Published: June 20, 2009 09:29 pm      

If it flies, it dies

Troubling provocations by North Korea. Health care. Unemployment.

Barack Obama has a lot on his presidential plate. Now he’s taking flak from PETA.

It’s sort of funny, really.

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals objects to a recent show of Obama’s fly-swatting prowess. The president was being interviewed at the White House by CNBC’s John Harwood when a fly interrupted the chat. Long story short, Obama killed the insect.

A PETA spokesman objected to the Flygate incident, and urged compassion for even the “least sympathetic animals.” Backing up words with action, PETA is sending Obama the Katcha Bug Humane Bug Catcher. The device lends itself to trapping house flies and then releasing them safely outside.

This newspaper generally supports PETA’s goals. And we don’t object to it voicing concern over the president’s fly-killing readiness. The episode is a break from the darker, far more significant news of the day.

PETA has had its say. Now we’ll have ours: We’re proud of President Obama. We’ve seen the tape, and Obama demonstrated cunning, speed and resolve in dealing with the fly. A commander-in-chief fretting like a ninny over the most humane way to evict an insect from the chambers of power would have undermined our confidence.

Our confidence was affirmed. Swat away, Obama.