By Sherman Frederick/Properly Subversive
Have we become so crazy with blood sport politics that we can’t praise the other side for doing the right thing?
Sherman Frederick
Take President Donald Trump’s decision last weekend to take out Iran’s nuclear capability with U.S. bombers.
No Democrat in Congress initially praised that move to which fair-minded people in Nevada must say: “Seriously?”
I looked to see what Nevada’s Sen. Jackie Rosen had to say. Surely, as a staunch advocate for Israel, she would have something, anything good to say about President Donald Trump.
Nope. She’s fell right in with other mealy-mouthed Democrats like AOC and Chuck Schumer. She said:
“While we wait to learn more about the results of U.S. strikes on Iran and whether or not we have damaged Iran’s nuclear infrastructure beyond repair, I thank our U.S. servicemembers for carrying out this limited, targeted, and hopefully decisive action.
Gee, Sen. Rose is thankful for our servicemen. Stop the freakin’ presses. She had nary an “atta boy” for the commander-in-chief who decided to send them into battle?
I find that sad and odd.
She should have taken the authentic approach of Jamie Metzl, who had been a member of Bill Clinton’s national security committee—and, by his admission, “a vocal critic” of most of Trump’s policies.
Metzl praised Trump “for bold and courageous actions in support of America’s core national interests.”
I believe, Nevada’s junior senator deep down is on the same page as Metzl. But she can’t say that because she’s an elected Democrat. This is how horribly twisted our partisanship has become.
Sad doesn’t begin to describe it.
LEADERSHIP
Meanwhile, President Trump exhibited leadership to me — communicative, decisive, and measured. Effective doesn’t hurt either.
The regime in Iran needed a dose of reality. Led by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran came within weeks of developing nuclear weapons, despite the world’s best efforts to diplomatically stop them.
Nothing says “NO” louder than sending seven B-2 Spirit Stealth bombers undetected from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on a midnight raid and in one magnificent show of force, obliterate the Ayatolla’s ability to create and use nuclear weapons.
In one night’s work, the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror” ended.
The president then said: “If peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets (in Iran) with precision.”
You can argue about the prudence of the action. You can hide in a corner and fret about kicking over an ant’s nest. It’s America — the greatest nation on Earth — and we allow that discussion. But, please, don’t say we don’t have a real leader in the White House.
Remember the leadership-free Afghanistan withdrawal?
We didn’t have a leader in the White House then, and look what happened. A total mess with President Joe Biden popping on and off TV to mutter incoherently and contradict his own generals’ actions on the ground. In the end, Joe Biden’s lack of leadership killed 13 members of the Armed Forces for no good reason.
Last week’s bombing of Iran was both gutsy and measured. And, there was no doubt about who made the call. It wasn’t Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth or top military leader Gen. John Daniel “Razin” Caine. It was the rightfully elected president of the United States.
President Trump tried to solve the problem diplomatically. Iran would have none of it. So, he showed them not only that “no nukes” means “no nukes, dammit” he showed them in a measured way what kind of hell they’d be in for if they didn’t behave.
And he did it while keeping the American people apprised.
That’s leadership. The world is a safer place this morning because of it.
(Sherman Frederick is a longtime Nevada journalist. You can read more of his writing at shermanfrederick.substack.com.
