No shock: Response to Obama’s speech differs by party

President Obama, in his speech about military actions in Libya, failed to assuage any concerns about the operation’s scope or “provide a substantive plan for the future,” a Republican Congressman from Georgia said.

“Since the allied military campaign began in Libya, President Obama’s seeming uncertainty about the parameters and details of our engagement has only inspired a similar uncertainty among the American people,” U.S. Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., said in a statement. “The president’s speech … offered very little to diminish those concerns.”

Added Price: “In many ways, his remarks reiterated what his administration has already said and which has sown consternation and confusion over the strategy of U.S. involvement in Libya. He recounted the brief history of this operation but offered scant details of the strategy to come.”

Price’s sentiment mirrors that of many Republicans who panned the president’s speech while many Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., lauded the president’s position.

“President Obama offered a clear explanation of why military action in Libya was essential,” Bishop said in a statement. “…An international coalition including the United States, NATO and the Arab League all agreed that we could not sit on our hands while Qaddafi massacred his own people, and I am glad that this mission has been successful.

“NATO has already taken over responsibility for enforcing the ‘no fly zone,’ and I am pleased that the U.S. will hand over responsibility for protecting the Libyan people to NATO,” Bishop said. “…I hope that President Obama will continue to consult and inform Congress as the mission in Libya progresses.”