Doubts at the NYT

From lead editorial, Sunday New York Times:

If ever there was a test of President Obama’s vision of government — one that cannot solve all problems, but does what people cannot do for themselves — it is this nerve-racking early summer of 2010, with oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico and far too many Americans out of work for far too long.

It certainly should not have taken days for Mr. Obama to get publicly involved in the oil spill, or even longer for his administration to start putting the heat on BP for its inadequate response and failure to inform the public about the size of the spill. (Each day, it seems, brings new revelations about the scope of the disaster.) It took too long for Mr. Obama to say that the Coast Guard and not BP was in charge of operations in the gulf and it’s still not clear that is true.

These are matters of competence and leadership. This is a time for Mr. Obama to decisively show both.

Don Surber:

The New York Times published this delightful little editorial in which a newspaper’s editorial board comes to grips with the reality that they bet liberalism on a fellow who never ran a pop stand. The inexperience is washing onto the beaches of Florida and the shores of Louisiana.

After 8 years of mainly unfair derision of George Walker Bush, liberals find a true elitist incompetent in the Oval Office: Their man.

Barack Obama’s leadership skills are not up to the task, and a liberal press that failed to press him on this issue in the presidential campaign has no right to expect him to suddenly sprout wings and fly.

Suber is right. It is unseemly for the liberal media to start feeling for the exits as Obama shows himself to be an empty suit; it was, after all, the very same media that refused critically examine Obama's virtually nonexistent record of experience and accomplishment, so intent were they on getting him elected at any cost. The NYT, among others, evaded their journalistic responsibilities, choosing instead to act as star-struck Obama cheerleaders and campaign flacks.

Having foolishly launched the Good Ship Obama, the NYT, et al., should finally show some integrity and nail themselves to the mast.

Byron