All the Right People Hated Obama's Speech

David Frum, who came up with the "axis of evil," didn't like the speech. Neither did Liz Cheney or Rush Limbaugh, or Hezbollah or Osama bin Laden. What a motley crew, eh? Too bad for them. Obama's speech spoke to the decent and the rational, not the extremes.

Republicans Bummed About Huntsman

Obama appointed Jon Huntsman, Utah Governor, to be ambassador to China. David Frum writes:

It's a brilliant appointment from the point of view of the political interests of Barack Obama. Gov. Huntsman's intellect, his popularity in his state, his undoubted conservatism combined with his open-minded new approaches on social issues and the environment - not to mention his enormous personal wealth - positioned him as the natural leader of the reform forces within the GOP. By sending him across the Pacific, President Obama has acted deftly to enhance the continuing dominance of the Republican faction that serves him best. The Limbaugh-Obama axis wins again!

The World's Going to Hell in a Handbasket

To temper my positive blog post earlier today, it looks like nuclear extermination is inevitable, according to the doomsday bunch at the roundtable on This Week. George Will says there is no community of nations and the world is just made up of conflict, and that's natural, end of story. Richard Haass said forget about reducing nuclear proliferation. The gloomy bunch conclude Europe isn't ready to step up to the plate. Well, duh. It's going to take more than a speech. It's going to take time and consistent efforts to rally Europe and other allies. David Frum says Obama didn't get anything he wanted at the G20. See the roundtable here and here.  George Will also says republicans didn't vote for the budget because Obama's not a novelty anymore. Okay. 

UN Ambassador Susan Rice was relatively tame:

STEPHANOPOULOS: Is the United States prepared to pressure China?

RICE: We're working very closely with China. China shares the same goal that we do, which is a de-nuclearized Korean Peninsula. China also is very proximate, on the border with North Korea, and shares our desire not to see this situation escalate, and to ensure that we can achieve, George, the long-term goal, which is de- nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through the six-party talk process.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But because China is right on the border of North Korea, they've been reluctant to really pressure North Korea. They're afraid that if you turn the screws too hard on North Korea, the regime is going to collapse and there's going to be chaos.

And is that why they are not going along with tougher sanctions?

RICE: Well, I think they have multiple concerns. They are looking at the large long-term goal of ensuring that we don't have a nuclearized Korean Peninsula. There have been times when we have differed as to the best means of achieving that.

But we are unified with China and others in the six parties towards the goal, George, of ensuring that we roll back this nuclear program that North Korea is pursuing.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But is there any evidence at all that North Korea is going to respond to any of this? They've been steadily adding to their nuclear program, in fits and starts at times, but basically they've been able, over the last eight years or so, to develop a nuclear capability, to develop nuclear warheads, and they seem determined to keep going on that track. RICE: Well, George, it is fits and starts. I mean, there have been steps that have occurred over the last years that have been progress. For example, they did take steps to dismantle the facility at Yongbyon, which was the principal reactor. Read more or watch the video here

Republicans: We Are Speaking To Ourselves

David Frum, a conservative who would rather not see Rush Limbaugh as the leader of the GOP, nails the woes of the republican party. Michael Crowley says Americans are getting impatient. Geez, I hope not. I have noticed that a lot of people are terribly confused about what's going on --the stimulus, the banks, AIG, the auto industry. There are so many moving pieces. Some say Obama needs to package it up and give it a nice name like FDR did with "The New Deal."

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