President Obama came under a firestorm of criticism Tuesday for swooping into New York City for three big fund-raisers as Iraq spirals into a deadly civil war that imperils the Middle East and US security interests.
New York Republican leaders accused Obama of putting partisan politics above national security.
“I’m just amazed. It’s absolute negligence in terms of the president’s foreign policy,” said state GOP chairman Ed Cox.
“The Middle East is disintegrating before our eyes and President Obama is doing a campaign tour in New York?! He’s not even leading from behind. He’s not leading, period.”
Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-Brooklyn), who was voting on bills in Albany, said Obama’s fund-raising jaunt was inappropriate.
“Oh, lovely! The president has so many crises on his plate — Iraq, ObamaCare. There are so many serious issues. He should be in Washington, DC, doing his job rather than raising funds in New York City,” she said.
Obama dropped by a fund-raiser for the Senate Democratic Majority Political Action Committee, then headed to a gay-rights gala. He ended his New York drop-in at Anna Wintour’s home for a $32,000-per-person fund-raiser.