The most troubling thing about Barack Obama is his inability to be consistent. On anything.

Obama prayed with his pastor, the inflammatory Jeremiah Wright, for 20 years, was married by Wright, had his daughters baptized by Wright and sought Wright’s fatherly guidance for two decades. But when Wright’s racist behavior was exposed, Obama declared that Wright was not the pastor he’d known for 20 years. Right!

Obama’s long-time friend, fundraiser and Chicago real-estate developer Tony Rezko, was the major fundraiser for Obama’s 2004 Senate race. Although Chicago newspapers reported an unraveling Planning Board scandal regarding Rezko, Obama kept him on his campaign committee. And despite almost daily indictment headlines, Obama conducted major real-estate deals with Rezko in 2005 and 2006. But when Rezko was found guilty of mail fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and abetting bribery, Obama declared Rezko was not the man he once knew.

The Washington Post writes that Obama’s position on Iraq is anything but sound. His position displays childish stubbornness. Will Obama answer difficult questions from all branches of the media or will he banish everyone to a controlled world of silence? And will this behavior be permanent?

MAGIE DOMINIC

New York