Does Obama Love America? Rudy Giuliani Tries To Explain What Meant By Saying The President Doesn't

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani Sunday tried to dig out from criticism of his remarks last week in which he said he doesn't think President Obama loves America. Giuliani, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, said he "didn’t intend to question President Obama’s motives or the content of his heart."

Giuliani said what he really meant was Obama's actions and words have had a negative impact on the U.S. role as the leader in "promoting and protecting human freedom."

"American values, worn with pride, give our nation a unique moral authority that can help achieve foreign-policy and security goals while fostering the consensus necessary to address thorny domestic issues," Giuliani wrote.

"Irrespective of what a president may think or feel, his inability or disinclination to emphasize what is right with America can hamstring our success as a nation. This is particularly true when a president is seen, as President Obama is, as criticizing his country more than other presidents have done, regardless of their political affiliation."

Giuliani criticized Obama for not providing "adequate support for important allies" like Israel, Ukraine and Jordan.

"Any reluctance to hold up America and its ideals in contrast to the nation’s enemies weakens our message. Any reluctance to define accurately the beliefs of our enemies helps them camouflage themselves and confuses our military and intelligence efforts," he said.

Giuliani said Obama can't seem to emulate the ability of former Presidents John Kennedy, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton to "walk a fine line" in suggesting how the country could improve without denigrating it.

"Those presidents acknowledged America’s flaws, but always led with a fundamental belief in the country’s greatness and the example we set for the world," he said.

He blasted Obama for interjecting, "we tortured some folks" in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks during an August news conference when he was asked about a report on "enhanced interrogation techniques." Giuliani said the remark undermined those charged with trying to protect the country from further attack.