Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., stands in front of a cornfield as he speaks during a gathering of potential supporters, Friday, July 27, 2007, on a farm in Adel, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Posted on 07/28/2007 11:10:37 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
DES MOINES, Iowa - Democrat Barack Obama cast himself Saturday as the leader the United States needs for it to stand up to and engage renegade nations such as North Korea.
'We need a president who'll have the strength and courage to go toe to toe with the leaders of rogue nations, because that's what it takes to protect our security," the Illinois senator told Democrats at a rally. "That's what I'll do as your next commander in chief."
Obama and rival Hillary Rodham Clinton have had a running argument since clashing in last week's debate over how far the United States should be willing to go in its diplomacy with countries such as Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea.
After a viewer asked the candidates if they would be willing to meet with those nations' leaders, Obama said it was a disgrace that the U.S. won't hold talks with them. For role models, he invoked late presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan for their Cold War diplomacy.
Clinton, who has criticized the Bush administration for not engaging Iran and Syria directly, said she would not meet in the first year of her presidency with the leaders of those five nations, before knowing what their intentions were. After the debate, Clinton called Obama naive.
On Saturday, Obama said he would be willing to meet — without conditions — in the first year of his presidency with the leaders of those nations, contrary to "the chattering class" in the nation's capital who "want to focus, like they always do, on who's up and who's down."
Defending his position, Obama cited Kennedy's 1961 inaugural address saying that the nation must never negotiate out of fear, but also never fear to negotiate.
"I was called irresponsible and naive because I believe that there is nobody we can't talk to," said Obama, drawing loud cheers. "We've got nothing to fear as long as know who we are and what we stand for and our values."
Obama said his campaign was about "turning the page on a failed foreign policy and having the strength to engage our adversaries and protect American interests around the globe."
When dealing with renegade nations, Obama said, the Bush administration has mistakenly been led by a "guiding diplomatic principle" that it can punish a nation by refusing to talk.
"I am confident we can go before the world and talk to the worst dictators and tell them we don't believe in your values, we don't believe in your human rights violations, we don't believe in you exporting terrorism, but if you are willing to work with us in a better direction then we're willing to talk," Obama said. "We shouldn't be afraid."
Democratic presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., stands in front of a cornfield as he speaks during a gathering of potential supporters, Friday, July 27, 2007, on a farm in Adel, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
“I am confident we can go before the world and talk to the worst dictators and tell them we don’t believe in your values, we don’t believe in your human rights violations, we don’t believe in you exporting terrorism, but if you are willing to work with us in a better direction then we’re willing to talk,” Obama said. “We shouldn’t be afraid.”
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What can ya say?
They don’t call ‘em the Loonie Left for nothing.
Right. I'm pretty sure that, well, sorry son, but YOU AIN'T IT.
Hey Barack Hussein—just wait in the cornfield a few more minutes.
The guys in the white coats will be there momentarily.
Peter needs to write an updated Principle. This guy is certifiable.
No matter how stupid a Democrat has proved, he can always find a Kennedy quote to back him up.
Here is an incredibly unqualified, naive peacenick or worse, and he is trying to act tough by using the expression “toe to toe.” Even a sick and dying dictator like Castro or Kim Jung Il would eat this guy alive.
And North Korea would cast itself as W.C. Fields: "Go away, kid, ya bother me."
Evil men will lie to his face, promise anything he wants to hear, and then use Obama’s credulity and naivete against him the minute he’s out the door and at the press conference promising “peace”. A real gangster will eat this big baby for lunch. The problem is, the American people will pay the price. Al Swearegen for President.
Clinton, who has criticized the Bush administration for not engaging Iran and Syria directly, said she would not meet in the first year of her presidency with the leaders of those five nations, before knowing what their intentions were. After the debate, Clinton called Obama naive.So, in other words, if the OsamaObama says "engage the dictators", then he's naive, but if Bush says "don't engage the dictators" then he's criminally negligent.
If this were Kerry talking, we'd be crying FLIP-FLOP. But I guess it's ok for the Beast to speak out of both sides of her maw.
Also, I like how the OsamaObama said "talk to them" in the debate and now he's saying "go toe to toe with them". I guess the OsamaObama team sat the OsamaObama suit down and told it how to talk.
When dealing with renegade nations, Obama said, the Bush administration has mistakenly been led by a “guiding diplomatic principle” that it can punish a nation by refusing to talk.
Good grief. Read the papers, moron. In the N. Korea showdown we have been “talking” to N. Korea, using the 6-party talks, which allows all the nations of the region to be involved in containing the threat.
So what do you advocate, give all the rouge nations a State Dinner and a handshake and all will be better?
Chamberlain believed in talking to rouge nations, too. He was happy to talk to Hitler and create “peace in our time”. It didn’t work.
Grow up.
Someone, I don’t remember who, said that Obama wants to engage in ‘jawfare’.
LOL...Terrorists always understand “diplomacy”? Yeah, Right.
Incredibly stupid statement on two main points. There is a reason our Presidents don't go "toe to toe" with rogue leaders. Its because they are not peers of our President and are far beneath our President. You go toe to toe with equals or near-equals. So that's one naive aspect of his statement.
The other obvious mistake is that our Presidents talking with rogue leader does not protect our security. Strength not talk is what protects us.
This guy is way in over his head.
The six-party talks with N Kor don't quite fit in this remarkably cosmopolitan worldview.
agreed.
Obama continues to separate himself from the juvenile and moonbat groupings of dem candidates.
This puts him more in the adolescent group, obviously history was not one of his pursuits in educating himself as to how things work.
Is it just me or is this guy skinny enough to be a Somali? Based on his picture and his wacky views regarding international relations, maybe we should start calling him “Barack Hawk Down.”
I think he peaked a bit early and won’t be able to climb back up.
Syria and Iran will have security responsibilities once we leave according to Obama. The Syrians get to kill the Kurds and the Iranians get to kill the Sunnis and that should bring about peace in the region (who is left to complain). Obama can at least make sure the killings are done quietly. CNN is accustomed to working in areas where only certain things can be reported since they have the Saddam experience.
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