OBAMA'S ATTEMPT AT ABRUPT CHANGE OF NATIONAL FOCUS

EARLY & SPECIAL POST

Amidst a growing clamor over his risky, unproven and costly economic policies and reckless spending, and while faced with now sagging support that is beginning to transcend party lines, President Obama has resorted to an old and well-proven political trick: rattle the sabre of war.

In a lengthy Friday morning statement, Obama announced that he's going after Al Queda in Pakistan and Afghanistan and he's going to throw $1.5 billion a year at the project for the next five years to bolster Pakistan's economy and improve its infratsurcture. And, he made a lengthy case out of his 17,000 man increase of military troops in Afghanistan, as well as his "total" support of General Petraeus.

At the outset, you have to rally around the Prez and agree that we have a big and brewing problem that must be faced. Here's my problem with all of this hoopla:

There are hotels in Las Vegas that cost $1.5 billion to build. $1.5 billion is .015% of a trillion. It doesn't even measure up to the terminology, "drop in the bucket" when it comes to the real costs of what needs to be accomplished in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Petraeus asked for 30,000 troops, not 17,000. In short, Obama's flap off at the gums amounts to nothing more than penny ante horseshit.

So, why the dog and pony show?

Could it be that the Prez is trying to deflect mounting criticism of his domestic agendas and policies by "creating" a new emergency....deflecting focus from the economy to focus on Al Queda? Is he throwing out a "red herring?" Does he want the fox to chase down a new rabbit trail?

If Obama can pull this sham off, he'll make Houdini look like an amateur.

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.