FEVERED EGOS

by Joe Coleman

Fox News suspended two of its contributors for using offensive language when criticizing Barack Obama’s Oval Office speech on Sunday night. Actress-commentator Stacey Dash and retired Lt. Colonel Ralph Peters are now suspended for two weeks.

Speaking on Fox Business Network’s Varney & Co. Lt. Colonel Peters got aneurysm-level intense and exclaimed, “Look, Mr. President, we’re not afraid – we’re angry, we’re pissed off, we’re furious! We want you to react, we want you to do something.  You’re afraid. I mean, this guy is such a total pussy, it’s stunning.”    

Meanwhile, Stacey Dash, who was somewhat entertaining in Clueless, must have been listening to 2Pac or something in her Lexus on the way to the show, stated Obama, “[doesn’t] give a shit about terrorism.” Yeah!

The inevitable deluge of criticism that followed Obama’s solemn speech on Sunday focused more on his tone and his word choices instead of specific policy points. Despite all of the hawkish rhetoric there is an obvious truth: very few Republican presidential candidates would break significantly with Obama’s approach to combating Daesh.

Marco Rubio claimed Obama “may have made things worse.” Donald Trump had one of his minions write on Twitter, “We need a new President – FAST!”. Jeb Bush called the commander-in-chief “weak” and his approach “business as usual.” In an MSNBC interview, Bush twice acknowledged that he agreed with Obama’s approach in certain areas. Yet, he still chastised Obama’s planning for lacking “the intensity that’s necessary.”

Here’s Marco Rubio, who was asked how he’d differ from Obama, “First, we would be straight forward and honest with the American people. ISIS is a growing, significant and very serious threat. They’re not contained.”

Last week the White House announced plans to expand the U.S. special operations force in both Iraq and Syria. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the expeditionary force would be more than 50 troops but refused to give an exact number. Obama stated in his Oval Office speech that the military is exploring strategies for employing more ground troops in the region. The U.S. has also stepped-up airstrikes against the oil infrastructure in Syria which produces a large portion of Daesh’s revenue.

A coalition of fighter jets, bombers, attack planes and drones are dropping an average of 2,228 bombs per month on Daesh targets. The targets include training camps, machine gun positions, oil facilities, weapons shacks, and more. The attacks are believed to have killed approximately 20,000 Daesh fighters.

As I watched Obama’s speech from the Oval Office on Sunday night I got the significant feeling that Obama was trying to prepare the nation for a ramped-up version of our perpetual war in the Middle East. As these Fox News jokers get a two-week vacation from work, paid I’m sure, fresh-faced young men and women are heading to Iraq and Syria.