"I Can't Suck It Up With a Straw."

When you don't have it you don't have it. I am talking about leadership, or the lack of same in our president.

As I've tried to say, the Gulf oil gusher has stripped away the pretense and shown us, transparently, the full measure of Obama's deficient leadership talents.

In his latest attempt at leadership, Obama said this to the people of Louisiana: "So I can't dive down there and plug up the hole. I can't suck it up with a straw."

It feels like we are witnessing the Obama follies, a variety show with dancers, comedians, and clowns. If Obama cannot do the job, and if he cannot look serious about it-- which means that he cannot be Bobby Jindal-- he seems to believe that he can be the entertainment.

If you can't deal with reality, provide some light diversion.

I doubt very much that, "I can't suck it up with a straw" will go down in history alongside Churchill's "We shall never surrender."

The worst part is not that he said it, but that the White House is so proud of this pretense at wit that it has posted the line on its website. Link here.

Watching a man be so thoroughly overcome by events is a sad spectacle. Were it not for the fact that he is President of the United States we would be able to find some laughs in it.

Leaders don't suck it up with a straw. They just suck it up.