Obama's 'kettle of fish'

by By Boston Herald editorial staff9 hours ago

To paraphrase an old Three Stooges routine - which seems entirely appropriate here - that's a fine kettle of fish the president has gotten himself into.

In his haste to dig himself out of what would be a losing battle with Congress over a possible Syria strike, President Obama has to depend on the good graces of the man who has become his nemesis on the international stage, Russian President Vladimir Putin. Yes, Putin will assume responsibility for bringing his client state Syria to heel, unearth enough chemical weapons stores to please international monitors - maybe - and allow a resolution through the U.N. Security Council - or not.

What is even more unclear is how long the risk-averse Obama will allow this charade to continue - and thus to make the job of the U.S. military that much more difficult should he ever decide to put American might behind his thus-far empty promises and muddled messages.

"Let me make something clear: The United States military doesn't do pinpricks," the president insisted Tuesday night. "Even a limited strike will send a message to Assad that no other nation can deliver."

But in the next breath he also insisted that "America is not the world's policeman" and he referred to any possible strike as a "modest effort."

We're just not sure where "pinprick" ends and "modest effort" begins - but surely the Joint Chiefs must be scratching their heads as well. And battle plans are somewhat more difficult to construct than presidential speeches.

"Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security, are at stake in Syria," Obama insisted.

Which rather begs the question why they've now been outsourced to Vladimir Putin.