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

[fourex]

Bush didn't embrace Tyrants, he flew them home to Saudi Arabia on 9/12.

[replyguy]

Conspiracy theory long since proven false. Where have you been?

[fourex]

I been reading the 9-11 and FBI reports where GW Bush assisted the flight of Saudi Royals. Theory my ass.

[fourex]

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D-ND), Senate Subcommittee on Aviation: We had some airplanes authorized at the highest levels of our government to fly to pick up Osama bin Laden’s family members and others from Saudi Arabia and transport them out of this country.

[New York Times headline: White House Approved Departure of Saudis After Sept. 11]

MOORE (VO): It turns out that the White House approved planes to pick up the bin Ladens and numerous other Saudis. [Listing of flights to Saudi Arabia.] At least six private jets and nearly two dozen commercial planes [Close Up: “SAUDIA ARABIA”] carried the Saudis and the bin Ladens out of the US after September 13th. [CU: Scan down long list of flights, focusing on the 9/13 date.] In all, 142 Saudis, including 24 members of the bin Laden family, were allowed to leave the country.

[fourex]

Getting snufferd out replyguy?

Now, newly released government records show previously undisclosed flights from Las Vegas and elsewhere and point to a more active role by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in aiding some of the Saudis in their departure.

The F.B.I. gave personal airport escorts to two prominent Saudi families who fled the United States, and several other Saudis were allowed to leave the country without first being interviewed, the documents show.

The Saudi families, in Los Angeles and Orlando, requested the F.B.I. escorts because they said they were concerned for their safety in the wake of the attacks, and the F.B.I. - which was then beginning the biggest criminal investigation in its history - arranged to have agents escort them to their local airports, the documents show.

[fourex]

"We were in the midst of the worst terrorist act in history and here we were seeing an evacuation of the bin Ladens. ... I wanted to go the highest levels in Washington," Tom Kinton, director of aviation at Boston's Logan International Airport, told the magazine. Kinton said it was clear the operation had the blessings of federal authorities.

Once the flight ban was lifted, two jumbo jets transported the Saudis out of the country. The Boston Globe reported at the time that two flights bound for Saudi Arabia with members of the bin Laden clan on board left Logan on Sept. 18 and 19. Other reports put the departure date at Sept. 14.

[fourex]

replyguy getting burried,

"National air space was closed on September 11. Fearing reprisals against Saudi nationals, the Saudi government asked for help in getting some of its citizens out of the country. We have not yet identified who they contacted for help. But we have found that the request came to the attention of Richard Clarke and that each of the flights we have studied was investigated by the FBI and dealt with in a professional manner prior to its departure.

[fourex]

In the cocaine and alcoholic fog of GW Bush's mind dialog and diplomacy are evil.

[letsgetsmart]

Mr Bush, the only picture of you that won't make me ill at a glance would be one with bars between you and the camera. Herbert Walker, won't you please make your son come home and ground him for a number of years like you should have done when you were raising him? Mr and Mrs Bush, do you know that this child of yours is wrecking not only his own image but yours and anybody in your family for the future? I can't wait to hear the boos for any of your other off spring that decide for public office. Says a lot about you as parents. The only thing that makes any sense here is that you feel that you are a better class of citizen then the rest of us so making your off spring conform to public norms doesn't apply to you.

[ajax2]

There is one tyrant that Obama has not embraced, GW Bush.

[Jazz42]

His creditability is zero

[guntotinganglion]

So's his IQ.

[BrickSykes]

George W. Bush is such a bumbling illiterate Simpleton...it just makes most Americans want to just get down and WEEP!! That he is speaking for nearly 300 million Americans will be viewed as a National catastrophe for the next Thousand Years!

The problem he inherited from all his post-WWII predecessors is simple: Castro, in their eyes, stole all the resources that were making American industrialists wealthy. That's all. But what do the George Bushes of America do? They quarantine, they blockade, they torture and otherwise PUNISH every Cuban alive, and with no end in sight! That's the Republican Way!! Play Judge and Jury every time they've been "slighted" especially in "Bidness" deals!

George Bush is WRONG, and, Barak Obama is RIGHT!! We have to Win Cuba back if we're ever going to get her back. It hurts every American being as ignorantly Bull-headed as GB43 is! He's a Disgrace, and thinks he's so CUTE! Winking and kibbitzing with the press while insulting them. Yes, he is the True Tyrant!

Brick

[guntotinganglion]

First thing I thought when I saw the headline was, did Obama hug Bush?

[moda31]

i seriously doubt that there's anyone out there who still gives a rat's ass what this moron has to say about anything.

[rkstarbuck]

I think it does Obama a HUGH favor to have this inarticulate ninny disparage him. Gee, should I vote for Dumbo's replacement or the guy that can speak without tripping over his own tongue?

[rkstarbuck]

gee, any irony that the press conference was to push Dubya's "need" for warrantless wiretapping.

I guess seeing Putin's soul is sooo last year.

[MIldlyMisanthropic]

Wow, letting political prisoners rot in jail. Bush would never do that, right? And just look how much progress he has made internationally by not talking to the "bad guys." Oops, I'm guess I'm being a tad sarcastic.

[Seattlelite]

Someone needs to tell Bush that we don't give a sh--about is opinions . Just counting down the days until your departure.

[realpolitic]

Bush does not like being criticized by Obama, who he views as a neophyte. The only problem is that any policy that Bush suggests it is probably best to do the opposite. i agree with Obama our policy toward Cuba has not worked for 40 years. That Bush steadfastly holds onto it simply shows his unthinking inflexibility.

Bush said: "That's now how tyrants act. That's not what causes tyrants to respond." Bush should know. He is close to being a tyrant himself. He and Cheney know the subject of tyranny well.

[research]

I Know you are, but what I?

[InjunTrouble]

We should only embrace tyrants in countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China. Those other tyrants are not our kind of tyrants.

[BlackJAC]

Somebody hand Monkey Boy a copy of PARADE Magazine's annaul World's Worst Dictators list so he can see where exactly in the Top 10 his boyfriends Pervert Musharraf and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia rank.