PERSPECTIVE: On criticizing the president

The braying from the anti-Obama contingent of the right is beginning to look like a replay of the rude left’s nonstop criticism of President George W. Bush. But no matter where it comes from — or which president is the target — it’s vapid partisan claptrap.

Republicans with average memories certainly will recall the nonsense spewed by the left when President Bush took a vacation to his Texas ranch when foreign and domestic issues were boiling over: two wars, the economy, Iran, North Korea. The president’s adversaries suggested he was out of touch because he was at the ranch rather than in the Oval Office. It was nonsense.

Not to be outdone, the vacuous right is using the left’s playbook to beat up on President Barack Obama by proclaiming he has too much on his plate and can’t possibly give two wars, the economy, health care reform, Iran and North Korea the proper attention.