No Shame, No Clue, No Class 

The mass shooting this morning at the Washington Naval Yard had this city reeling. Local authorities confirm that twelve people are dead. Was it terrorism? A domestic dispute? No one knows yet. What we do know is that a dozen military personnel brutally shot just blocks from Capitol Hill was not enough to thwart Obama's non-stop partisan attack on conservatives. 

When Obama spoke this morning at a pre-scheduled White House event, police believed that two shooters were still at large. In that environment, Obama made passing comments about the shooting and then launched into the vitriol, accusing congressional conservatives of intentionally damaging the economy and hurting the middle class. 

It wasn't the first time Obama has displayed his "tin ear" for the emotions and concerns of the American people. After news of the Fort Hood massacre broke, Obama went to the Interior Department before a partisan audience and spent the beginning of his speech doing "shout outs" to various people he recognized in the audience. He was all smiles and waves as he stoked up the admiring audience. Only then did he announce the shooting.

Then there was last year. Obama held an event on the White House lawn where he and Hillary Clinton tearfully expressed their grief at the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi. Obama then headed off to Las Vegas for a fundraiser for his campaign. Nothing deters Obama from his appointed rounds. 

Obama's Media 

Barack Obama hit the airwaves again this weekend, desperately trying to argue that he has a coherent position on Syria. During his interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos (it must be nice to be a liberal president, knowing you can go to Big Media and be questioned by other friendly liberals) Obama was asked whether we could really trust Russia's Vladimir Putin. 

We learn the most about Obama when he doesn't have a teleprompter and he has to speak off the cuff. During his lengthy response Obama said, "This is not the Cold War.  This is not a contest between the United States and Russia." Right. Tell that to Putin! 

Whether Obama wants to admit it or not, there is a very real contest going on around the world. On one side is Russia, China, Iran and North Korea. On the other is the United States, Israel and our allies -- a shrinking group under Obama's uncertain leadership. 

Vladimir Putin gets out of bed every morning looking to advance Russia's strategic interests at the expense of America's. When he has to deal with Obama, Putin acts like a fighter getting ready for a boxing match, while Obama seems to think he's going over for tea. 

There is a major Russian naval base in Syria, giving Russia the ability to project power in the Mediterranean. Putin is a former KGB officer who seems to be out for revenge. Surely Obama knows this. 

By the way, if you need more evidence of media bias, check out this example of pro-Obama censorship from Time. While the rest of the world learns that America is "weak and waffling" and Russia is resurgent, U.S. readers are being treated to the urgent controversy of whether it is time to compensate college athletes. I'm sure it is a coincidence that Time's editor Rick Stengel is leaving his post to join the Obama Administration. At least then Stengel's pro-Obama propaganda will be official. 

What Obama & Putin Don't Get 

One thing that neither Obama nor Putin seems to understand is American exceptionalism. You can read more of my thoughts on that subject in my latest op-ed in the Washington Times. 

Sen. Rand Paul Steps In It 

I have great admiration for the way Senator Rand Paul has stood up for his values on several key issues. But when it comes to the Paul family, foreign policy is often a blind spot. 

Sen. Paul seems better than his father, former Rep. Ron Paul. But late last week he "stepped in it" in a way that again raises questions about his world view. Here's what he said, "I think some within the Christian community are such great defenders of the promised land and the chosen people that they think war is always the answer, maybe even preemptive war." 

Understandably, many reporters took Paul's comment as an attack on Christians United for Israel. I am involved in that organization. I know its leadership very well, being friends with Pastor John Hagee. I have never met anybody at CUFI who yearns for war. To the contrary, our concern is weakness in Washington leading to a war where we will be disadvantaged and our Israeli allies will be in danger. 

Quite honestly, I don't think I've ever met a committed Christian anxious to go to war. Many of the Christian families I know have raised their children with values that lead them to volunteer for the military. I doubt parents with children in the military just can't wait to see their son or daughter in combat. 

Senator Paul has been using a leftist argument though that sounds a lot like left-wing pacifism, suggesting it is against the teachings of Christianity to fight a just war. In making that point he goes against thousands of years of Christian theology. 

I was asked to respond to Senator Paul's comments. Here are my remarks, which were picked up by the Washington Free Beacon:
 

• "Sen. Paul should not lose sleep over mythical Christians who he imagines always want war. His time would be better spent telling us how he would stop the Iranian mullahs who are on the brink of producing nuclear weapons while they threaten the destruction of America and Israel. If the senator wants to run for president in 2016, he probably should try harder to not sound so much like Barack Obama."

Values Matter 

I recommend reading this column from Christianity Today about "abortion clinics closing at a record rate."

Forty-four abortion clinics have shut down this year, up from "25 surgical clinics shutdown last year and 30 in 2011." While tougher state regulations are a big part of the reason many clinics are closing, those regulations only became law in states that recently elected pro-life governors and pro-life state legislators.