The situations in Iraq and Ferguson, Missouri, are top headlines, and as such, Barack Obama strutted out to the nearest microphone to make a statement about both. “[W]e continue to make progress in carrying out our targeted military operations in Iraq,” he informed us. The primary objective there, of course, is to do a bit but not too much, keeping his hands politically clean. As for the rioting in Ferguson, he actually echoed our own sentiments: “There is never an excuse for violence against police, or for those who would use this tragedy as a cover for vandalism or looting. There’s also no excuse for police to use excessive force against peaceful protests, or to throw protestors in jail for lawfully exercising their First Amendment rights.” What’s interesting is that the White House transcript shows his remarks concluded at 12:58 p.m. By 1:08 p.m., ABC’s Jonathan Karl was tweeting that Obama had arrived at the golf course. “That didn’t take long,” said Karl. It never does.