The world came together in Paris yesterday, but sadly, "the leader of the free world" was missing in action.  Instead, the U.S. was represented by the outgoing attorney general – or maybe the ambassador:

The embassy did not say why Holder did not attend the march.

It said the United States was represented in the huge rally by its ambassador to France, Jane Hartley.

Holder, who was protected while in France by a detail of FBI officers, said after the ministers' meeting that US President Barack Obama wanted to hold a summit of allied leaders in Washington on February 18 to "discuss ways in which we can counteract this violent extremism that exists around the world".

He also expressed sympathy with France for the three days of carnage it suffered at the hands of three Islamist gunmen, saying: "On this day, we are all French citizens. I am a citizen of France, and we stand in solidarity with the French people."

Yes, I understand that AG Holder is a senior member of the Obama cabinet and don't want to show disrespect for the U.S. ambassador.  Furthermore, I understand that AG Holder wants to talk with international colleagues about terrorism.

His presence is the wrong statement.  We should have been represented by President Obama, and even a delegation of former presidents, such as Clinton and Bush.  Our "footprint" should have resembled President Reagan sending Presidents Nixon, Carter, and Ford, and VP Bush, to the Sadat funeral in 1981.

Question: what was President Obama doing to keep him away from this march?  Air Force One could have easily put him in Paris in 7 hours and brought him back home.  Security could have been arranged. 

What was he doing?  What was more important?

We do know that he's been traveling promoting "free community college," making veto threats, and saying that he will act unilaterally if Congress does not pass what he wants.

Sorry, but we do not have a serious man in the Oval Office.  We deserve better.  The world deserves better.  We are entering a very dangerous period in the post 9-11 era, and it is very sad to see such a lack of seriousness from the man we refer to as "the leader of the free world."

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