Bush Rips Obama Over "Embracing Tyrants"

Without directly mentioning his name, President Bush took a broad swipe at Sen. Barack Obama during his news conference on Thursday, equating Obama's willingness to talk with foreign leaders (both allied and adversarial) to "embracing" tyrants.

The topic of conversation centered on what U.S. policy to Cuba should be in the aftermath of Fidel Castro handing control of the island to his brother Raul. Taking what appeared to be particular pride in having never negotiated with America's enemies, Bush said:

"[Meeting with Raul] will send a discouraging message to those who wonder whether America will continue to work for the freedom of prisoners. It will give great status to those who have suppressed human rights and human dignity. I'm not suggesting there's never a time to talk, but I'm suggesting now is not the time not to talk with Raul Castro."

Dispensing the confusion over what time, exactly, would be appropriate, the reporter who asked the question reminded Bush that no one is saying the U.S should embrace Raul Castro but merely engage the new leader. The president conceded the point, only to ridicule the concept of negotiating-with-your-enemies as "embracing" tyrants once more.

"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.' Now, somebody will say, well, I'm going to tell him to release the prisoners.

Well, it's a theory that all you got to do is embrace and these tyrants act. That's not how they act. That's not what causes them to respond. So I made a decision quite the opposite, and that is to keep saying to the Cuba books people, we stand with you. We will not sit down with your leaders that imprison your people because of what they believe. We will keep an embargo on you. We do want you to have money from people here in the homeland, but we will stay insistent upon this policy until you begin to get free."

For reference, here's what Obama said about meeting with Raul Castro during the Democratic debate in Austin, Texas on Feb. 22:

OBAMA:Now, keep in mind that the starting point for our policy in -- in Cuba should be the liberty of the Cuban people. And I think we recognize that that liberty has not existed throughout the Castro regime. And we now have an opportunity to potentially change the relationship between the United States and Cuba, after over half a century.

I would meet without preconditions, although Senator Clinton is right that there has to be preparation. It is very important for us to make sure that there was an agenda and on that agenda was human rights, releasing of political prisoners, opening up the press. And that preparation might take some time.

But I do think that it is important for the United States not just to talk to its friends but also to talk to its enemies.

In fact, that's where diplomacy makes the biggest difference. (Applause.)

One other thing that I've said as a show of good faith, that we're interested in pursuing potentially a new relationship, what I've called for is a loosening of the restrictions on remittances from family members to the people of Cuba as well as travel restrictions for family members who want to visit their family members in Cuba. And I think that initiating that change in policy as a start and then suggesting that an agenda get set up is something that could be useful, but I would not normalize relations until we started seeing some of the progress that Senator Clinton talked about. [...]

I do think it is important, precisely because the Bush administration has done so much damage to American foreign relations, that the president take a more active role in diplomacy than might have been true 20 or 30 years ago.

Because the problem isn't -- is if we think that meeting with the president is a privilege that has to be earned, I think that reinforces the sense that we stand above the rest of the world at this point in time, and I think that it's important for us, in undoing the damage that has been done over the last seven years, for the president to be willing to take that extra step. That's the kind of step that I would like to take as president of the United States.

Comments

[rkstarbuck]

I wonder if W'ya will send me a postcard from Bejing?

[realpolitic]

Does Bush know how much he is despised in 2/3's of the country?

[lessthanimpressed]

Try 4/5ths of the entire world.

[pertello]

http://www.giveupblog.com/images/kiss-saudi.jpg

[Ozarks]

Wonder why Bush has embraced Pakistan's tyrant? Bush's attitude is he is superior to other countries' leaders. As a result he doesn't read, nor will he talk to other people. He just lets his toadies tell him how wonderful he is while the world views him as a condescending idiot. A little intellectual stimulus and he might have come to the world view that there were no WMD's in Iraq before he invaded Iraq. He is the poorest excuse for a "world leader " I have ever seen.

[realpolitic]

Bush probably worries that if he read something it may interfere with his nutty ideology of world conquest. He does not read for his own protection. He is afraid of new ideas. I agree that he is the worst world leader that I can ever imagine and my imagination is fairly good. How did we Americans elect this buffoon twice? He is not qualified to be dog catcher.

He is so insecure that everyone around him must constantly reassure him about how great he is. He is a spoiled, little child in an adult's body. He should not even be allowed to sit at the table with the other adults. I am sorry. I just despise him.

[MRINSPIRED]

I'm tellin ya... The whole world outside the USA groaned a collective sigh of disbelief when you voted that idiot back into office a second time... It was like 'what!!!!!!!!!!?'

