Bayh: Obama Criticism Misguided

Former Democratic Indiana senator and new Fox News contributor Evan Bayh says criticism that President Barack Obama is distracted by minutiae – and ignoring volatile crises globally and at home – is misdirected, as has proven he can multitask. Bayh also told Greta Van Susteren Thursday the president’s timing on Libyan action has been appropriate.

“Well, the president is fully capable of multitasking, Greta. He’s got a full plate right now with the crisis in Libya, the problems in Japan … several other things,” Bayh said on Fox News’ “On the Record.” “But he’s got a seasoned team, with Secretary of State [Hillary] Clinton, Secretary of Defense [Robert] Gates, CIA Director [Leon] Panetta.

“I mean, these are very capable people,” he said. “And with modern communications, and Air Force One, he’s fully capable of staying in touch and in command, even if he is elsewhere.”

Van Susteren asked Bayh whether Obama has been late on Libya, and calling for a no-fly zone, which was approved Thursday by the U.N. Security Council.

“I don’t think it's too late, Greta. The Arab League was key. The U.N. endorsement was key. Clearly, we want to prevent a humanitarian disaster,” Bayh said.

“Moammar Gadhafi is a thug and a tyrant – we all know that. But that said, it’s a lot easier to impose a no-fly zone than to understand where we go from there.

“There are any number of outcomes that are possible in that country, not all of them good,” Bayh continued. “And that’s why, if you had five national security experts on the program here tonight, you'd probably get five different opinions about what the right course of action is.

“There really are no great alternatives here.”