World News Korner

Conservative columnist grudgingly praises President Obama's toughness and credits it for positive news coming out of the Middle East.

Courtesy of Bloomberg:

There is one main reason why Iran is making conciliatory noises about its relationship with the U.S. and about the future of its nuclear program, and there is one main reason why Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator, is signaling his intention to give up his stockpiles of chemical weapons.

The reason: President Barack Obama's toughness.

Yes, I know. Toughness isn’t a quality lately ascribed to the president. But hear me out.

Obama has crippled the Iranian economy by organizing some of the harshest sanctions imaginable, and he has stated repeatedly that he won't allow the Iranian leadership to acquire a nuclear weapon. The constant displays of American military might in the waters off of Iran these past four years, coupled with clear statements that the U.S. would use force to thwart the regime's plans, have also impressed Iranian leaders.

Many Americans doubt Obama's willingness to use force against Iran, and many of Iran's Middle Eastern foes do, too. But the Iranian leadership, which wants to have a nuclear capability despite its fantastical protestations to the contrary, is beginning to understand the price it is paying for its atomic desires.

On Syria, Obama's record is disturbing in many ways. He indicated that he would attack the regime as punishment for crossing the "red line" he drew on the use of chemical weapons, but he flinched when the moment came to launch a strike. He has at times seemed disorganized and hesitant, and his critics -- including me -- saw him as vacillating.

Yet Assad, and his Russian sponsor, Vladimir Putin, both weighed the situation and came to the conclusion that the U.S. meant what it said. It is for this reason -- and this reason alone -- that Putin and Assad have agreed in principle to arrange for the removal of chemical weapons. Without Obama's threat, the Assad regime would still be free to gas its people.

Goldberg goes on to say that he has little hope that the Syria deal will work, but then must admit that without Obama's tough stance that NOTHING would be happening at this point.

Well you know what that means right? Jeffrey Goldberg might as well hand in is conservative decoder ring right now, because he has performed the cardinal sin of saying something positive about the President.

Personally I believe that in the coming months there will be a whole lot of journalists previously considered stalwart conservatives who will have no choice but to praise this President's achievements. Especially as finding achievements on the Republican side of the aisle is becoming akin to finding pots of gold at the end of rainbows.

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