Posted on 05/17/2008 11:47:11 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
George Bush seems to have really rattled Barack Obama and the Democratic Party with his speech yesterday in the Israeli Knesset. Rather than ignoring Bush’s argument against appeasement, or adopting it, Barack Obama has declared that Bush intended his denunciation of appeasement as an attack on his campaign, even though Bush never even mentioned the nationality of modern appeasers in his speech. Obama lashed out in a speech today, calling Bush’s rhetoric “appalling”: Barack Obama has called President Bush’s comments on appeasement “exactly the kind of appalling attack that’s divided our country and alienates us from the rest of the world.”
Obama criticized Republican rival John McCain and President Bush for “dishonest and divisive” attacks in hinting that the Democratic presidential candidate would appease terrorists.
Obama strongly responded Friday to the comments Bush made in Israel on Thursday and McCain’s subsequent words. Obama told a town hall meeting, “That’s the kind of hypocrisy that we’ve been seeing in our foreign policy, the kind of fear-peddling, fear mongering that has prevented us from actually making us safer.” … Yesterday, Obama accused President Bush of “a false political attack” after Bush warned in Israel against appeasing terrorists — early salvos in a general election campaign that’s already blazing even as the Democratic front-runner tries to sew up his party’s nomination.
But Bush never mentioned any specific person in his speech today, and didn’t even specify that he was referring to Americans. Newsbusters has the full transcript, with this relevant part of the speech. Some seem to believe that we should negotiate with the terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along. We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: “Lord, if I could only have talked to Hitler, all this might have been avoided.”
We have an obligation to call this what it is — the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history.
Some people suggest if the United States would just break ties with Israel, all our problems in the Middle East would go away. This is a tired argument that buys into the propaganda of the enemies of peace, and America utterly rejects it. Israel’s population may be just over 7 million. But when you confront terror and evil, you are 307 million strong, because the United States of America stands with you.
No one in the US who runs for public office has suggested that the US break with Israel to appease terrorists. Obama certainly hasn’t suggested that, and perhaps apart from the really lunatic fringes of both Left and Right, that notion doesn’t get any oxygen at all here. Obviously, Bush wasn’t referring to American politicians in this passage, but instead politicians in Europe and elsewhere who have either an animus towards Israel or appreciation for dhimmitude. Nothing — and I mean nothing — in this speech points to any candidate or the Democratic Party, unless they identify themselves as the reference.
Obama and his surrogates drew those connections themselves. Instead of acknowledging the historical truth of appeasement’s failures, they chose to argue with it. Obama could have taken the smart route and embraced it to explain how he understands the lessons of appeasement, which is why his talks with Iran would not result in it. Instead, he got volcanically defensive, which suggests that even Obama sees the parallels between his everything’s-on-the-table approach and the Chamberlain diplomacy which resulted in dismantling Czechoslovakia.
And if Obama considers discussion of foreign policy “divisive”, then he should hie himself right back to Academia. Guess what, Senator? Presidential elections focus on foreign-policy principles, and if you can’t defend yours, then you have no business running for office.
Update: Newt Gingrich calls this a study in guilt: (VIDEO)
Update II: Marc Ambinder reports that Bush meant to scold Jimmy Carter for his recent visit with Hamas, as Ed Gillespie explained to reporters in Saudi Arabia: “We did not anticipate that it would be taken that way, because its kind of hard to take it that way when you look at the actual words. … There was some anticipation that someone might say you know its an expression of rebuke to former President Carter for having met with Hamas. that was something that was anticipated but no one wrote about it or raised it.”
And if one actually reads what Bush said, that interpretation looks a lot more likely than a supposed attack on Obama. Carter had just hugged Khaled Mashaal in Damascus and insisted that the US should open a dialogue with Hamas.
Barack Obama, meanwhile, continues to embarrass himself today at a presser on an attack that never was.
Ouch! Sounds like Obama has an Achilles Heel that McCain should take advantage of.Nope that's the best thing that could have happened to Obama. Bush basically anointed Obama the democratic candidate. By throwing a tantrum Obama gets to pick on an easy target(W) and show "I'm the contender".
He admitted he owns appeasement by wearing the shoe. That's really good for him. Maybe he'll be for appeasement before he turns against it.
