Our Toolbox

I was listening to the White House new guy at the press briefing as I drove into Virginia today. They were going on about possible actions against Gaddafi.

Q: What about sanctions?
A: it's in our toolbox
Q: How about a move to have them kicked off the UN Human Rights committee?
A: yup, it's in our toolbox
Q: And how about a no fly zone?
A: toolbox...

And then one of the reporters with a foreign accent asks "Yes, yes, you've got all these things in your tool box. But when are you going to use anything from your toolbox?" (with a touch of exasperation in his voice)

What a great question. I wish I had tivo for the radio so I could save this sort of thing.

On and on it went, toolboxing everything, and vowing to do what George Bush didn't do: to wait for a consensus of nations. I can translate that: we're not going to do anything Obama could be criticized for. And I can break that down: we aren't going to do anything of substance. The toolbox will get well dusty before this president opens it. All he's going to do is make symbolic gestures.

Change!