Not even a lifeline could have helped her . . . There was a telling moment on today's Morning Joe when Joe Scarborough challenged April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks to cite some of President Obama's foreign-policy successes.
Ryan was reduced to replying "that's kind of tough. Hmm, that's a tough one . . . I have to really ponder that."
Scarborough had opened the line of questioning by reading the first paragraph from his Politico column of today, Stumbling through History, describing "the wreckage" of US foreign policy with Yemen, ISIL, Syria, Iran, Libya, Jordan, Turkey and Israel.
Note: Let's see, who was Secretary of State during most of President Obama's can't-name-a-foreign-policy-success administration?
Note Segundo: perhaps if Ryan had another minute to ponder, she might have cited Mexico as a country with which the US has improved relations under President Obama. After all, his executive actions, opening our borders to hundreds of thousands of that country's most destitute and desperate, helped relieve internal economic pressures in Mexico. I'm sure its leadership is grateful.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: This was the opening paragraph [of his Politico column], and if anybody disagrees, this follows up with Bob was saying about Middle East and turmoil:
"Yemen is in flames, ISIL is on the march, Syria is apocalyptic, Iran is racing through Iraq, anarchy reigns in Libya, Jordan is on the brink, Turkey is slipping away, and America’s relationship with the Middle East’s only democracy has hit an all-time low."
That's a pretty grim report card.
KATTY KAY: Can you point at the moment to a country in the Middle East where things are stable and look like they're moving in America's national interests?
SCARBOROUGH: Well -- April, I've got another question. Can you name, other than Iran and Cuba, any countries across the world that consider themselves having a better relationship with America today than they did when Barack Obama became president?
RYAN: That's kind of tough. Hmm, that's a tough one.
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah.
RYAN: But I will say this, and I have to really ponder that because, you're right, there's so many things happening in the Middle East and just happening around the world and our relationship has been strained with many countries, but at the same time we still have allies around the world and we have to remember that.
