Confidently commenting on the execution of Libya’s long-time dictator, Barack Obama stated that “the death of Moammar Qaddafi showed that our role in protecting the Libyan people, and helping them break free from a tyrant, was the right thing to do.” About his own decision to pull all U.S. troops from Iraq in two months’ time, Obama asserted that “in Iraq, we’ve succeeded in our strategy to end the war.” He then drew triumphalist conclusions from these developments, bragging that they show “the tide of war is receding” and “we’ve renewed American leadership in the world.”
How handy: As Obama’s disliked domestic policies (especially concerning health care and employment) sink his popularity, he now claims foreign-policy successes. Democratic Party flacks tout his international achievements: “Terrorists and dictators,” says one, “lacking the filibuster, have no effective defense against Barack Obama.”
