Who Woulda Thought It?
Weekly commentary by CBS Evening News chief Washington correspondent and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer.
We have just come through one of those "Who woulda thought it?" weeks.
Who woulda thought that, way back when Barack Obama began his campaign for president, that his first State of the Union speak would hardly mention Iraq?
Who woulda thought that the state of the nation's economy would be so bad, the president wouldn't even call it a "State of the Union" speech, just so he wouldn't have to finish the sentence that begins, "The State
of the Union is ..."?
Who woulda thought the Republican Party would be laying some of the blame for the bad economy off on their recently departed leader? I guess that's what GOP stalwart Newt Gingrich was doing when he talked to me and others this week about what he labeled "the failed Bush-Obama big-spending strategy."
Who woulda thought that when President Obama (who campaigned to bring the troops home from Iraq) announced his withdrawal plan, that it would be the Republicans who liked it and the Democrats who didn't?
And who, for that matter, woulda thought that, when the withdrawal was announced, that it would not be the lead story on the evening news? Not only was it not the lead, two or three stories about the
bad economy came ahead of it - nor did it get above the fold in
many newspapers.
Yes, Barack Obama campaigned on change, but I doubt he expected a lot of that.
Who woulda thought?