Sen. Johnson: 'President Nero' Fiddling 'While World Burns'

President Barack Obama is "sitting on the sidelines" in the Ukraine and Gaza crises, making him little more than "President Nero" fiddling "while the world burns," Sen. Ron Johnson charged Friday.

The Wisconsin Republican and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee blasted the president for attending fundraisers in New York on Thursday night, the same day of a "barbaric" attack on Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 and Israel's push into Gaza.

Johnson told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV that Obama's priorities are "outrageous."

"I'm hoping Americans are watching as President Nero fiddles while the world burns," Johnson said. "It is outrageous that we have the ground operations conducted in Gaza, we have an airliner knocked out of the sky — blown out of the sky — over Ukraine, and President Obama takes off for fundraisers in New York."

Nero, from Suetonius:

Book Six: XX His Musical Education and Debut in Naples

Having acquired some grounding in music during his early education, he sent for Terpnus, on his accession, who was the greatest lyre-player of the day, and after hearing him sing after dinner for many nights in succession till a very late hour, Nero began to practise himself, gradually undertaking all the usual exercises that singers follow to strengthen and develop the voice. He would lie on his back clasping a lead plate to his chest, purge himself by vomiting and enemas, and deny himself fruit and other foods injurious to the voice.

Encouraged by his own progress, though his singing was feeble and hoarse, he soon longed to appear on the stage, and now and then would quote the Greek proverb to close friends: ‘Music made secretly wins no respect.’

He made his debut at Naples, where he sang his piece through to the end despite the theatre being shaken by an earth tremor. He often sang in that city, for several days in succession. Even when he took time out to rest his voice he could not stay out of sight, visiting the theatre after bathing, and dining in the orchestra, where he promised the crowd in Greek that when he had ‘oiled his throat’ a little he would give them something to make their ears ring.

He was thrilled too by the rhythmic clapping of a group of Alexandrians, from the fleet which had just put in, and sent to Alexandria for more such supporters. Not content with that, he chose some young men from the Equestrian Order along with five thousand energetic young commoners who were divided into three separate groups, known as the ‘Bees’, ‘Tiles’ and ‘Bricks’, to learn the various styles of Alexandrian acclaim and employ them vigorously whenever he sang. They were easy to recognise by their bushy hair, splendid clothes, and the lack of rings on their left hands. Their leaders were paid four hundred gold pieces apiece.

He may be playing the fiddle center stage, but he has his band working overtime to set the world on fire. They are non stop. The attention is on him while the real dirty work goes on behind the scene.

You don’t think he is aggressive? Think again. This admin has been meddling, undermining and lying all over the world. They go in to a place and pour the gasoline, light the match, and run. Then they posture to the world that they had nothing to do with it. They are the good guys out to free all those people

Look what they have done to this country and they way they have done it. Imagine that world wide.

With this bunch, believe nothing they say, give them no support because they are liars and thieves. Obama has filled the whole government with people of no values, morals, or integrity.

One of these days they are going to meddle with the wrong people who are onto them. Our safety is at stake.

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