This Week, Obama Continued Changing His Position On Unconditional Summit Meetings With Rogue Leaders, Raising Questions About His Judgment, "Inexperience And A Certain Worrisome Naivete":
In An Interview With The New York Times, Obama Claimed "I Didn't Say That I Would Meet Unconditionally" With Hostile Leaders. Obama: "I didn't say that I would meet unconditionally as John McCain maintained, because that would suggest whether it was useful or not, whether it was advancing our interests or not, I would just do it for the sake of doing it ... That's not a change in position, that's simply responding to distortions of my position." (Jim Rutenberg and Jeff Zeleny, "Obama Seeks To Clarify His Disputed Comments On Diplomacy," The New York Times, 5/29/08)
But At A July 2007 Debate, Obama Announced He Would Personally Meet With Leaders Of Iran, North Korea, Syria And Other Hostile Nations "Without Precondition." Question: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?" ... Obama: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them -- which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous." (CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)
Obama Has Recently "Backpedaled From A Promise To Meet With Iran's Leader." "Shifting to a harder foreign-policy line, Barack Obama backpedaled from a promise to meet with Iran's leader - but that didn't prevent a scorching attack yesterday from Republican rival John McCain. ... But during a presidential debate earlier this year that featured questions from YouTube viewers, Obama didn't hesitate when asked if he would hold talks with the heads of Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. 'I would,' Obama said. 'And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them - which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous.'" (Geoff Earle, "Barack Backtracks," New York Post, 5/28/08)
The Washington Post's Richard Cohen: Obama's Change In Position Shows His "Inexperience And A Certain Worrisome Naivete" On National Security, As "He Might Not Have Realized Exactly What He Was Saying." "I attribute Obama's predicament to inexperience and a certain worrisome naivete. When he said he would personally negotiate with Iran (if he were president), he might not have realized exactly what he was saying." (Richard Cohen, Op-Ed, "Worldviews In Need Of Merger," The Washington Post, 5/27/08)
This Week, Obama Campaign Admitted They Would Ignore Commanders And Facts During Potential Iraq Trip; Instead Will Continue With Withdrawal Plans:
Obama Communications Director Robert Gibbs Said That Obama Would Go To Iraq To See How He Can Withdraw Our Troops. MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski: "And, Robert, is your candidate - I mean, just this whole Iraq thing is now being revitalized a bit because of the book. But is your candidate going to go to Iraq? Is that in the plans?" Gibbs: "Well, as he said yesterday Mika, it's under discussion about going overseas and going to Iraq sometime between now and the campaign. You know, I don't think we'll be taking that trip with John McCain because as Senator Obama said yesterday, the work that the men and women in our military are doing over there is just far too important for them to be props in some sort of political stunt or photo-op. You know, what they're doing over there is separated from their families, giving for their country. It's truly, truly amazing, and I think we would want to go over there and talk to them and see what sort of difficulties they're facing and see how it is that we can begin to carefully remove them and carefully bring them back to their families and bring them back to the United States." (MSNBC's "Morning Joe," 5/29/08)
In February 2008, Obama Told CBS' Harry Smith That The President Has To Be "Mindful Of The Situation On The Ground And What The Commanders Say." CBS' Harry Smith: "If you are to be elected president and your commanders on the ground there and your Secretary of Defense said, 'Hold back; you can't be pulling these people out; we're going to c reate a civil war and a bloodbath,' what would you do?" Obama: "My job as commander in chief is to keep the American people safe. But I firmly believe that we have to send a signal to the Iraqis that it is time to withdraw. We will not have a permanent base there. We will not have a permanent occupation there." Smith: "Even if - " Obama: "Within those constraints - " Smith: "Even if it meant the beginning of civil war?" Obama: "No, no, no. Within those constraints, I think there is going to be some flexibility. And obviously I would consult with commanders. We have to be mindful of the situation on the ground and what the commanders say." (CBS' "The Early Show," 2/4/08)
Obama: "I will listen to General Petraeus given the experience that he has accumulated over the last several years. It would be stupid of me to ignore what he has to say." (Fox's "Fox News Sunday," 4/27/08)
It Has Been 873 Days Since Obama Has Been In Iraq. (GOP Website, www.gop.com, Accessed 5/29/08)
This Week, Obama Was Criticized For Posturing On The New GI Bill For Veterans:
Obama Criticized For Posturing On GI Bill. "'There are many issues that lend themselves to partisan posturing, but giving our veterans the chance to go to college should not be one of them.' So pronounced the Democrats' likely presidential nominee, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, on the floor of the Senate last week. This was a lovely sentiment, marred only by the fact that it came seconds after Mr. Obama's own partisan posturing." (Editorial, "GI Twist," The Washington Post, 5/29/08)
