By Ray Cardello for January 30, 2024, Season 24 / Post 27

Mr. President, with all due respect, is that the message you gave to the families of the three service people killed over the weekend? Or were you too busy resting in Delaware, and you might get to it this week? By the way, there were over thirty injured in the drone attacks, with what are called severe head injuries. If all you have for those grieving families is we had a rough day, don’t make the call. They do not need to hear your drivel in their time of loss.

The attacks this weekend bring the total of attacks by Iranian proxy groups, primarily from Yemen, to 160 since October 7. These attacks have been against American military installations in Iraq, Syria, and Jordan. With each attack, Biden pledges retaliation, but his response has been minimal and feeble at best. And please do not forget that during this time of conflict and attacks on American assets, Biden did not know his Secretary of Defense was AWOL in intensive care. The October date is important as the attacks against American troops in the Middle East started the day Hamas invaded Israel, butchering innocents and taking an untold number of hostages. We do not know the number, location, or status of the hostages, but we do know Americans were taken into Gaza by the Hamas terrorists.

Lloyd Austin, our Defense Secretary, addressed Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO Secretary General, and stated emphatically that he and President Biden are committed to retaliating in kind to any attack by Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi, or any other proxy group of Iran. What we have done to this point is bomb empty or deserted facilities so that we can check the box that we have struck back. The drone that did the damage and killed three of our brave service people while they slept was mistaken for one of our drones that was scheduled to return to Syria. It is possible that Iran knew the schedule of our drone and used that info for cover. That move now means flag-draped coffins will be returned soon to America.

Republicans and some Democrats are growing impatient waiting for Biden to punch back. Proponents of strong retaliation don’t want these proxy groups targeted. They want Iran punished for what they are doing, and 160 attacks on Americans is 159 too many.

My observation of Biden being asked over the weekend about the attack and dead Americans was of a man disenfranchised with the situation. His lack of passion was palpable, and he needed to have virtually every question repeated because he could not hear or understand the questions. It was not a powerful look, and the scene with Austin was not much better. Austin explained his performance as a man still recovering. There was no excuse for Biden, just excuses. Those excuses come daily from KJP and John Kirby, but this weekend, they even came from Gavin Newsom, who is taking a more active role in supporting the President. Only the devout followers are buying the empty comments.

What we do understand and will buy is definitive action, but we are not holding our breath. Since the Hamas attack on Israel, Biden has been very careful to be strong and critical of Israel’s defense while hedging to the same treatment of Iran or Lebanon. That is why we believe that Biden is the wrong person at this time to be our leader. We need and deserve better, and that is not Kamala. And a final note. When those three heroes are returned to their homeland, you best be there to salute them and leave your watch in Delaware, this time.