More than ever, I see Barack Obama as a President of historic importance, with potential to outstrip even FDR, be in a league with Lincoln.  We sure need him.

Iraq was madness almost beyond description, but that doesn't mean that invading Afghanistan was a genius Bush move, either.  Imposing one's will on the latter is legendarily difficult, and most who tried left either in tears or questioning their decision to engage.  For us, the shrewd move would have been to eliminate Bin Laden, his networks and co-conspirators, while also removing antagonisms - not burrowing into bloody mountain combat against ageless warlords. Cut to 2009, and we have made a decision not to abandon those we propped up and led on.  Sad, but understandable.

If no success within, say, a year, I wish our President the wisdom to pivot and make decisions as to how get the hell out of the cauldron of blood.  And I don't envy him.

It is so awful that he was saddled by Bush with horrible deficits, a near second Great Depression, plus two unnecessary wars (one, an utterly insane misadventure), with spillout now into Pakistan.  What an onerous load it would be, even for the greatest of any nation!

And it is despicable, when the media chirps up with smiling idiocy that they heard, e.g., from misanthrope Limbaugh or crazed seditionist Bachmann, that Obama is on a permanent campaign and isn't that worrying?  Did they recklessly dump like that on FDR's fireside chats or did they give the leader the benefit of the doubt in the dark days?