Easter Miracles
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009
This morning, the Sunday news shows all started with the story of merchant marine captain, Richard Phillips, held captive by four Somalian pirates. At 9:00 A.M. EDLT, NBC aired “Meet the Press” which included former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as one of the panel commenting on the standoff in the Indian Ocean. Gingrich said the whole thing was an example of Obama’s “fantasy” foreign policy. According to Gingrich, the pirate stand off was just like the problem with North Korea and Iran. According to the former speaker, Obama lived in a la la land where he thought everything would be OK if he just talked to bad people. What was needed according to Newt was the kind of get tough policies followed by Mayor Giuliani in dealing with muggers in New City.
The pirate standoff was as important as North Korea and Iran? Really? Newt was so proud of himself as he placed the trap for Obama he was just beaming. But as we learned in his dealings with President Clinton, Newt isn’t much of a chess player. He never thinks two steps ahead. Conservative Columnist George Will did see the potential pitfall and contradicted Newt’s analogizing the pirates with America’s more serious foreign policy problems. Of course George Will is a smart man and Newt just plays one on TV.
Unfortunately President Obama was at church while Newt was exposing his ignorance and couldn’t enjoy the irony in real time. We now know that when Meet the Press aired, Obama had given the authority to use deadly force more than 30 hours before the ex speaker called the President weak and naive. More importantly, President Obama’s orders would be carried out successfully before Newt got home for Easter dinner. One pirate had given up. The other three killed by Navy snipers. Captain Phillips was safe and President Obama had already spoken to him and his family.
I can’t remember a happier Easter Sunday in my lifetime. Captain Phillips, the man who had given up himself for his crew, was safe. Captain Phillip’s family, who live in a little town in Vermont which looks a lot like my little town of Appleton, had learned that their loved one would return safely to them. The fine men and women who stand watch in the United States Navy had once again proven that messing with American ships is about as smart as standing on Superman’s cape. A better Christian than I would leave it right there, but for me, the frosting on the cake was good old Newt once again proving he was the north end of a southbound horse.
Beyond the sheer unholy joy of it, there is some real benefit to President Obama from the Republicans equating the pirate standoff to Obama’s bigger foreign policy challenges. By Newt’s measure, Obama has already proven he’s up to these difficulties. It reminds me of when President Reagan invaded Grenada. Democrats in Congress who were as foolish in their day as Newt, jumped up and announced that this was Viet Nam all over again. Really? A country in the Carribean with no army, about the size of Central Park, was the same as Viet Nam half way around the world and next to China. The result of this Democratic hyperbole was that Reagan got to win the Viet Nam redo in 2 days. Likewise Newt’s verbal excess means Obama has already proven he’ll take care of Iran and North Korea.
Finally, as we celebrate this Easter we can reflect on a series of events that reinforce the faith that human events are governed by a higher power. As we reap the bitter harvest sewn by greedy men and women at the head of our financial institutions, we are witnessing a very different series of improbable events lead by very different men and women. We have watched a black Senator in his first term win the Presidency with the electoral votes of North Carolina, Virginia and Indiana. We had our breath taken away as Captain “Sully” Sullenberger brought his plane safely down in the Hudson with no lose of life. We have heard how Captain Phillips put his ship and crew above his own safety. Now, today, the US Navy has neutralized the pirates making it possible for this good and brave man to return safely to his family. In every instance the hero was not the lone wolf standing against society, the Ayn Rand type hero so popular in the Reagan era. No, the recent minor miracles have been made possible by disciplined leaders who worked seamlessly with a team in order to help others. Newt would undoubtably call this a fantasy, but this is a day when many of us celebrate miracles.