By J. Randolph Evans

On May 7, 2011, first lady Michelle Obama, echoing President Barack
Obama, addressed the success of the United States military in killing
Osama bin Laden. She made her remarks in Iowa, the first state to
decide in the 2012 election cycle. The last time she was in Iowa was to
campaign in the 2008 presidential election.

Her words were notable and merit repeating: “Just imagine, a small
group of brave men, dropped by helicopter, half a world away in the dead
of night into unknown danger inside the lair of the most wanted man in
the world. They did not hesitate, risking everything for us, for our
freedom and security. And they did it not just as Navy SEALs. They did
it as husbands, as fathers, as sons. Their families were back here,
with no idea of their mission or whether their loved one would ever come
home. That is the very essence of the word ‘service.’ And the least we
can do is give something back to these troops and their families who
have given us so much.”

Her speech at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa,
followed what most agree was a Presidential victory lap around the
country to boast of the success of the CIA and the United States
military in killing bin Laden. From a televised speech to the nation
from the White House, to a ceremony at the site of the World Trade
Center, to the U.S./Mexican border, President Obama praised the CIA and
U. S. military personnel. He said “we may not always know their names,
we may not always know their stories, but they are always there.”

No one disagrees with the bravery and valor of the men and women who
defend this country every day. No one disagrees that the world owes a
debt of gratitude to the CIA and the Navy SEALs who risked their lives
to kill Osama bin Laden. Yes, their stories are often untold, yet they
are always there. It is what separates them from so many others who show
up when it is popular or convenient, but are nowhere to be found when
things are tough. It is this standard – always there when you need them
– that makes the President’s and First Lady’s recent praise seem so
shallow.

Just weeks before the victory lap, the Obama White House used the pay of
military service members as a hostage in the budget negotiations heading
into a potential government shutdown. Indeed, to make the point of how
far the Obama Administration was willing to go, on April 6, 2011, the
White House went on the record to say that members of the United States
military would not get paid if there was a government shutdown. The
White House insisted on this position even as both the House and the
Senate offered legislation that would assure that military personnel
would get paid even if there was a government shutdown. Senator Kay
Bailey Hutchinson offered the Senate bill with this comment: “I don’t
want one more minute of stress on our military.” Yet, by keeping
military pay on the table, that was exactly what happened. President
Obama put the families of U.S. troops at risk at home while the troops
put their lives at risk abroad. So, using the words of Mrs. Obama, did
this “give something back to these troops and their families who have
given us so much?”

But it does not end there. Amidst Obama’s praise of the CIA, the
President’s Administration continues its investigation of CIA
interrogators for potential criminal prosecution. Indeed, the
President’s Attorney General has moved forward, handing the
investigation over to a special prosecutor. This comes after a prior
investigation determined that CIA agents had not violated the law.

It also comes after CIA Director (and Secretary of Defense designate)
Leon Panetta, who openly opposes the Obama investigation of the CIA,
said “my primary interest – when it comes to a program that no longer
exists – is to stand up for those officers who did what their country
asked and who followed the legal guidance they were given.”

Against this backdrop, and as part of his victory tour following the
killing of Osama bin Laden, President Obama said to the U.S. military
and the CIA, “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart on behalf
of the American people for the sacrifices you make every day.” He
should. The U.S. military and the CIA have done more for President
Obama than he has ever done for them.

Interestingly, a recent military study found that U.S. troops fighting
in Afghanistan have the lowest morale in five years. But the President
is happy and his poll numbers are up. Isn’t that what it’s all about?