Tom Toles for December 30, 2008

This is incredibly mean and stupid. He is not yet inaugurated and he and his family deserve their holiday so just leave them alone already! I am shocked by this coming from TT. He is usually a bit less ignorant.

DK – the point is that the current fires raging out of control are going to trump the items that Obama would like to address first.

This toon is not a cut on Obama.

While I agree with lalas, I still think TT dropped the ball on this one.

It’s hard for me look at this cartoon, and not be reminded of how Bush refused to bag any vacation plans whenever crises arose. ( Ie. Hurricane Katrina )

Certainly that wasn’t the intended message of this cartoon, but it’s there, just the same.

I agree Lalas. I’m starting to like Obama as my President as well as personally(already). Obama has a lengthy agenda list and is requesting a really, really big SOUR drink made out of lemons. Any thing that he did would only be premature as Bush is still Pres.

Simon – W is on vacation AGAIN (or is it STILL) while Gaza burns. I betcha Condi is out shoe shopping right now.

NFP - there is an opinion piece in The New Republic online about how we need to have the inauguration right after the 1st.

Until 9-11, W had spent more time on vacation than working, more than any other president.

I have no doubts that, once he really IS president, Obama will earn his pay, and then some.

After all, he is NOT president yet… and we only have one president at a time!

Still, he has been staying updated on the situation in the Middle East (I had missed the fire at first.)

From Tried by War by James M. McPherson (awesome writer/historian): “From the moment of his election as president on November 6, 1860, Lincoln confronted issues of policy and strategy even thought he would not take office for almost four months.” Obama doesn’t look as if he is relaxing much on that beach. He’s working on his original agenda, and now he’s going to have to deal with the Mideast. And he’s not even President yet!

motive … guess folks is jes desperate, seenin’ how the current lot of “deciders” have panned out.

I respectfully ask; what kind of impact do we(the U.S.) have on the Syrian-Palestine area anyway?

NoFear, Good question. With so many opinions and half truths out there it’s anybodys guess.

NFP - Well, we have oil-based relationships with a number of the real Arab powers (that is, not the Palestinians, who are pawns), and we have a long-standing relationship with Israel, both through our government and through our Jewish population, and we have provided a significant amount of money over the years. Bush has maintained a strong relationship with them, if only for religious reasons. Since we’re still the biggest kid on the block, we have influence on both sides to some extent – but not as much as the past six or seven presidents have hoped for, clearly.

Motive you took my abstract thinking (I know I do that alot) and made it make sense. That is exactly what I mean. Beyond backing Israel the only effect seems to be a constant parade of endless peace talks that, if they achieve anything at all, always seem to whittle Israel’s position down by slow degrees (but I do not think Israel would allow anything drastic to occur to weaken their position ultimately.

I think to understand this comic you have to be familiar with the John Lennon song it paraphrases. Most are not so the misconception that this is a critical view.