Tuesday on Newsmax TV’s “The Steve Malzberg Show,” humorist, economist and former speechwriter for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, Ben Stein, said President Barack Obama is “just not a terribly smart man” and lacks “human empathy.”

Stein said, “Of course he should have gone. Of course he has contempt. I think he has contempt for just about everybody not just dead Jews. I think he has contempt for people murdered everywhere. I mean, I don’t think he has much regard for people killed by the Islamic State. I don’t think he has much regard for people killed by al Qaeda, fighting other Arabs, fighting Muslims. I  just don’t think he’s much of a guy in terms of human empathy.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN