May 12, 2009--Heads Will Roll

Various commentators have either criticized him or more benignly wondered if Barack Obama is tough enough to be an effective president. Maureen Dowd, for example, at times, has called him The One (as in the Anointed One) or Bambi (as in the Innocent, Wide-Eyed One).

During the campaign she suggested that he was so afraid of Hillary Clinton that he would lose the nomination. We know what happened with that. And then, in his Bambi mode, she worried that John McCain would win. Again, so much for that. Now it is time to legislate by negotiating and fighting around with a resistant Congress and to deal with often-unfriendly world leaders. Would this inclusive, nice-guy-president be able to show enough muscle, even have the capacity to threaten and punish people in order to advance his agenda?

Could such a seemingly detached, cool, No-Drama Obama, when necessary—and in Washington and around the world it is frequently necessary—have the ability to bang a few heads together? Or worse. Not maliciously, but to get the job done.

Anyone still wondering about the quality of the steel in his spine should begin by asking Rick Wagoner. Remember him, the former (underlined) CEO of General Motors. He was fired, recall, shortly after the Obama administration took effective control of the struggling auto giant. Put aside for the moment any feelings you may have about the appropriateness of the government running a company and reflect on the political lessons that can be learned from Rick Wagoner’s fate.

Then think about Louis Caldera, former (underlined again) Director of the White House Military Office. You may not know his name or remember what his office does. If not, let me remind you—the Military Office, among other things, is responsible for the airplanes and helicopters that fly the president around the country and world. The 747 that is called Air Force One when he is on board. The same plane that unannounced buzzed lower Manhattan last week and scared the bejesus out of all of us who live here.

After a brief investigation to be certain he had all the facts and his action was going to be appropriate and fair, Barack Obama a few days ago summarily fired him.

Then yesterday, if you are still wondering if Obama has the chops for the job, more significantly than with the earlier firings, he sacked the commander of our troops in Afghanistan. This time there was no fig leaf saying that General David McKiernan wanted to retire early so he could spend more time with his family. No, Defense Secretary Gates, after Obama decided it was time for new leadership, met with him and told him that his two-year assignment would end after just 11 months.

Again, whatever you think about Obama expanding our commitment there--would this turn into his Vietnam—after careful review, he came to conclude that this unconventional, asymmetrical war needed a commander who was deeply experienced in waging this kind of battle. So he chose General Stanley McChrystal to lead the effort since, as the former head of the Joint Special Operations Command in Iraq, he has a proven track record of successfully waging these kinds of frustrating battles. McKiernan, he concluded, was more suited to so-called conventional warfare; and, since the situation we are in in Afghanistan and Pakistan is anything but conventional, good man though he is, Obama concluded that he is not the best person for this assignment. Thus, he is now the former commander. (See Linked New York Times story for the background.)

We of course do not know how things will work out (I for one am not optimistic), but we know one thing for certain—Obama didn’t run for the presidency and get himself elected so he could enjoy the perks and comforts of the office. Agree with him, disagree with him, he’s smart, serious, tireless, personable, and can be merciless. All qualities successful presidents through history have had in abundance.