President Bush Unleashes On Hussein Over Foreign Policy
Politico:
President Bush attacked a key foreign policy stance of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), contending heatedly at a news conference Thursday morning that talking to dictators without preconditions can be dangerous and counterproductive.
Obama’s argument that the president “should never fear to negotiate” with America’s enemies — including Cuba’s new leader, Raul Castro — is one of his clearest differences with his rival for the presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).
At a news conference where Bush showed unusual passion for a president in his waning months, he said “now is not the time” to talk with Castro.
“What’s lost … by embracing a tyrant who puts his people in prison because of their political beliefs?” he said. “What’s lost is, it’ll send the wrong message. It’ll send a discouraging message to those who wonder whether America will continue to work for the freedom of prisoners. It’ll give great status to those … who have suppressed human rights and human dignity.
“The idea of embracing a leader who’s done this, without any attempt on his part to … release prisoners and free their society, would be counterproductive and send the wrong signal.”
Warming to the subject, Bush continued: “Sitting down at the table, having your picture taken with a tyrant such as Raul Castro, for example, lends the status of the office and the status of our country to him. He gains a lot from it by saying, ‘Look at me. I’m now recognized by the president of the United States.’”
Obama responded in a statement: “The American people aren’t looking for more of a do-nothing Cuba policy that has failed to secure the release of dissidents, failed to bring democracy to the island, and failed to advance freedom for fifty years, because they know we need to pursue new opportunities to achieve liberty for the Cuban people. If I am the Democratic nominee, I will offer the clearest contrast to John McCain’s call for four more years of George Bush’s policies, because I want to fundamentally change our foreign policy to secure the American people and restore our standing in the world.”
Obama has argued that the U.S. must “rediscover the power of diplomacy,” declaring at an event in Youngstown, Ohio, last week that “strong presidents and strong countries … talk to their adversaries.”
“Very early in this campaign, I said I would meet not just with our friends but also with our enemies, not just with leaders we like but leaders we don’t,” Obama said. “Washington, when I said this, they said, ‘Oh, you can’t do that.’ I said, ‘Watch me; I will.’”
Bush has said he will avoid getting enmeshed in the presidential race during the primaries, but he made it clear that he’ll eventually speak up. In a prelude to question, John McKinnon of The Wall Street Journal noted, “It doesn’t seem that you want to discuss the prospects of Republican candidates on the campaign trail this year.”
Bush declined to repeat his prediction that Clinton will be the Democratic nominee, saying with a smile: “I’m not talking about politics.”
Earlier, Bush had been asked about Obama’s statement in Tuesday night’s debate, when asked about conditions under which he would go back into Iraq after withdrawing sizable forces: “If Al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad.”
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the likely Republican nominee, ridiculed that comment on Wednesday, although Obama later said he knew that the terrorist network was already in Iraq.
Bush said: “It’s an interesting comment. If Al Qaeda is securing an Al Qaeda base? Yes, well, that’s exactly what they’ve been trying to do for the past four years.”
Asked later if the comment was naive, Bush said: “I believe Sen. Obama better stay focused on his campaign with Sen. Clinton, neither of whom has secured their party’s nomination yet.”
Then he caught himself. “My party’s hasn’t been decided yet, either,” he added. “So there will be ample time to discuss whoever their candidate — the positions of whoever their candidate is.”
Bush also said he “hadn’t heard” that analysts were saying gas prices could rise to $4 a gallon by spring, although that fact was in the first paragraph of a front-page story in The New York Times on Wednesday.
On the topic of his presidential library, planned for Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Bush said he will “probably take some foreign money” and had not yet made a decision about disclosing the names of donors.
“Some people … like to give and don’t particularly want their names disclosed, whether it be for this foundation or any other foundation,” he said. “And so we’ll take that into consideration.”
About the people’s right to know, he said: “You know, we’re weighing, taking a look. Taking consideration — giving it serious consideration.”
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I’m gonna miss him, Bushisms and all…
February 28th, 2008 at 5:41 pmWhat’s the point of diplomacy when all we rediscover is that appeasement doesn’t work, hussein? Please tell me how we can stop Iran from making the bomb by talking nice with them?
Obama has to be the most retarded shit in the whole election. Right below Ron Paul in terms of Dee Dee Dee.
February 28th, 2008 at 6:26 pmPresident Bush is so smart. He should have a debate with Obama- I totally bet he’d kick ass.
February 28th, 2008 at 7:30 pmHe wants to do what former Korean president Kim dae Jung did back in 1994. He met with Kim jung il the merciless dictator, exchanged pictures and pleasentries, and his people are still living in poverty and misery, while he continues to build hi military and threatens to build nuclear weapons. He has since broken the agreement made in the sunshine policy, while its been confirmed that most of the aid particularly rice has been going to feed his military instead of the poor and imprisoned.
mccain should point to this as evidence of what happens when you lend legitamacy to dictators by conducting direct talks. Personally, i Obama wins the presidency, i think he should go to cuba personally, salute the cuban flag(he wont salute the american flag)and kill off the last shred of hope any political prisoners have for ending the dictatorship.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:03 amHe wants to do what former Korean president Kim dae Jung did back in 1994. He met with Kim jung il the merciless dictator, exchanged pictures and pleasentries, and his people are still living in poverty and misery, while he continues to build hi military and threatens to build nuclear weapons. He has since broken the agreement made in the sunshine policy, while its been confirmed that most of the aid particularly rice has been going to feed his military instead of the poor and imprisoned.
mccain should point to this as evidence of what happens when you lend legitamacy to dictators by conducting direct talks. Personally, if Obama wins the presidency, i think he should go to cuba personally, salute the cuban flag(he wont salute the american flag)and kill off the last shred of hope any political prisoners have for ending the dictatorship.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:19 amHe wants to do what former Korean president Kim dae Jung did back in 1994. He met with Kim jung il the merciless dictator, exchanged pictures and pleasentries, and his people are still living in poverty and misery, while he continues to build hi military and threatens to build nuclear weapons. He has since broken the agreement made in the sunshine policy, while its been confirmed that most of the aid particularly rice has been going to feed his military instead of the poor and imprisoned.
mccain should point to this as evidence of what happens when you lend legitamacy to dictators by conducting direct talks. Personally, i Obama wins the presidency, i think he should go to cuba personally, salute the cuban flag(he wont salute the american flag)and kill off the last shred of hope any political prisoners have for ending the dictatorship.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:20 ammccain should point to this as evidence of what happens when you lend legitamacy to dictators by conducting direct talks. Personally, i Obama wins the presidency, i think he should go to cuba personally, salute the cuban flag(he wont salute the american flag)and kill off the last shred of hope any political prisoners have for ending the dictatorship.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:20 amTJ;
February 29th, 2008 at 11:54 pmYeah, we got the message. 4X.