THE LOSS OF PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY:

Baring the Bam myth (Michael Goodwin, February 24, 2010, NY Post)

Something very good al ready has happened as a result of President Obama's strange entry into the health-care sweepstakes. Think of it as the death of a myth.

The myth was that Obama was an innocent bystander caught between evil forces. As supporters describe it, the president was trapped on one side by tone-deaf Democrats and on the other by obstructionist Republicans.

If only the leaders of the two parties were as smart and honest as Obama, Washington would be a marvel of efficiency and progress. As Exhibit A, Obama dead-enders promised the sun of health care would shine on every American and we could save money if we would simply follow the president.

Versions of the myth popped up each time something went wrong, even among the president's staff. Gen. Jim Jones, Obama's national security adviser, explained the failure to have terrorism specialists question the Christmas Day Detroit bomber as "one case where we didn't support the president as well as he should have been supported."

Fact is, Obama announced creation of the specialist unit five months earlier, but never followed up to make sure his words were turned into deeds. He spoke and assumed it had happened.

But it wasn't his fault when it all went wrong. Nothing ever is.

Until now.

By leaving his fingerprints, his DNA and proudly claiming ownership of yet another massive health-care plan, Obama has removed any doubts about where he stands. He can no longer hide behind the illusion he was an honest broker looking for the kind of common-sense fixes the country wants.

We have found the radical in our midst. He sits in the Oval Office.

So much for learning from Bill Clinton.

Posted by Orrin Judd at February 24, 2010 6:53 AM