OUR STUDENT GOVERNMENT – AT 7:09 P.M. ET:  I listened to the president's speech wrapping up the nuclear proliferation summit in Washington. 

Listening to Obama is like listening to a well-practiced "motivational speaker."  Smooth words.  Exciting words.  Better look for the substance.

Wonderful things were done, the president assured us.  Why, nations came forward (think an evangelical meeting), and these nations made commitments.  Yes, commitments my friend, right here in River City.  (Think "The Music Man.")  The heavens have lightened!  We are the good people!

And, yes, Mr. Obama did announce some actions that some countries have taken, like giving up some nuclear material.  And then, unfortunately for Mr. Obama, there were press questions.

And so Bill Plante of CBS News spoiled Mr. Obama's hustle by noting, very simply, that the final agreement announced by the summit made it clear that all commitments were voluntary.

Oh.

Yeah, it's a little problem in the grown-up world, but there is absolutely no enforcement mechanism in the summit's summary of joy.  None at all.  And little problems like Iran and Pakistan were left out entirely.  As Charles Krauthammer said, many of these "world leaders" will return to their capitals tomorrow wondering what the whole thing was about.

It was about Obama.  Now, true, we are glad that the president has raised the profile of nuclear terrorism.  He is to be commended for that.  All praise.  But where this president fails, and fails badly, is translating rhetoric into reality.  He reflects the narrow, cloistered, in some cases immature world in which he has spent most of his life.  We saw this with health care.  We're seeing it in foreign policy.  It's words that count to him.  The deeds go undone, or are left to others. 

Words can indeed matter.  Churchill used the English language as a weapon.  But Churchill backed his words with actions.  Thus far, the president's actions in foreign policy have been anemic at best, treacherous at worst, except for his buildup in Afghanistan. 

So we've had another conference.  It reminds me of all the conferences the League of Nations had in the 1930s.  The bottom line is this:  If Iran gets the bomb, who will take us seriously?  If Al Qaeda sets off a dirty nuke in an American city, who will fear us?  What will we have left, except the fading pages of the program from today's conference?

April 13, 2010