Obama to Gadhafi: Your time is up

Published February 26, 2011 5:00am ET



Better late than never:

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama dropped the careful condemnation, threats of consequences and the reminders to Moammar Gadhafi’s regime about its responsibility to avoid violence. In their place he delivered a more forceful message to the Libyan leader: Leave.The president called on Gadhafi to step down for the first time Saturday, saying that the Libyan government must be held accountable for its brutal crackdown on dissenters.