Just What DID the President Know?

There are few words that have raised more concern in the White House over the past forty years than, “What did the President know and when did he know it?” The Obama Administration isn't immune from the taint of these words as we are learning this week.

My politics run to the left of the President but I have been a vocal supporter of his from the start. However, in the interest of fairness and credibility, I think that it's important to recognize the faults and mistakes of those you admire. Sadly, the Obama White House has made it easy for critics over the last few days with disclosures of spying on foreign leaders, the indication that the President was unaware of the vast problems that would be encountered when Obamacare became a reality and the fact that many people would lose coverage despite specific and repeated promises to the contrary.

First, spying on your friends is never a good idea. They are bound to find out and when they do, well friendship takes a back seat in international politics. The results are magnified when the friends who are being spied upon are top leaders of our allies such as Germany's chancellor, Angela Merkel. We seem primed for further revelations that others were similarly targeted, meaning that this scandal could have far-reaching implications. Further allegations that foreign citizens were also monitored at home have done nothing to improve the level of trust that has so diminished since the spike of hope that Obama's election caused worldwide. Appearing before Congress today, intelligence chiefs played down the gravity of the situation suggesting that, in terms of spying on foreign leaders, “everyone does it” - an excuse that hasn't held water with any American mother in centuries - and, in the case of foreign citizens that, “... this is a good thing! If the French knew what was going on, they would be glad! They should be popping champagne corks!” Somehow I wouldn't expect any cork-popping in the Elysee Palace tonight.

The second issue that begs the question of how deeply the President is involved in his signature health care program surrounds the huge problems encountered on the technical side. If, in fact, President Obama didn't know what was coming, it signals a woeful lack of stewardship. If he was aware, and simply hoped the problem would go away, we're faced with a similar problem. I fully understand that no president has control over everything that happens during their time in office and, certainly, no one can avoid all of the pitfalls of launching such an enormous undertaking. However, in light of the other issues that seem to have been kept from the President, well... Houston... We have a problem.

Finally, and this one bothers me most personally, the loss of coverage to many Americans despite President Obama's repeated promise that, “...if you like your health plan, you can keep it!”. Americans were promised that they would not be forced to leave their existing health plans. Instead, Obamacare is to provide access to those that wouldn't otherwise have it. Don't get me wrong, I still think that the Affordable Care Act is far more positive than not, but it bothers me that either the President didn't know about this, too, or that he skimmed over the facts in his pledges to the American people. Either way, that's not the Obama that I voted for. Why does this hit home for me? Because I have countered several friend's contentions that the Affordable Care Act would cause just this sort of thing. To me, it's all about credibility. Give me the straight story and I can deal with it. Try to make it more palatable by changing the facts? Well, ask my kids - it's time for a presidential time out.

No, I'm not turning against the President. Overall, I still support him and his initiatives. But, I can't help but be somewhat disillusioned. It's especially grating because, after the political firestorm that followed the recent government shut-down, he was in an especially good position to really make things happen. A waste of political capital which it will be hard, if not impossible, to get back.