Obama's feel-good Newsweek piece

By Ann Kane

While enjoying the comforts of home on Pennsylvania Avenue, President Obama waxed poetic about the greatness of the American people in a cover story essay on the Haitian crisis in Newsweek.

When we show not just our power, but also our compassion, the world looks to us with a mixture of awe and admiration. That advances our leadership. That shows the character of our country.

The tragedy in Haiti must be awakening suppressed feelings of compassion in the president. His flat affect after the Fort Hood massacre, and the Lakeland, Washington murders, showed his inability to empathize with others. Yet, he has somehow transformed overnight and become a leader of America the Great.

And so the United States of America will lead the world in this humanitarian endeavor. That has been our history, and that is how we will answer the challenge before us.

Excuse me? This is an about face. Back in April, Nicolle Wallace of the Daily Beast wrote about Obama's apology tour in Europe. She stated:

Europeans aren't better than Americans-so I can't figure out why our president is saying sorry to them instead of explaining what makes our country great.

Obama continued:

But it is also in these moments, when we are brought face to face with our own fragility, that we rediscover our common humanity.

Americans have always come to the aid of others in need without having to be asked. We don't need to rediscover something that we already knew.

He is still apologizing. Sad to say, our president is psychologically far removed from the Americans whom he claims to represent.

So with regard to Haiti, has Obama truly changed? Not likely. The Obama team can't let a good crisis go to waste. It's PR, stupid. His senior adviser is on full throttle damage control with the Massachusetts Senate race looking very grim for the Democrats. Obama joined Coakley at a rally in the Bay State on Sunday, and they were heckled.

The White House needed a feel good piece-right about now-but as usual, it's in bad taste.