"Not That This Matters To Democrats In General - And Obama In Particular - For Whom Veterans' Compensation Forms An All-Too-Convenient Smokescreen To Cover Their Utter Lack Of Substantive Ideas When It Comes To The Thing Our Troops Care About The Most. That's To Say: Victory." (Editorial, "Bam's GI Posturing," New York Post, 5/25/08)
"[T]he Country's Far Beyond The Point Where Veterans' Compensation Is Fair Game For A Cheap Political Attack. Or It Should Be. So One Wonders: Is Sen. Obama Trying To Compensate For Something?" (Editorial, "Bam's GI Posturing," New York Post, 5/25/08)
This Week, Obama's Claim That U.S. Troops Liberated Auschwitz Showed His Lack Of Historical Knowledge:
Obama "Has A Poor Grasp Of European History And Geography." "In an attempt to burnish his credentials with America's veterans, Barack Obama has frequently talked about his grandfather 'who served in Patton's army.' He has now added a new episode to his World War II repertoire: the uncle who liberated Auschwitz. Unfortunately, the story shows that the presumptive Democratic nominee has a poor grasp of European history and geography." (Michael Dobbs, "Where In The World Is Auschwitz?" The Washington Post's "The Fact Checker" Blog, www.washingtonpost.com, 5/27/08)
Obama's Auschwitz Error Demonstrated "Large Gaps In His Knowledge Base." "[Obama] has large gaps in his knowledge base, and is just as likely to dig in and embrace a policy misstatement as abandon it. ... Take the Auschwitz flub, where Mr. Obama erroneously claimed last weekend in New Mexico that his uncle helped liberate the Nazi concentration camp. Reporters noted Mr. Obama's revised claim, that it was his great uncle who helped liberate Buchenwald. They largely downplayed the error. Yet in another, earlier gaffe back in 2002, Mr. Obama claimed his grandfather knew U.S. troops who liberated Auschwitz and Treblinka - even though only Russian troops entered thos e concentration camps." (John Fund, Op-Ed, "The Obama Gaffe Machine," The Wall Street Journal, 5/30/08)
This Week, The Obama Campaign Had To Clarify Obama's Views On Hugo Chavez's Support For The FARC After Making Contradictory Statements On The Issue:
On Sunday, An Obama Advisor Said That Obama Believes That Chavez Is "Ideologically And Tangibly" Supporting The FARC. "Obama, he says, believes that Chavez is supportive of the FARC, both ideologically and tangibly. The Obama campaign disagrees that Obama's language - 'if, in fact, it (Chavez) is trying to ferment terrorist activities in other borders' -- is hedging language at all. Obama has been very clear that he believes that Chavez is supportive of the FARC, the adviser says." (Jake Tapper, "What The FARC Was Obama Talking About?" ABC News' "Political Punch" Blog, www.abcnews.com, 5/25/08)
In An Interview By The Miami Herald Published Last Week, Obama Said "We Have To Hold Venezuela Accountable If, In Fact, It Is Trying To Ferment Terrorist Activists In Other Borders." "When I asked him what he would do about the estimated 37,000 Interpol-certified Colomb ian FARC guerrilla computer files that indicate an active support from Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa to the Colombian rebels, Obama went farther than the Bush administration. 'I think the Organization of American States and the international community should launch an immediate investigation into this situation. We have to hold Venezuela accountable if, in fact, it is trying to ferment terrorist activities in other borders,' he told me. 'If Venezuela has violated those rules, we should mobilize all the countries to sanction Venezuela and let them know that that's not acceptable behavior.' So far, the 34-country OAS has not acted on the FARC computer files, which refer among other things to a $300 million pledge from Ch avez to the FARC, which Washington and the European Union categorize as a terrorist group." (Andres Oppenheimer, Op-Ed, "Obama Has Done His Homework On Latin America," The Miami Herald, 5/24/08)
In Another Interview Last Week, Obama Said Hugo Chavez's "Support Of FARC In Colombia" Would Be One Of His Highest Priorities In Unconditional Meeting With The Venezuelan Dictator. "One of the obvious high priorities in my talks with President Hugo Chavez would be the fermentation of anti-American sentiment in Latin America, his support of FARC in Colombia and other issues he would want to talk about. It is important to understand that ignoring these countries has not led to improved behavior on their part and it has not served our national security interests." ("Obama: I'll Talk To Castro, Chavez," The Orlando Sentinel, blogs.orlandosentinel.com, 5/22/08)
On Thursday, It Was Reported That A Felony Arrest Warrant For Failing To Pay Gambling Debts Was Issued For Tony Rezko:
"A Las Vegas Judge Has Issued A Felony Arrest Warrant For A Politically Connected Chicago Businessman Whose Ties To Democratic Presidential Contender Barack Obama Have Become An Issue In The Campaign." (Jeff German, "Fundraiser Faces Arrest In Multiple Gaming Debts," Las Vegas Sun, 5/29/08)
"Antoin 'Tony' Rezko, Who Is Standing Trial On Federal Corruption Charges In Chicago, Is Wanted In Las Vegas For Failing To Pay $472,275 In Gambling Debts To Caesars Palace And Bally's And Related Processing Fees To The Clark County District Attorney's Office." (Jeff German, "Fundraiser Faces Arrest In Multiple Gaming Debts," Las Vegas Sun, 5/29/08) |
