Obama Shuns Military Spotlight

For someone whose candidacy was launched largely over opposition to the Iraq war, President Barack Obama ironically has become a “war president,” presiding over three conflicts: Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. But he’s showing no eagerness to define himself in that role, Politico reports.

That hasn’t stopped Obama from mentioning the killing of Osama bin Laden on the campaign trail, but he and advisers realize the 2012 election almost certainly will hinge on the state of the economy.

The administration isn’t even trumpeting the apparent success of its Libya policy. White House spokesman Josh Earnest, asked by reporters Monday whether Obama’s Libya strategy has been proved wise, said he wasn’t going to “play political pundit and sort of assess the winners and losers here.”