Handle with care

I think it goes without saying that I will never be accused of being an apologist for President Barack Obama. But I found it rather difficult to be overly critical of some of his high profile blunders during the first 2-1/2 years of his Presidency. Whether it was his unnecessary bowing to foreign leaders or mispronouncing Corpsman as "Corpse man" or continuing to blather on during God Save the Queen at Buckingham Palace, the President has had more than his fair share of embarrassing moments.

But I have to ask: Who is advising the President on such matters? The Commander in Chief has tremendous responsibilities in being leader of the free world that he hasn't the time to be micro-managing his administration. As such, people in such elite positions require a staff which can advise him on matters of decorum amongst foreign leaders as well as maintaining a tight schedule.

Which brings us to the latest mishap of the Obama administration.

In a bold masterstroke of bipartisanship, Barack Obama today decided the perfect occasion for his so-called "long-awaited" jobs speech would be at the exact same time next Wednesday the GOP has a long-scheduled presidential debate at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA.

Does a man languishing in the polls at 38% really believe the nation is calling for more of this childishness from him?

President Barack Obama will make his long-awaited speech about jobs Wednesday night to a joint session of Congress at the same time that the Republican presidential candidates are scheduled to debate at the Reagan Presidential Library in California.

Perhaps by "long-awaited" they're thinking of the promise made by Obama on August 29, 2010 when he said he'd have a jobs plan when he returned from Martha's Vineyard.

The media immediately seized upon this announcement today by implying the speech was set in stone, but Obama needs approval from House Speaker John Boehner, who should tell him where to go.

Naturally, the churlish Obama notified Boener just minutes before making the announcement public.

Boehner's office only got the Obama request asking for a Joint Session of Congress, 15 minutes before the notice went out to the press.

Of course, why afford Boehner the time to react when you can simply ambush him for cheap political gain?

Is it possible that the President was readily aware of the GOP debate scheduled next Wednesday? Sure. But with all that he has on his mind on a daily basis, it's also not a stretch to believe that he had no clue of the significance of September 7th. The bottom line is there are administration staffers who are paid to be politically astute so as to ensure the President of the United States is in a position to convey the utmost dignity. But as we've seen with the White House's current occupant, it's apparent that the staffers oftentimes have a rather unenviable task.

But I digress.

Within hours of announcing a September 7th date to speak in front of a joint session of Congress, the White House later relented and moved the speech to the following evening.

Uhhh, Perhaps Obama's handlers need a little more schooling on how to be culturally astute. You see, for the past several years, the second Thursday in September features the opening game of the NFL regular season. This year, said game happens to feature the two most recent Super Bowl champions in the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers.

As I write this, I have yet to hear if Governors Bobby Jindal (R-LA) and Scott Walker (R-WI) have strenuously objected to this newly scheduled speech and the possibility of it preempting the NFL opener featuring their hometown clubs.

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