, which will return next week to take up an economic plan that Obama designed. On Dec. 21, after meeting with top economic advisers, the president-elect upped his job creation goal from 2.5 million to 3 million.

"A hemorrhaging financial system and economy, where there's got to be some confidence in the Fed and the U.S. government, leads to a departure from what would otherwise be 'one president at a time,' " said Graham Allison, a presidential scholar at Harvard University.

But Allison said the ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip -- like the terrorist attacks in Mumbai last month -- does not present the same need to break from a long-standing tradition of deference. "It's not that clear what the U.S. can do or necessarily even should do," Allison said. "Given that [Obama] doesn't have responsibility, it gives him a way to avoid being just another part of the story."

That has been Obama's approach to foreign policy since the day after he was elected, when Russian President Dimitry Medvedev warned in a speech that he would deploy short-range missiles capable of striking NATO territory if Obama proceeded with plans to build a missile defense shield in Europe.

Obama declined to comment. Biden, who late in the campaign wondered aloud about a foreign policy test, was silent as well.

A few weeks later, when terrorists killed 171 people in India's financial capital, Obama condemned the attacks and said they demonstrated the need to stand with "nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks."

But his aides refused to take the bait when reporters raised Obama's campaign statement that the United States should act unilaterally in Pakistan to eliminate terrorist threats. "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President [Pervez] Musharraf won't act, we will," he said at the time.

Obama's top advisers have been equally hesitant during the Gaza crisis, even as Israeli politicians have been quoting the president-elect's words from the campaign: "If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I'm going to do everything in my power to stop that. And I would expect Israelis to do the same thing."

Senior Obama adviser David Axelrod acknowledged the statement during an interview on NBC's "Meet The Press" on Sunday. But he added: "The Bush administration has to speak for America now."

Obama, who is vacationing in Hawaii, has made no statements about the Mideast situation since Israel's aerial assault on Gaza began Saturday. A handful of pro-Palestinian activists gathered in front of Obama's $9 million rental home Tuesday, some of them carrying signs urging him to address Mideast policy when he becomes president.

Ann Wright, 62, a retired Army colonel, wore a T-shirt that read "We will not be silent" and carried a sign that said: "Change U.S. foreign policy. Yes we can." Her group, Veterans for Peace, later issued a news release: "We call on President-elect Obama to place the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the top of his list of priorities of his new administration."

Polling director Jon Cohen contributed to this report.

[briannorwood]

This is about as dumb an article I have ever read! Clearly Michael Shear doesn''t know the difference between domestic and foreign policy!

I mean what is Obama supposed to do, send Hillary to the middle east to begin negotiations with the Israelis and the Palistinians?

What a moron!

[mizzerz]

The press is incredible. They want to see Obama take control of the situation and make decisions before he is president. When he does make an appearance they criticize him for over stepping his position.

Why don''t we wait till he takes over before we start the criticism?

[element51]

Hungry68....Hope you had a good holiday. I totally agree with your post. As I look around at the state of our economy it actually makes me sick. I believe that it will be a miracle if we can recover any time soon. But already the Obama haters are calling for his head on a plater saying he hasn''t done anything yet. The fact that he hasn''t even been sworn in yet is a fact that seems to elude them. They are still claiming that he is not a US citizen and are trying to keep him from being sworn in. I am also angry that the 700 billion bailout has seemed to disappear and the economy has not improved at all. Where is all that money? It appears to me that it was a last dip in the public well and the wall street fat cats just got a little fatter. I just finished a book by Lou Dobbs titled,"War on the Middle Class." I suggest you pick up a copy of it as it reveals a lot of facts.

[iamhungry68]

And they appear to be proud of the fact that the most devestating attack in American History only occurred once on their watch.

Posted by truthmatterz at 09:59 AM : Jan 02, 2009





I would argue that the greatest attack on our nation, IS the heist of wealth from our treasury.

The economic disaster they created, is certainly hurting America much harder than the 9/11 attacks did.

I''m not disregarding the loss of life, I''m just saying.....

[dnsallday]

Good riddance, George Bush. Try to rest peacefully, knowing how much damage you have caused to your country.....

Posted by raflin0010
*********************************************************
George W. Bush and his mafia friends are patting themselves on the back right now for pulling of one of the Greatest heists in American history. They have been extremely successful at transferring billions and billions of dollars from the public coffers (ours) into the private sector (theirs).
You think they have a conscience? They have accomplished their goal.
And they appear to be proud of the fact that the most devestating attack in American History only occurred once on their watch.
I won''t even go into Katrina..............

[revrom]

It is totally false and stupid to equate Obama''s silence on events in Gaza with his comments on the economy. Economic comments have no immediate consequences while political comments on current events might very well muddy the diplomatic waters. Reporters who try to get Obama to open up on current and very volatile situations are just looking for cheap headlines. Revrom

[godbody1234]

i have no clue as to why obama would want to be the president of a failing country occupied by MOSTLY dumb ignorant and studied citizens. Americans love to point the finger at everybody but themselves. You all blame bush for your problems but refuse to realize that YOU elected him. SO IF YOU VOTED FOR BUSH, YOU ARE AS MUCH TO BLAME AS ANYONE ELSE. AMERICANS LIKE TO F*** THINGS UP AND THEN LOOK TO ONE MAN TO FIX PROBLEMS CAUSED BY A ENTIRE NATION. AMERICANS VOTED FOR BUSH TWICE. I MEAN I CAN UNDERSTAND ONCE BUT AFTER THE FIRST FOUR YEARS OF FAILURE YOU WANTED MORE!!!! HOW STUPID CAN YOU BE

[yongamerica]

What else can Dubya do in 20 days?
How about bomb Iran''s nuclear facilities? That''d be sweet!

