NYT Poll Shows Doubts About Obama

From The New York Times

A substantial majority of Americans say President Obama has not developed a strategy to deal with the budget deficit, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll, which also found that support for his plans to overhaul health care, rescue the auto industry and close the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, falls well below his job approval ratings.

A distinct gulf exists between Mr. Obama’s overall standing and how some of his key initiatives are viewed, with fewer than half of Americans saying they approve of how he has handled health care and the effort to save General Motors and Chrysler. A majority of people said his policies have had either no effect yet on improving the economy or had made it worse, underscoring how his political strength still rests on faith in his leadership rather than results.

Read More: Obama Poll Sees Doubt on Budget and Health Care

The Forgotten Presidents

From Free Republic

Were there presidents before George Washington? Techincally, maybe not, but the United States of America has had a fully functioning government since at least 1774 and operated as a nation, as we all know, since July 4, 1776.

So who were the duly elected men in charge of the Continental Congress, and later, the Confederation Congress before George Washington's inauguration on April 30, 1789?

Read More: The Presidents Before George Washington

Obama's Speech To Muslims

From American Thinker

President Obama promised that he wanted his Cairo speech to be the start of an "honest" dialogue with the Muslim world. When it comes to how he handled the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he fell short.

He began his remarks on this issue by recalling a long history of anti-Semitism and persecution of Jews, culminating in the Holocaust. He denounced Holocaust deniers and those who would threaten Israel "with destruction" -- but without mentioning Iran or Ahmadinejad.

Seeking to sound even-handed, he then immediately drew an equivalence between historical Jewish suffering and the lot of Palestinians. "On the other hand," he remarked, "it is also undeniable that Palestinians have suffered in their pursuit of a homeland -- for more than 60 years they've endured the pain of dislocation." He pointed to Palestinians still waiting in refugee camps and Palestinians who have to "endure the daily humiliations -- large and small -- that come with occupation." Their situation, he said, is "intolerable" and America will support their legitimate aspirations for "dignity, opportunity and "a state of their own."

And that's where Obama failed to speak "honestly" about Palestinian pain and its causes.

There will be no peace in the Middle East until the Muslim world recognizes Israel's right to exist. You cannot negotiate with those that seek your annihilation.

Read More: Obama's Speech To The Muslim World
Related: Barack Obama's 10 Mistakes in Cairo