Dem lawmaker: ‘Mistake’ Obama didn’t respond strongly to beheadings

Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) on Sunday said President Obama made a mistake by not coming out strong, and fast enough after two American journalists were beheaded by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria ISIS.

“I think the president made a mistake when he did not come out as strong after we had an American’s head cut off, not one but two, at that point … I think he should have stood up and very strongly said we are not gonna take it, we are going to come after you to bring you to justice,” Ruppersberger said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

{mosads}Last week, Obama said the U.S. would “degrade and destroy” ISIS, and “not be intimidated.” Obama’s statement came the morning after ISIS released a video of the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff, and two weeks after the terrorist group released a similar video depicting the beheading of American journalist James Foley.

“We have a very serious threat with ISIS, there is no question,” Ruppersberger said. “We are the most powerful country in the world and when we have a threat we are going to take action.”

He added that Obama is taking the right action now, and moving more aggressively against the terror group.

“The president and the secretary of State and the secretary of Defense have organized and to bring other countries involved because we, you know, in the United States we are the most powerful and people look to us for leadership,” Ruppersberger said. “So, if in fact now that they know that we mean business we have to have a strategy to take out ISIS and we are doing it right now.”