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  1. World
  2. Middle East
22 March 2011

Dude, the president gave in to a girl!

Right-winger condemns Barack Obama for listening to the advice of women on Libya.

By Duncan Robinson

The decision to intervene in Libya was reportedly pushed by the “foreign policy Valkyries” of Obama’s administration – Hillary Clinton, Samantha Power and Susan Rice. The Valkyries called on President Obama to ignore his doubts, and ignore the advice of the cautious Robert Gates. Careful readers may have noted something about this new breed of liberal hawk: none of them has a penis.

This has caused some consternation among commentators in the US. Writing in the National Review, an enjoyably right-wing magazine in the US, Mark Krikorian spelled out why the intervention had upset him.

Do you think Putin and A-jad and Chavez and the ChiComs are more afraid of Obama now? It was obvious to most of us that Hillary has more, uh, stones than Obama, but to have it confirmed so publicly for less attentive foreign goons means they’re that much more likely to try to push us and see how The One responds.

Obama has no balls! But Clinton has. Perhaps that’s why Bill played away from home! Hur, hur, hur. Krikorian then launches into the “I’m not sexist but . . .” part of his argument:

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Before you send me any burning bras, the problem is not with women leaders – the enemies of the Virgin Queen and the Iron Lady can attest to that. The problem is not even with the president having strong female subordinates. Rather, Obama’s pusillanimity has been hugely magnified by the contrast with the women directing his foreign policy and the fact that they nagged him to attack Libya until he gave in.

OK, so Krikorian is fine with women having positions of authority. The problem lies with Obama’s spinelessness. Right? Wrong.

Maybe it’s unfair and there shouldn’t be any difference from having a male secretary of state do the same thing, but there is.

Essentially, his argument is: “Dude, the president gave in . . . to a girl.”

According to Krikorian’s logic, then, if Obama can be rolled over by a woman, he can be rolled over by anybody. At the next meeting of the G20, Putin will probably give the president a wedgie while Wen Jiabao runs away with his lunch money. So, remember: women, know your limits.

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