"Red Phone Moments"

The Clinton Campaign has aired a television ad showing sleeping children and asking who would be more qualified to answer a national security emergency call at 3 a.m. What can we infer from Barack Obama's response?

"The question is not about picking up the phone. The question is: What kind of judgment will you make when you answer?"

"We've had a red phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. And Senator Clinton gave the wrong answer. George Bush gave the wrong answer. John McCain gave the wrong answer," Obama said.

Obama's hindsight is 20-20. But what about his judgment? What does it say about the man who refused to accept the "common knowledge" and nearly universal opinion of the world's intelligence agencies that Saddam Hussein had WMD and was a threat to use them? If, in the highly charged and uncertain atmosphere after 9/11, Barack Obama was unwilling to proactively act against Iraq which had been labeled by many as the "most dangerous place on earth," it is unlikely that a President Obama will act proactively and preemptively against threats in the future. The US Intelligence may have been wrong about the threat posed by Iraq, but Mr. Obama had no way of knowing that at the time. Each time he reminds us of his unwillingness to act then raises questions about his willingness to act in the future.

He has indicated that he will sit down and dialogue with anyone. Like other notable Democrats who have been to Syria for tea with Assad, would his ready dialogue cloud his judgment as he too "looks into the other man's eyes?" We don't know the answer just as we don't know many other answers to the Obama enigma. Since the media refuse or are not allowed by the Obama campaign to draw out the candidate, we can only speculate based on his previous words, actions, positions and associations. Unfortunately, this leaves us feeling uneasy about his suitability as Commander-in-Chief at this particular point in history.

For example, this weekend Israel is once again engaged in ground actions against its mortal enemies in Gaza and the USS Cole stands in full alert off the coast of Lebanon. Given the recent assassination of Hezbollah's number two and the subsequent vows of revenge and war, would a President Obama send the most advanced defensive platform in the world to essentially cover Israel's back?

That's a very good question for the media to ask the vague candidate Obama. The media has gotten very lazy in the last decade. Rather than dig deeper into a candidates background and beliefs they have preferred to cover the horse race of elections. These elections are not games and at some point, the adults must do their jobs. Witty retorts in public debates won't do. With Obama's short resume, we must have a much more extensive and critical interview process and if the MSM is unwilling to do their proper jobs or fail to perform as constitutionally envisioned, the McCain campaign will have to force the issue. So far, Obama has gotten an easy ride. Unless we're to become a nation/cult of Kool-Aid drinkers, that must change.