In bin Laden killing, give credit to Obama

I have watched, with some chagrin and amazement, the lack of respect for President Obama displayed by the birthers, tea partiers, racists and the rest. Admittedly, disrespect for elected officials, including presidents, is not unique to Obama (George W. Bush was the target of frequent vitriol), but it seems more accepted and less related to policies with Obama.

In the aftermath of the assassination (you can't call it any less) of Osama bin Laden, the Obama detractors were quick to give credit to Bush, the guy who vowed to bring bin Laden to justice but never got around to it. On Facebook, Bush fans/Obama detractors posted Bush's statement about bin Laden's death, ignoring the fact that bin Laden was located and killed two years after Bush left office, and the order to execute the mission came from Obama. After bin Laden's death, Obama did one more thing: He telephoned Bush and former President Clinton as a courtesy to tell them the news first. Both former presidents had made their unsuccessful attempts to capture, kill or cripple bin Laden.

Bin Laden's death sparked celebration among many Americans and not a few foreigners, including some Arabs. One can argue that killing is wrong, even in an act of legitimate self-defense or justifiable vengeance, but the vast majority of Americans are glad bin Laden is dead. What is difficult to understand is why some Americans won't give the president who issued the orders credit for the success of this mission.