Putin Takes The Lead

A number of world leaders addressed the United Nation’s General Assembly [Monday]. But one man stole the show and made it clear that he was willing to fill the vacuum left by America’s retreat under Obama — Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As one New York Post columnist put it: “Obama has turned Putin into the world’s most powerful leader.” Even the usually sympathetic left-wing media could see it too, evidenced by this headline, “Putin Steals Obama’s Thunder On the World Stage.” Consider these excerpts:

“The Russian president showed up at the United Nations on Monday for the first time in a decade, proposing a coup against U.S. global leadership and seeking to wrest control of a coalition battling ISIS away from America’s grip. And he wasn’t the only leader of a country challenging the United States to effectively upstage Obama at the annual global meeting, which a U.S. president traditionally uses to command the spotlight.

"Speeches by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the 70th anniversary of the creation of the world body also left Obama defending not only his personal foreign policy legacy … but the entire concept of a world order based on seven decades of U.S. global leadership.”

My friends, that blistering account of Obama’s leadership was from CNN, not Fox News.

And there’s more. The New York Times reports, “Russia Surprises U.S. With Accord On Battling ISIS.” The Times tells us, “For the second time this month, Russia moved to expand its political and military influence” in the Middle East “and left the United States scrambling.” Russia is taking the lead in fighting ISIS. Iraq, Iran and Syria will now coordinate their war efforts with Moscow. Axis of evil, anyone?

Who can blame them? Obama called ISIS a “junior varsity” team. He has no strategy to defeat the radical Islamists. In fact, the Taliban are making a comeback in Afghanistan too.

Elliott Abrams, an expert on foreign policy and national security, analyzed Obama’s U.N. speech [Monday]. He writes that Obama’s speech was “filled with nice lines that unfortunately bear no relationship … to reality.”

Abrams notes Obama’s tough talk against the Assad regime, writing that Obama “stood firmly for inaction.”

Obama criticized Russian aggression in Ukraine, saying that the world “cannot stand by when the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a nation is flagrantly violated.” Abrams adds that Obama is “precisely ‘standing by.’”

Time and again the world has watched Obama draw redlines and make grand pronouncements, only to do nothing. Abrams charitably concluded his analysis by writing, “Today was vintage Obama, and one can only be thankful that his next U.N. speech will be his last.”

The Left’s Tactics

Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee [yesterday]. As expected, she was unapologetic about Planned Parenthood’s role in harvesting baby body parts.

With the Obama Administration firmly behind it, the organization is going on the attack. The New York Times reported over the weekend that women “paid by Planned Parenthood” disrupted a campaign event in Iowa, “throwing condoms and chanting, ‘Women are watching, and we vote.’”

The Times has since conveniently edited its reporting, writing that the women were merely “affiliated” with Planned Parenthood. Whether the women were paid or were affiliated, they were “shock troops” whose goal is to silence the pro-life movement.

Is that how a supposedly non-profit organization, which receives hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars, should deal with those who question its agenda and practices?

This sorry episode exposes the ugliness of the left’s tactics and serves as a warning about the kind of slash and burn campaign we can expect as the truth about the abortion industry is further exposed.

The People vs. The Elites

The respected Pew Research Center released a major report [Monday] on immigration. The report marked the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, which dramatically changed immigration policy in America.

The Pew report found a major disconnect between the American people and our cultural and political elites on the issue of immigration. For example, recent immigration reform proposals have tended to increase levels of immigration into the country. But the American people do not favor more immigration.

According to the Pew survey, only 15% of Americans believe current levels of immigration should be increased. Thirty-four percent say immigration levels should be kept at current levels, while 49% believe immigration should be decreased.

A major reason why more than 80% of Americans want a pause in immigration is that 66% of Americans do not believe current immigrants are assimilating or embracing American culture. More than three-quarters of Americans believe immigrants should learn English in order to succeed here. But a solid majority (59%) thinks they are not doing so.