Robert L. Terrell

Like everyone else, I am closely watching every move President-elect Barack Obama makes in preparation for taking office next week. And even though I am generally impressed by the intelligent, organized manner in which he has put together his cabinet and team of advisers, some aspects of his performance are puzzling, if not disappointing.

Others have spoken about the problems associated with his selection of Rick Warren to participate in his inaugural ceremony far better than I ever could. Nonetheless, I consider it necessary and appropriate to add my name to the list of those who are disappointed by Obama’ s decision to honor the homophobic minister by providing him such a high profile role in his inauguration.

Obama deserves credit for the leadership he is displaying regarding the nation’s evolving financial crisis. In contrast to President Bush, who seems to have lost interest in the job months ago, Obama has emerged as a reassuring focal point for the effort to shore of the economy, and get as many people as possible back to work in meaningful jobs.

Unfortunately, his leadership in areas that touch on the structure, operations and geopolitical objectives of the U.S. Empire are far less reassuring. He is already temporizing regarding how long it will take for him to close down the Guantanamo Bay prison, where hundreds of men have been held for years without being properly processed in accordance with domestic and international laws. In addition, he has declined to comment on the so-called “secret prisons” being run by the Bush administration in Europe and other sections of the world.

Obama’s recent waffling regarding the possibility of hearings and prosecutions for Bush administration officials involved in torture and extraordinary renditions is an additional source of concern. His waffling regarding such matters suggests that he may possess less courage and determination than is required of a President unalterably committed to law and order.

I am also concerned that Obama is apparently going to substantially increase the number of U.S. troops fighting in the Afghanistan quagmire. I understand why he feels the need to project strength and determination. I also understand that the U.S., and its increasingly reluctant European allies, are currently losing in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, in order to reverse the course of the war, Obama apparently believes a George W. Bush-style “surge” will enable the U.S. to snatch some semblance of victory from the impending jaws of defeat.

But sending tens of thousands of additional troops to Afghanistan will not ensure victory. And there are many good reasons to believe this course of action will ensure failure on a larger scale than the one currently facing the U.S. in that severely ravaged, war torn nation.

Obama’s inability to see this is a bad sign. And it probably portends other kinds of geo-strategic myopia that may well end up undermining his presidency in much the same manner as was George W. Bush’s in the wake of his inability to find nonexistent weapons of mass destruction in Iraq after his devastatingly destructive assault.

My gravest concern regarding Obama’s vision, courage, and capacity to provide distinguished leadership, is the evasive manner in which he is responding to the current war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas. I strongly suspect that the record will eventually confirm that Israel’s leaders consulted with the Obama team before launching their deadly assault. I also strongly suspect they received the same sort of nod and a wink green light from Obama’s team that they have been accorded by the Bush administration during the past eight years.

Given this, I am not surprised that Israel announced a ceasefire approximately 48 hours before Obama is to be sworn into office. They have done what they claim they needed to do. Obama can claim he was not President at the time, and bears no responsibility for their actions. This shady, and generally dishonorable, line of defense is commonly referred to in Washington, D.C. as “plausible deniability.”

None of this serves the best interests of Israel or the United States. George W. Bush never understood this, and that is one of the many reasons why he is leaving office universally perceived as an abject failure, and quite probably a criminal guilty of crimes against humanity. Obama should take note.

Winning office via the use of great speeches and inspiring promises is the easy part of the game in which he is engaged. Governing in a legal, balanced and courageous manner in something else. I remain hopeful that the lion-like determination Obama displayed on the campaign trail was not transitory. But I worry, on the basis of his recent performance, that he may turn out to be too timid to exercise the strong, principled, leadership we need.