OPINION | Barry Richard: Rodman Says Obama Ignored Kim’s Overtures

Dennis Rodman is a screwball, no doubt about it. But Rodman somehow befriended North Korean despot Kim Jong Un sometime back, and the two have been buds ever since.

What Rodman says about Kim in the wake of the historic Singapore summit is shocking, if true.

Sporting a red MAGA hat, a weepy Dennis Rodman tells CNN's Chris Cuomo that five years ago, Kim told Rodman "certain things" to relay to then-President Barack Obama concerning his desire for high-level negotiations, but Obama "didn't even give me the time of day--he just brushed me off."

What Rodman says is alarming if true. Think of how close the U.S. and North Korea came to an armed conflict just months ago, when Kim was launching missiles over Japan and threatening U.S. military families in Guam. Had Obama followed up on Kim's efforts at diplomacy, the tension could have been ratcheted down years ago without risk of a nuclear confrontation.

It seems odd that Obama would miss a chance to pad his legacy, unless of course he was so preoccupied with courting Iran that the opportunity passed right by him.

A missed opportunity such as this could have been catastrophic.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.