Recently in National Security Category

Barry, I really don't understand what you are talking about.  Much of what President Obama is being criticized for revolves around substantive issues - not style.  And, it's hardly "nitpicking" as you suggest.  A lot of troubling developments have occurred in the Obama Administration's First 100 Days.

Let's just take a look at his record on the issue of life.  As I chronicled in an earlier post, President Obama is on the fast-track to becoming one of the most pro-abortion president's in recent memory.  From the very start, he set a disappointing tone that's put this country on a path that will result in more abortions and less protection for the unborn.

Barry, let's call this Homeland Security report on "Rightwing Extremism" what it is - offensive and insulting to millions of law-abiding citizens - including veterans and pro-life supporters - who exercise their constitutional rights to speak about issues that matter most to them.

Here's the definition of "rightwing extremism" that appears in the DHS report:

"Rightwing extremism in the United States can be broadly divided into those groups, movements, and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial or ethnic groups), and those that are mainly antigovernment, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration."

Barry, I just returned from the Middle East where I witnessed firsthand the terror that the Israelis face from the longstanding attacks by Hamas - rockets launched into Israel causing death, injury and terror.

I was in two Israeli cities - Ashkelon and Sderot - where more than 8,000 Hamas-fired rockets have landed over the years.  During my visit, we were sent to shelters as Hamas continued launching its rockets in those cities. 

I had the opportunity to go to Sderot with Israeli Middle East expert and former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Colonel Raanan Gissin. Colonel Gissin, the Senior Advisor to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who told me quite clearly that he believes the war Israel is now engaged in is really a war against Iran.  Hamas is fighting this war as the proxy for Iran, he said.

Israel knows that it must remove the terrorists and that is what its campaign has focused on during the past 10 days.  Israel is making progress against an enemy who uses the civilian population in Gaza as a shield - to hide its weapons and its leadership. 

Israel must defend itself.  Even now, Hamas is stepping up its rocket attacks in Israel  and is urging Palestinians to 'crush' Israel.

And, now there's growing pressure at the United Nations from many Arab countries to pass a resolution to condemn Israel.  What's noteworthy is that none of the resolutions under consideration mention the longstanding and ongoing terror campaign waged by Hamas with its rockets fired at Israeli civilians.

President-elect Obama has said little about the current situation in Gaza saying he won't make any public comments until he's inaugurated.  But at the White House today, President Bush accurately singled out Hamas for starting the current conflict by violating an earlier cease-fire. Any new cease-fire, President Bush said "must have the conditions in it so that Hamas does not use Gaza as a place from which to launch rockets."

Even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid understands what's at stake:  "I think what the Israelis are doing is very important," Reid said. "I think this terrorist organization, Hamas, has got to be put away."  

That is a priority.