[beaubourg]

Dont you think Bush's comments will be a great help if Obama is faced with mcCain?
Surely a majority of Americans prefer the Obama approach to the Bush-McCain view?

[desmirl]

I think Mr. Bush may be having some very odd thoughts that involve 'embracing' other men. After all, we know he enjoys kissing Saudi princes. We've seen that picture way too often.

[MadJeffersonian]

What a hypocritical jackass! So what is he doing talking with Musharraf and Putin? STFU, Bushie!

[Moxo]

Embracing tyrants? You mean like the Reagan/Bush Admin selling weapons to our enemy Iran, despite their hoistage taking? Or Reagan/Bush Admin supplying Saddam Hussein with Bio/Chem warfare materiel? Or the Reagan/Bush Admin training Bin Laden and supplying him with Stingers??

[MadJeffersonian]

You hit the nail right on the head!

[jcandrsn]

Of course we should take President Bush's advice on foreign policy. Under his watch, our foreign policy has gone so wonderfully! Two wars, lying to the international community, pissing away the post 9/11 international support, supporting a dictator in Pakistan (who isn't even working in our interest) instead of democracy, letting Russia go on unchecked as they clamp down on civil liberties. His ideas are just so great! Meanwhile, the Bush administration is taking Obama's advice on how to deal with Al-Qaeda in Pakistan to terrible effect. 13 Al-Qaeda terrorist and one high-level Al-Qaeda official down, fighting our actual enemies? What a terrible idea!!

[realpolitic]

Bush is a fool. Everyone realizes that but King George himself.

[pizzmoe]

Why do we listen to a President who giggles?

[realpolitic]

It is some kind of nervous, self-conscious guffaw when he is confronted with his own stupidity, which is often.

Does Bush know how much 2/3's of the country despises him?

[jerryfromcalifornia]

George, keep talking....the more you say the more you help the Democrats.

[Karenina44]

Isn't this the same guy who had a love fest over Putin? Good thing no one except nut jobs heed his advice. And it is not like the American foreign policy has been tremendously successful, especially with Cuba. Fidel outlasted all American presidents. Makes sense to try a different approach.

[Semper]

Its very interesting to me that America is supposed to be a Christian nation, with a Christian President and does not sit down to talk with its enemies. Christian beliefs or the Bible says that you must break bread with your enemies. But what is more interesting is that almost every ally that America has signed a treaty with during any kind of war, the allies eventually become an enemy of this country. Starting with the native Indians, the Russians, the Chinese to name a few. Whats wrong with this country? There is so much fear in America it surprises me that the world does not see it. Americans must become tougher and toughness means sitting and negotiating, because today we are a very weak. America, to the point that we are willing to give up our rights in exchange for a false hope of getting safety. To end conflict you must sit down with your opposing forces. Thats what we did in Viet Nam because we got our butts in a situation which we did not understand and we paid dearly for it. This country was never strong or wise on foreign diplomacy. We thought that we could either kill or bomb the opposition into submission which would raise our status in the world. Remember, the Korean war just got out of that one with our reputations in tact.. Incidentally, during WW II, the Russians got the most of the benefits. And we love taking about that war like were save the world. We need to fess up to that too, we lost a lot of soldiers and we got down to the bottom of our youth in terms of numbers.

And when it comes to Cuba, people like Bush and his Cuban(American) delegates from Florida are fools to thing that Cuba is going to become an American stepchild like Puerto Rico. Incidentally, the Cubans who live here and came here durinng their revolution were part of the elite. They expoited their own people and it was easy for Castro to walk in and kick them out. Well those same Cubans live in Florida and did the same thing to the Americans now the place is called "Little Havana". The funny thing is they would not give a helping hand to their own relatives whom the left behind and are continually trying to starve them to death. Guilt and revenge cause strange behavior. Personally, I think that you can not defeat the will of the people, Cuba will be lost forever. Its like when England lost the colonies. There was probably a lot of anger, but we were not going to be ruled again by anyone. No one could defeat us and no one can defeat the Cubans no matter how much you dislike Castro. The world is not about power it is about influence. The faster we learn this the quicker we can start moving this nation again. Yes power creates fear, then it creates enemies, then it creates resistance. And when you have resistance you loose control. We are so one dimensional it embarrassing for a country that has some much talent. But we must wake up. The clock is running out.

[gregjones]

As the worse president in modern history.....the last person Obama should listen to is W. Whatever W says....Obama should do the opposite.

[pertello]

Embracing tyrants Part 2:
http://www.unconfirmedsources.com/nucleus/media/4/20070609-bush_putin.jpg

[pertello]

"Embracing tyrants?" hmmmm....


http://images.bigghurtt.com/bush_saudi.jpg