A military setting brings out the best in President Obama's eloquence, and Tuesday's Fort Hood memorial was no exception. His moving tribute to the 13 fallen soldiers contained such lines as "In a time of cynicism, they remind us of who we are as Americans" and "We are a nation that endures because of the courage of those who defend it."
Yet Obama stopped short of calling the attack what it obviously was: terrorism, even treason, committed by an Army major against defenseless comrades. He hinted, but his disappointing dodge was achieved only through a parade of tortured inconsistencies.
He said we are "in a time of war," but called the attack a "tragedy." He mentioned Afghanistan and Pakistan, saying "the same extremists who killed nearly 3,000 Americans continue to endanger America," but never said the same radical Islam led to the massacre.
He didn't mention the killer's contacts with Al Qaeda, but said, "No faith justifies these murderous and craven acts." He didn't acknowledge that Nidal Malik Hasan had shouted, "Al lahu akbar" (God is great) as he fired his guns, but the president said, "No just and loving God looks upon them with favor."
Still, we can at least be grateful Obama didn't mouth the poppycock that the attack was a case of posttraumatic stress disorder. Going down that silly slope would have been a real tragedy.
Michael Goodwin is a New York Post columnist and Fox News contributor. To continue reading his column, click here.
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