They tell me that presidents work on legacy in the second term, specially the last two years. However, President Obama's legacy goal is more about the world than the U.S. as we can see by some goals that he seems determined to meet.
Let's look at the Cuba deal. It makes little sense, as the U.S. got nothing from the deal. I agree with Charles Krauthammer:
"From Cuba, Obama didn’t even get a token gesture. Not even a fig leaf such as, say, withdrawal of secret police support in Venezuela. Or extradition of American criminals now fugitive in Cuba, including a notorious cop killer. Did we even ask?"
Let's look at closing Guantanamo, a big campaign promise that ran into Democrat majorities back in 2010. President Obama is closing the detention facility on a terrorist by terrorist basis. There are now 127 left with about 110 weeks left in his presidency. He may close it by simply releasing everybody, in total violation of Congress.
Closing Guantanamo makes no sense, unless you think that the war is over and that terrorists are no longer scheming to attack the U.S. or U.S. intersts.
Last, but not least, there is the Iran deal. President Obama seems determined to make a deal, even if the deal means nothing to the U.S. or the West.
Let me say a couple of things:
1) We are watching a president acting unilaterally without Congress. Yes, foreign policy is the traditional domain of the executive, but this is ridiculous; and more importantly,
2) I believe that Mr Obama is "bulking up" his liberal, perhaps leftist, credential to appeal to an anti-American world.
He wants to be the ex-president who closed GITMO, ended the Cuba embargo and made a deal with Iran. At the same time, he wants to do all of these things even if it makes no sense to the U.S., or the country that he's pledged to protect and defend.
Dangerous is a word that may define the last two years of Mr Obama's presidency. He wants to get another one of those Germany 2008 receptions from the world, even it means weakening the nation that elected him.
P.S. You can hear CANTO TALK here & follow me on Twitter @ scantojr.
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