Obama’s Surprise Afghanistan Trip Could Escalate Political Criticism

Obama's Afghanistan Trip Could Escalate Political Criticism
By MICHAEL D. SHEAR

President Obama's surprise trip to Afghanistan comes even as his
re-election campaign has set off a heated debate about the propriety
of using Osama bin Laden's killing to make a political argument in the
battle for the White House with Mitt Romney.

The trip is designed to give Mr. Obama a fresh view of the war he
inherited and expanded. The president plans to announce an agreement
with the leaders of Afghanistan that will guide the deployment of
American troops in the country as they transition out of the war over
the next two-and-a-half years.

But the timing of Mr. Obama's visit to Afghanistan — and the address
to the nation that he is scheduled to give Tuesday night — could add
fuel criticism that he is politicizing the war on terrorism for his
own political gain.

Mr. Romney and his allies have already accused the president of
inappropriately turning the anniversary of the raid on bin Laden's
Pakistan camp into a partisan attack by releasing a video that
questions whether Mr. Romney would have authorized the raid.

"Let's not make the capture or killing of Osama bin Laden a
politically divisive event," Mr. Romney said on "CBS This Morning" on
Tuesday. "There are plenty of differences between President Obama and
myself, but let's not make up ones."

Mr. Romney made those comments even as Mr. Obama was secretly flying
to Afghanistan on Air Force One — a trip that was, as is standard,
shrouded in secrecy because of the security risks of sending a
president into a war zone.

Such events are one of the biggest advantages of incumbency, giving a
sitting president — in this case, Mr. Obama — the opportunity to
appear presidential on a world stage.

On Monday, Mr. Obama denied that he was making the bin Laden killing
political, telling reporters at the White House that "I hardly think
you've seen any excessive celebration taking place here."

In retrospect, Mr. Obama may have been obliquely referencing his
upcoming trip when he suggested that it is not beyong the bounds of
propriety for the country to mark the anniverary of bin Laden's death.

"I think for us to use that time for some reflection, to give thanks
to those who participated, is entirely appropriate and that's what's
been taking place," Mr. Obama said on Monday.

Still, the trip brings into sharper focus the debate that Mr. Obama's
campaign sparked with the internet video last week. The video raised
the question of whether Mr. Romney would have made the decision to
send the Navy SEALs into Pakistan had he been in the Oval Office.

"Which path would Mitt Romney have taken?" the ad asks.

Mr. Romney's allies reacted furiously to that question over the
weekend, insisting that Mr. Romney would have done the same as the
president and chastising Mr. Obama for what they deemed an unfair
political attack.

One of the fiercest criticisms came from Senator John McCain of
Arizona, who accused his one-time rival of trying to score political
points out of a national security iniative that should be seen as
bipartisan.

"This is the same President who said, after bin Laden was dead, that
we shouldn't 'spike the ball' after the touchdown," Mr. McCain said in
a statement Friday. "And now Barack Obama is not only trying to score
political points by invoking Osama bin Laden, he is doing a shameless
end-zone dance to help himself get re-elected."

Mr. Romney and the president's other critics will have to step
gingerly as they deal with Mr. Obama's visit to Afghanistan. In a
statement on Tuesday, Mr. Romney praised the president's actions a
year ago today.

"I commend all those who planned and conducted the bin Laden raid, and
I applaud President Obama for giving the go ahead for the mission," he
said in a statement released by his campaign.

But later in the day, Mr. Romney appeared in New York City with Rudy
Giuliani, the former New York City mayor. Mr. Giuliani accused the
president of using the September 11, 2001 attacks as negative
campaigning, calling it "a mistake."

More:

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/obamas-afghanistan-trip-could-escalate-political-criticism/

--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy



--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy

--
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