Bush Criticism of Appeasement Angers Dems
May 17, 2008
President Bush’s speech to the Israeli parliament sparked a series of denunciations from high ranking Democrats across the country. The President’s characterization of negotiation with terrorist regimes—like the one in Iran that has called for the destruction of Israel—as “a foolish delusion” and akin to Neville Chamberlain’s negotiations with Hitler appears to have touched a nerve in Democratic circles.
Although Bush did not specifically name anyone in his speech, Democratic presidential front runner, Senator Barack Obama (Ill.) called Bush’s comments an “appalling attack on my ‘peace through concessions’ strategy for making America safe. Look, we can’t afford to get involved in a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing.” Obama pointed to the ten-year grace period for Jews to leave Palestine that former president Jimmy Carter negotiated with Hamas as an example of the type of agreement he would seek with “so-called terrorist regimes.”
Obama’s rival for the Democratic nomination, Senator Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) asserted that “while I do not agree with Senator Obama’s appeasement approach, I think it is improper for a ‘lame-duck’ president to commit the nation to policies that could bind a subsequent administration.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) fumed that “Bush is undermining my hard work. I went to these people on ‘bended knee.’ I wore the Hijab to symbolize willingness to submit. We were gaining traction toward peace for our time. This partisan attack on Democratic policies is beneath the dignity of the office of the president.”
McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds called Obama’s reaction “hysterical.” “The guy has really ‘stepped in it’ this time,” Bounds chortled. “Here we have the President making a perfectly reasonable remark to the Jewish people who were nearly exterminated by a war brought on by a policy of appeasement and Obama goes ballistic. Such passion in defense of appeasement is a stunning revelation of what an Obama Administration portends for this country.”
Outrage at the President’s speech wasn’t confined to his domestic political opponents. Muhammad Barakei, a Muslim member of the Israeli parliament called the remarks “tantamount to a declaration of war. Hitler was one of the great visionaries of the 20th century. Bush’s insult of him can only fan the flames of hostility toward America for its efforts on behalf of the Zionist conspiracy to conquer the world.”
read more...
http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm
We must remember that those like Sen. Obama do not (or will not)understand that their are people in this world who do not want to talk.They only want to destroy.This was one of the failings of the appeasers before WWII,they didn’t want war and thought everyone else felt the same.Sen. Obama and those of like mind feel that all we have do is tlk to terrorists and they will go away.Such childishness is to be pitied,and avoided.
The substance of his arguments is irrelevant. This is all about Obama shifting focus away from his campaign against Hillary, tying McCain to Bush at every opportunity, and giving notice that Republicans will be accused of personal attacks every time they open their mouths. Maybe he’s working on exasperating McCain to an eventual public display of one of his famous temper tantrums.
It’s outrageous that members of the U.S. Legislature criticize the President while he’s on a diplomatic mission, and doubly so when he’s making a simple statement of historical fact.
Agree. . .he IS wearing it; and it fits.
Meantime, Jimmy Carter is looking everywhere for his other shoe. . .
Obama as well, has just given us aother example of the pathology of 'humble' narcissicism. . .and how it makes one a blind fool - and a dangerous one, at that.
Liberal neuroses....”It’s all about me!”
For sure a headline that NO one considered. . .not the MSM or even the 'alternate'.
More; and worse. . .it is a 'psychosis'.
One thing for certain; the Left again reveals itself as a collective of mental abherrents who share an idiology that is best treated in a private ward.
The only thing I know for sure is that Republicans will fail to use this issue effectively. It doesn’t matter what Obama says or doesn’t say...Republicans have forgotten how to fight and will fumble this issue as they have fumbled immigration, environmentalism, etc. I’ve gone through the Bob Dole campaign once in my life...I don’t need to see it again.
WOW, missed that!
There is surely no more than a 'hairs difference' between a radical Muslim. . .and their intolerant, hate-filled 'jihad' mindset; and the intolerant, outrageous hate that so animates every response by a radical Leftist; when confronted with a truth that contradicts who they are.
"Peace in our time" - Neville Chamberlain, assuring the British public after a conference with Hitler.
Or Barack Obama telling us he can talk to the Islamic terrorists.
Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
I.O.U. one country.
Signed,
The Devil
Rookie mistakes again: Obama owns appeasement....
it is notonly b. HUSSIEN that believes in appeasement ....all of the lib/dems have been howling over Bush’s comments....because Nothing infuriates or touches a nerve with lib/dems....like TRUTH!!!!!!!
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