- The Washington Times - Thursday, January 2, 2014

The former president of Poland said President Obama is failing America and has let the nation drift in a pit of moral morass, driving down its standing with the global community.

Lech Walesa, famed for his anti-communist crusade in the 1980s and as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper that “in terms of politics and morality, America no longer leads the world.”

Whatever “hope in the world” existed that “Obama would reclaim moral leadership for America” when elected in 2008 is gone, and instead the president has “failed” to bring that dream to fruition, Mr. Walesa told CNN.

“We have to do everything that we can to recreate, to reclaim America’s role, and it seems that Obama would manage that, but he didn’t accomplish that,” he said. “America did not regain its leadership status. We’re just lucky that there were no bigger conflicts in the world, because if it had bigger conflicts, then the world would be helpless.”

Mr. Obama’s failure in this area has greatly jeopardized the security of the nation, he added.

“It’s a dangerous situation, so we are awaiting a president who will understand that,” Mr. Walesa said.

Mr. Walesa helped overthrow Poland’s communist government.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.