Was Freeing the Hostage "Presidential"?

Forgive me for not joining the cheering mob, but....

No. Not particularly.

Don't get me wrong. I'm delighted that we freed him, and kudos to the individuals who pulled it off. Double kudoes to the ship crew that killed the other pirates on board.

But as for our President--

Sorry to be the dog in the manger here...

But if the zillion dollars' worth of US armed forces resources we committed can't take one isolated fuel-and-food-and-waterless dinghy adrift at sea with four pirates and one hostage, then we may as well cash in our chips.

And the decision to have them take the dinghy took absolutely no courage at all.

Furthermore, the armed forces--made combat ready by eight years of the Bush administration--who accomplished the mission won't be there in four years when the next President needs them, if all Obama's 'change' (i.e., slashing of military spending) becomes policy.

No credit to Obama here. (No discredit either, but no credit.) His decision making here was about as courageously presidential as my showing up to court tomorrow morning makes me a courageous attorney. It doesn't.

It's essential line of duty stuff, but no more extraordinary than brushing teeth. He'll have to do better than that.