Crotch Bomber, Debt Panel, Fat and Al GoreDear Mark: Vice President Joe Biden claims the Obama administration handled the recent Christmas Day bomber exactly the way the Bush administration handled Richard Reid back in 2001. Come on, man, be consistent. Why are you conservatives so critical of the Obama administration's handling of terrorists? — Don't Pound the Pres Dear Don't: Unbelievably, Biden might be right this time, and that is the problem. Comparing the handling of Christmas Day bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to Richard Reid's bombing attempt in 2001 is like comparing apples to oranges — or in this case, crotches to shoes. The attempted shoe bombing occurred a scant three months after the Sept. 11 attacks. The "enemy combatant" procedures, including the use of military tribunals and enhanced interrogation techniques, were not even in place then. Not to mention the Guantanamo Bay detention facility was not yet ready to house the world's most dangerous terrorists. The biggest difference between the two situations is that the Obama administration has had almost nine years of hindsight along with numerous new tools to properly handle a terrorist. Instead, it chose to treat Abdulmutallab as a common criminal by reading him his Miranda rights shortly after the crime. The Obama administration, lead by Attorney General Eric Holder, seems more concerned with gathering information that would lead to a conviction in a civilian courtroom as opposed to gathering information that could help destroy al-Qaida's terror network. If the crotch bomber had been caught under Bush's watch, Abdulmutallab would have been whisked away and "questioned" until he grew gills and then shipped off to Cuba. He definitely would not have been allowed to lawyer up after only 50 minutes of questioning.
Dear Mark: President Obama has gone against Congress and announced the creation of a bipartisan "deficit panel" to help reduce the deficit and national debt. Is this a good idea or a bad idea? — Fill Me In In Philly Dear Fill Me: Neither. It is a disturbing trend with our president. Barack Obama loves to speak in broad platitudes about difficult subjects, but when it comes to specific plans, he defers to others — i.e., health care reform and the jobs summit. This commission is another example of the president passing a buck that should have stopped at his desk. Our government doesn't need another panel to figure out how to control spending — that job already belongs to our elected officials. We need a president and a Congress that aren't afraid to make the tough choices that will improve the financial stability of our federal government. Dear Mark: I think it is admirable that first lady Michelle Obama is tackling the issue of childhood obesity. Isn't that a subject both conservatives and liberals can agree upon? — Forget Fat in Fargo Dear Forget: Conservatives and liberals agree on many of the problems facing our country — it's the solutions where we disagree. I believe that fighting childhood obesity is a noble cause as long as government doesn't interfere in our lives. Ms. Obama can start her "Let's Move" campaign by telling her husband to cut out the fat in that overstuffed budget he just proposed. Dear Mark: With all of the new controversies concerning manmade global warming, where is Al Gore to defend his theory? — Brrrr in Birmingham Dear Brrrr: Probably buried under the 3 feet of global warming that just hit Washington. Dear Mark is a public platform for your enrichment and entertainment. E-mail your questions to marklevy92@aol.com. To find out more about Mark Levy, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM
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