[element51]

leeanna58....It appears to me that your post is meant to be sarcastic. If not, I apologize to you. If so, I have a question for you. How long are you going to give Obama to make any progress? One day, two? As soon as he is sworn in, the neocons will start screaming, "see we told you so, he hasn''t done anything yet." Anyone with half a brain should know that the country is in deep trouble. Our foreign policy is in shambles and our domestic situation is a train wreck. It will take much hard work and lots of time to even begin to get things under control. The middle class is on the verge of becoming extinct and the job situation has reached critical mass. Just the damage done in the last 8 years will take a long time to repair and there is also a mess left from the Reagan/Bush1 years. And even though we did fairly well under Clinton I believe that he did some things that have added to the mess. So, don''t expect any magic. Look for hard work and dedication from the incoming administration. Also it is critical that they reach out to the republicans and work together. The time for party first politics is past and we must work together and stop the hate. I will hold Obama to a high standard as I expect much from him. If he is not up to the task we will install someone else in four years. We will not give up because we all love America and we are strong when we stand together.

[notmudrose1]

on january 19th and 20th all the racist republicans that didn''t vote for president obama will be getting a double dose of king and obama.

[notmudrose1]

just 18 days 13 hours and 16 minutes until those 2 pric ks, bush and cheney, are gone forever.

[leeanna58]

I can hardly wait for Obama to take office and then perform the magic of fixing everything like he promised. We''ll be in Nirvana.

[leeanna58]

yea and who put it all on there Hannity or O''''Reilly

Posted by starleo14672

What evidence do you have that it was put there by hannity or O''Reilly?

[jaykay3141]

To borrow from David Letterman, January 20th is too far away. Can''t we hurry the transition a bit?

And even if Obama''s birth certificate _were_ falsified, hey, he won the electoral AND the popular vote. He didn''t need the Supreme Court to appoint him. Seems only fair to have the situation turned around this time.

***** 01/20/2009. Independence Day II. *****

[wardoglrs]

Despite growing pressure on Barack Obama to speak out on the crisis in Gaza, the US president-elect has remained silent on the issue.

Obama, holidaying in Hawaii, has made no public remarks on Israel''s unrelenting military assault on the Palestinian territory, which has left more than 380 people there dead.

The former Illinois senator spoke out after last month''s attacks in Mumbai and has made detailed statements on the US economic crisis.

But some fear that the US president-elect''s reluctance to speak out on the Gaza raids could be sending its own message.

"Silence sounds like complicity," Mark Perry, the Washington Director of the Conflicts Forum group, told Al Jazeera.

"Obama has said that Israel has the right to defend itself from rocket attacks but my question to him is ''does he believe that Palestinians also have the right of self-defence?''"

Support for Israel

Israel says the operation is necessary to prevent Palestinian rocket attacks on the south of the country.

And Obama repeatedly spoke out in support for Israel during his election campaign, describing the country as one of the US'' greatest allies and has vowed to ensure its security.

Obama said that if rockets were being fired at his home while his two daughters were sleeping, he would do everything he could to prevent it," Barak was reported as saying on Monday.

[starleo146]

DJ---- Philip j. Berg is a swiftboater paid for by the Republicans.He has been throwing this garbage out all year. You would be the the one to believe it, because you are mad as heck Obama got elected. Just wait before you judge. I do not know how he will do, heavens knows, he certainly has enough to contend with, all I ask is wait, and pray he doesn''t do as bad as Bush and Darth Vader Cheney.

[flsunjnky]

Oh WarDog, maybe you Google too much. Try using your head and making your own conclusions.

[wardoglrs]

Oh Please Obama is a fraud just that simple he serves the Zionist Jew that owns the USA. America is not free it is not even close to the country it ounce was.

Google:
BENJAMIN FREEDMAN SPEAKS: A JEWISH DEFECTOR WARNS AMERICA
Then you will not only be ashamed of how your leaders betrayed America but how the real Jew was taken over by Fake Jew''s that goes against the real Jew''s law''s

[flsunjnky]

Oh, get real DJ. His birth certificate is on file in Honolulu.

[starleo146]

Sure, go to Obamacrimes.com. There you can see records and other laws plus ALL the court Documents. YOu can read the 85 page report about his Birth Certificate which shows differences. Then you can read about how Indonesia requred that all students be naturalized citizen, and they did not recognize Dual Citzenship. You can read the information from his Kenyan Grandmother who said she was there when he was born. There is a lot of information read the court documents it cites the laws for you to be able to look up and read.... It is all right there.

Posted by DJ_Houston at 07:36 PM : Jan 01, 200

yea and who put it all on there Hannity or O''Reilly