When You’ve Lost the New York Times. . .

Even the New York Times is starting to figure out that Obama and his roving clownshow of an administration is simply in over its head.  In “Mounting Crises Raise Questions on Obama Team’s Ability to Cope,” Times reporter Mark Landler uses ventriloquist journalism to give effect to the no doubt widespread desire of Beltway Democrats for Obama to try to right his fortunes through the desperation measure of cleaning house after the election:

“There is an inflection point in every presidency, and this certainly is a logical one, if the president feels he might be better served by some replacements on his team,” said Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Connecticut Democrat and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

While Mr. Blumenthal said the administration had borne up well under the circumstances, the scale and complexity of the problems “would exact a toll personally and professionally on any group.”

There is little evidence that the president plans a wholesale shake-up.

Could John Kerry be on the chopping block?  One can only hope.  Take in this delicious graph from Landler:

Mr. Kerry is vocal and forceful in internal debates, officials said, but he frequently gets out of sync with the White House in his public statements. White House officials joke that he is like the astronaut played by Sandra Bullock in the movie “Gravity,” somersaulting through space, untethered to the White House.

Aides to Mr. Kerry reject that portrait, saying he dials into White House meetings from the road and is heavily involved in the policy process. A long memo he wrote on the Islamic State, they said, has become the administration’s playbook for combating the group.

What an amazingly droll piece of reporting.  “Aides to Mr. Kerry reject that portrait”?  Seriously?

But yeah, I can’t get “Sandra Bullock” and “John Kerry” in my head at the same time either.  Oh heck, maybe I can.  Just spare us the underwear please:

Kerry Spacesuit copy

Kerry Spacesuit 2 copy

Finally, there’s this conclusion from the story: “Ultimately, of course, the administration’s crisis management reflects the president.”  Good to know.

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