When someone says Bush should get credit for Bin Laden, ask them this....

[Moonwalk]

The next time someone says that Bush should be credited for Bin Laden's death, ask them this: "If the operation had gone wrong, if those Navy Seals had died, and Bin Laden had escaped, and the whole thing had made the U.S. look bad, would you be saying that Bush should be given credit for it?"

Wait for an answer. Insist on an answer.

Conservatives love the story of "The Little Red Hen" who found some grain, decided to make bread with it, and, at each stage in the bread making, asked for help. The hen got no help, but when she was done baking the bread everyone wanted a piece. Conservatives use fable to argue that those who do the work shouldn't have to share what they make with others. Well, back at 'em. President Obama did the work--he alone made this decision on what to do with the information they'd gotten, however they'd gotten it, just like the Red Hen decided what she was going to do with the grain. And he only has to share slices of what resulted from that information with those who actually helped him do the work.

Which he graciously and generously did.

He certainly doesn't have to share the credit with anyone who wouldn't equally accept the blame had this operation had failed. If anyone wants to give Bush credit for this, then they have to also admit that they'd put some of the blame on him if it had failed. Either Bush shares blame along with glory, or he gets neither. The credit for the work, like slices of bread, only go to those who actually were there and did the work/baked the bread. Not those who didn't manage to do the work/bake the bread when they had the opportunity.

[JohnnyRingo]

1. Buxh spent eight years poking around caves, Obama went to his house and rang the doorbell

If Buxh knew for sure Osama was was in that specific building in Pakistan he would have bombed Syria into submission.

It was clear ten years ago that the Buxh administration overestimated Pakistan's alliance when the White House continued the absurd position that OBL was "in an area between Afghanistan and Pakistan". There is no "area between", it's a fucking border. He was on one side or the other, and most intelligence knew which side because it was well published here and elsewhere that Musharif cut a deal that AlQaeda would leave Islamabad alone in exchange for quiet sanctuary.

A further slap came during the Buxh administration when AQ Kahn sold Pakistan's nuclear secrets to N Korea, allowing them to complete their ambitions. When chastised mildly by Buxh's state dept, Musharif gave Kahn a good talking to and a very public pass.

Buxh sat on his hands throughout, unconcerned about anything except an increasingly pointless war in Iraq. Buxh was more determined to enter the history books as the American "war president" that conquered Mesopotamia.

[ThatPoetGuy]

2. In 2007, the Obama strategy was spelled out.

A tactical strike within Pakistan to kill terrorists.

This is the Obama strategy, laid out in 2007: "If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won’t act, we will."

Bush condemned the strategy.

Aug. 1, 2007: Barack Obama laid out the strategy that led to Osama bin Laden's death. Bush quickly condemned the strategy. McCain condemned it. All the right-wing pundits condemned it. Mitt Romney condemned it. Even Hillary Clinton condemned it.

Osama bin Laden is dead, and it's entirely due to President Obama's leadership.

Link from 2007: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/obama-takes-heat-on-pakistan/

Bush said the notion of striking within Pakistan was "unsavory."
Bush said he "fully respected Pakistan's sovereignty"
Bush said he trusted Pakistan to do the job of "fighting al-Qaeda and other terrorist elements."
Bush said the Obama strategy wasn't serious, it was only "prompted by political considerations in an environment of electioneering."

Bush was wrong about everything. An Obama staffer did a clear job of pointing out Bush's statements as further examples of his "failed leadership."

If anyone other than Barack Obama had been elected president, Osama bin Laden would still be alive.

[damntexdem]

3. Sure Dubya should get credit for Bin Laden -- his success, that is.

And his ability to escape justice for so long.

In fact, Dubya deserves credit for many things -- where credit = blame.

[treestar]

4. Yes. You know your right wingers, Absolutely right.

They would be blaming Obama had it failed. It succeeded. They must give him credit. They are hypocrites always.

[graywarrior]

5. If they want to give Bush credit for bin Laden, he needs to have credit for all of it

including the 9/11 attack and ignoring warnings given to him by Clinton. Oh yeah, he's responsible for ALL of it, if his pea brain morons want to play that game.