Keller @ Large: Obama's Terror Speech Falls Short
BOSTON (CBS) -- Did you watch the president's speech last night on terrorism?
And if you did, did it make you feel any better about the threat we're facing and our government's response to it?
If it did, please let me know why. I want to feel better too.
Paris and San Bernardino have made it clear that whatever we've been doing so far, it's not working. But I didn't hear the president proposing anything new, about strategy or intelligence.
And he reiterated his opposition to putting in more ground troops.
This should surprise no one. President Obama won election in 2008 in large part on a promise to avoid putting U.S. lives in jeopardy overseas, and he has taken that as his unshakable mandate. But while the air war and whatever else others are doing to fight Daesh has had some successes, they clearly have the resources to accelerate the killing, and U.S. lives are very much at risk.
Perhaps more financial and strategic support from us would help others cripple Daesh. But I would have been more reassured last night by something closer to the ugly truth from the president.
Something like, 'look, we've got a bad problem. I think we can handle it by temporarily pulling out all the stops to quickly kill large numbers of Daesh leaders and fighters, destroy their infrastructure, and wipe out all barriers to intelligence-gathering about their activities. It will cost us money and blood, and U.S. troops may be exposed. I won't let it become another U.S. occupation. But dirty work has to be done and done fast, so stand behind me.'
That's what I wanted to hear, and I bet I'm not the only one.
Because San Bernardino was the worst attack here since 9/11, and people won't stand for just rhetoric in response.
Listen to Jon's commentary:
