I'm sneaking in one more blog post before the expected power outages begin to hit here on the East Coast due to Hurricane Sandy. Judging by the weather reports, it may be a few days before I'm able to do another one, due to lack of power, no Internet, etc.
So with eight days remaining until the U.S. presidential election (and who knows what impact Sandy will have there?), I have five questions for the next President, regardless of who wins on Nov. 6. Needless to say, they are a bit more pointed than Bob Schieffer's at last week's debate.
1. If, as I fully expect, sanctions do not persuade the Iranian regime to give up its nuclear weapons program (and all indications are, despite increased economic hardship, the mullahs will not budge), are you willing to use military action to neutralize the threat? If not, are you willing to fully support Israel if (and when) it takes unilateral military action to stop the Iranian Bomb? The Obama administration seems to be offering an answer, and it is a resounding "no" on both counts.
2. What will you do to neutralize growing Iranian influence in the Western hemisphere, at our very doorstep? Iran is establishing a forward base in our backyard in order to attack America. Yet, again, it seems we already know where President Obama stands on this threat.
3. Will you treat the Muslim Brotherhood as an enemy of the United States? After all, this is a group that supports violent jihad (for instance, Hamas is its Palestinian branch), seeks Islamic sharia law for one and all (Muslim and non-Muslim alike), and pines for the reestablishment of a global Islamic caliphate. It also seeks to have our closest ally, Israel, wiped off the map. Oh, and in case you thought the U.S. mainland was immune, the Brotherhood is here and seeking to destroy us from within. Shouldn't a group with these beliefs and aims be treated as an enemy? Well, we already know where the Obama administration stands on the MB, at home and abroad.
4. Will you stand before the American people and clearly identify and define the enemy we are facing? President Bush was on the right track when he said we are at war with "Islamofascists" who are seeking the reestablishment of the Caliphate (if the NY Times disliked it, you know it was hitting the truth). By the end of his term however, he and his administration were using the vague term, "violent extremists" to identify the Islamic jihadists who wish to end our way of life. Under the Obama administration, things have gone from bad to considerably worse. The next president must level with the American people about what we are up against in this "long war."
5. Will you stand strong in the face of growing pressure by stealth (and not-so-stealth) jihadists here and abroad to restrict Americans' free speech about Islam, sharia and jihad through UN-imposed hate speech laws? It seems we know the Obama administration's answer, and again, it is not encouraging and is, in fact, downright disturbing.
These questions are just the tip of the iceberg. Come Nov. 7, (hopefully) we'll have a better idea of the answers and what lies in store for the next four years and beyond.