It was almost a funny moment . . . until you realized that members of the press were openly laughing at the fecklessness of the ostensible leader of the free world.
On today's Morning Joe, the Washington Post's Eugene Robinson, his voice occasionally cracking with emotion, repeatedly insisted that President Obama would use military force if necessary to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Andrea Mitchell eventually had enough, saying in a devastating aside "ask Bashar al-Assad," an allusion of course to how President Obama ran away from his red line in Syria. Joe Scarborough laughingly joined in, repeating "ask Assad." Even Mika Brzezinski couldn't suppress a smile [see screencap below.]
If they're laughing at Obama on an MSNBC set, what do you think they're doing in Moscow, in Teheran, in Pyongyang, across the Islamic State and wherever else enemies of freedom and the United States reside?
Is there any greater national security threat than the common perception of weakness on the part of the Commander-in-Chief?
EUGENE ROBINSON: He's already said that a million times. He said that a million times.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: What? That he will use military force --.
ROBINSON: Yes!
SCARBOROUGH: -- to stop them from getting a nuclear weapon?
ROBINSON: He's said everything is on the table.
SCARBOROUGH: The president has drawn red lines before. Do you think --
ROBINSON: He has said that a million times.
SCARBOROUGH: He needs to say it a million and one.
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: Well, it's kind of hard when you have such a very loud [inaudible] in the halls of congress.
ROBINSON: I don't know what else he can say.SCARBOROUGH: Do you believe that?
ROBINSON: Yes!
SCARBOROUGH: Do you believe the president would use military force if he finds out that Iran has a nuclear weapon?
ROBINSON: He uses military force all the time. Yes.
SCARBOROUGH: Do you think he'd use it against Iran?
ROBINSON: Yes!
SCARBOROUGH: Well, I feel a little better this morning, Gene Robinson, because of your confidence in the Commander-in-Chief.
ANDREA MITCHELL: Ask Bashar Al-Assad.
SCARBOROUGH: [Laughs] Yeah, exactly. Ask Assad.
