Knife, gun.

Editor,

Mr. Obama's "If they bring a knife, I'll bring a gun" remark was an unfortunate instance of his propensity for buying into, not vigorously challenging, Republican framing of issues and, in this case, the breathlessly apocalyptic political atmosphere cultivated by the right-wing echo chamber.

As a deeply committed progressive, I am no fan of Mr. Obama because of his cozy relationship with Wall Street, his war policies, and his caving in to the right on health care, Bush tax cut extensions, and other issues.

But this knife/gun remark of his that the right has seized on is merely one more instance of his weakness as president: his trying to out-Republican the Republicans, trying to beat them at their own rhetorical game.

It is the right who have assiduously beaten their constituency over the head for years, on hate radio and Fox Television, with urgent intimations that violent overthrow of the U.S. government is the only way they will ever "take their country back."

Re: "Obama to Go to Tucson" (1/10/2011)