Foreign and Defense PoliciesPresident Barack Obama wants to avoid Pentagon cuts in order to keep the economy growth rate at its level. But aside from using the Department of Defense as a stimulus tool, not much is said about the president’s national defense policies aside from hearing about his appointees and the leaked documents that indicated what the president’s opinion on the ongoing war versus Islamist militants and foreign policy.

According to a leaked memo, President Obama was in favor of summary execution of Americans deemed threats to the homeland. Observers said it was only appropriate for the White House to announce its controversial policies via a leak. Obama shared with Intelligence Committee members the actual memo instead of just the memo about the memo provided to NBC News.

President Obama wants John Brennan to run the CIA. Senators are going to ask Leon Panetta, outgoing secretary of Defense, about the September 11, 2012 raid by Islamist militiamen on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Republicans might want to place Panetta in the hot seat but the secretary of Defense knows how not to answer questions.

Brennan will have to answer hard questions during his confirmation. HE will be asked about the use of drones across the globe to kill individuals that are deemed part of the jihadist network. Some might also resurrect his role in the CIA’s interrogation of Islamists during the Bush era.

Republicans are likely to feel vindicated to see Democrats embrace the same executive absolutism that they denounced in the Bush administration. There are also concerns about the precedents being set as well as the secrecy employed by the Obama administration.

Most voters are most likely to forgive President Obama as long as they are certain that he is after the bad guys. This has been proven by former President Bush that showed voters tend to be forgiving as long as the end result is the death of terrorists.