Is America now considered a soft touch?

[billynomates]

In a speech in Cairo, Obama signalled that while he supported human rights, he was willing to deal with autocrats. Iran’s foreign policy remains under the control of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader.

Richard Perle, a neoconserva-tive and former Pentagon adviser, said Obama must share the blame for Ahmadinejad’s power grab. “Normally, when you unclench your fist it benefits the hardliners, because Obama appeared to be saying we can do business with you even with your present policies.”

Iran’s defiance comes after a string of foreign policy setbacks for Obama, including North Korea’s test-firing of a nuclear missile and the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netan-yahu, refusing to freeze the building of settlements on the West Bank.

“It underscores the folly of the president’s basic premise that the problem we have with bad actors around the world is that they don’t understand us,” said Frank Gaffney, of the Center for Security Policy, a conservative think tank. “These people are thugs and they have been emboldened by our weakness.”

Obama’s relations with Russia could also be affected. The US had hoped to drop its proposed missile shield in eastern Europe, ostensibly designed for defence against Iran, in exchange for Russian pressure on Iran to suspend its nuclear programme.

If negotiations on the nuclear issue fail, there is no appetite on Obama’s part for military action against Iran. American military chiefs remain adamantly opposed to taking on Iran while Iraq faces growing turmoil and US troops are surging into Afghanistan.

(Sunday Times f you want to read full article)

They're taking the piss and your President going belly up....except when it comes to Israel when he plays the hard man!

[billybob]

well, this is something he can't solve by just printing money and thats what he knows best!!!!

[spaceboy761]

well, this is something he can't solve by just printing money and thats what he knows best!!!!

Obama is the Fed Chairman? Wow, that's a pretty harsh demotion. On the downside, I guess that means that crazyass Joe Biden is the President now. That sucks.

[billybob]

Laugh if u want to!! The truth is always pitiful so u have to laugh.

[spaceboy761]

It's not exactly constructive to throw rocks at Obama for things he can't control either. If the President could actually influence the actions of the Fed, that would be a ridiculously huge problem. Let's try to keep the Obama criticism founded in something.

[mrkromer]

Obama is the Fed Chairman? Wow, that's a pretty harsh demotion. On the downside, I guess that means that crazyass Joe Biden is the President now. That sucks.

This reminded me of a great Chappelle quote:

"I could be the first black president. I mean I don't think anyone would hurt me; some people might want to hurt me, but I don't think they'd touch me. Because my vice president would be Mexican for a little "insurance." I mean you can shoot me, but you're just gonna open up the border."

mike

[billybob]

It's not exactly constructive to throw rocks at Obama for things he can't control either. If the President could actually influence the actions of the Fed, that would be a ridiculously huge problem. Let's try to keep the Obama criticism founded in something.

OMG and u don't think Obama is influencing people in Washington now!!!! Dam, even some Democrats are afraid of him

[spaceboy761]

OMG and u don't think Obama is influencing people in Washington now!!!! Dam, even some Democrats are afraid of him

I think that if the President influences the decisions of the Fed, there has been a major failure of our check and balance on economic policy. The Fed should be absolutely independent of any branch of government. If you care about the health of the free market, this is vital. Given some the recent Fed decisions that have probably made Obama yell, "WTF are they doing? This is gonna kill me!", I don't think that it's the case at all.

[billybob]

I think that if the President influences the decisions of the Fed, there has been a major failure of our check and balance on economic policy. The Fed should be absolutely independent of any branch of government. If you care about the health of the free market, this is vital. Given some the recent Fed decisions that have probably made Obama yell, "WTF are they doing? This is gonna kill me!", I don't think that it's the case at all.

I really agree with you, but I am afraid it is not that way.

[bluffmanxx]

hmmmm....no influence but the ability to increase or decrease their authority. my guess is that carries some weight

Obama to propose new financial regulator, stronger Fed

it's all indirect influence to be sure, but it is there.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is proposing the broadest changes in financial regulation since the Great Depression, calling for the elimination of some bank regulators and giving the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve vast new authority.

"We are going to put forward a very strong set of regulatory measures we think can prevent this kind of crisis from happening again," President Barack Obama said Tuesday from the Rose Garden.

Senior administration officials late Tuesday confirmed that on Wednesday Obama would propose the elimination of the much-maligned Office of Thrift Supervision , which regulates savings and loan institutions, and had oversight of the financial products division of failed insurer American International Group . The company's collapse has cost taxpayers more than $180 billion , and AIG is now almost 80 percent owned by the Federal Reserve.

Under Obama's much-anticipated regulatory proposal, the OTS would be merged with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency , which regulates a large number of big banks, and a new entity will be created. The revamping would eliminate separate federal charters for banks and thrifts and treat financial institutions alike from a regulatory standpoint.

yes, the bolding is mine