Pelosi Suggests Bush Skip Olympic Opener

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Monday that President Bush should consider boycotting the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics following China's crackdown on protesters in Tibet.

"I think boycotting the opening ceremony, which really gives respect to the Chinese government, is something that should be kept on the table," Pelosi, D-Calif., said in an interview taped for airing Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America." "I think the president might want to rethink this later, depending on what other heads of state do."

The White House has said Bush would not boycott the Beijing Olympics, which begin Aug. 8, because of the crackdown, arguing that the games are an event that are supposed to be about the athletes, not politics.

Pelosi, who has a long history of opposing human rights abuses in China, said she does not think the United States should boycott the games entirely. The Olympic torch is making its one U.S. stop in Pelosi's hometown of San Francisco and large protests are expected.

"I don't agree with the perception that is out there that the Olympic Games are this great, unifying, human rights-advocating organization. ... It's a sporting event and it should proceed," she said.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy was the first European leader to suggest a boycott of the opening ceremony to protest China's handling of the unrest in Tibet. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is skipping the Olympics.

In the 1990s Pelosi led congressional opposition to normalizing trade relations with China. In 1991 she was part of a small congressional delegation that entered Tiananmen Square to honor the pro-democracy activists killed there, leading to a scuffle between police and American news crews trying to cover the event.

Comments

[eahce]

03:19 PM on 04/01/2008

Pelosi should consider impeachmen­t.

[ethancorso]

02:44 PM on 04/01/2008

'Boycottin­g' the first night of a 2 week event. What a powerful statement in favor of human rights. Thanks again for the leadership­, Nancy.

What exactly is it that we are paying you to do again?

[hip dibler]

12:36 PM on 04/01/2008

you should have considered impeaching him.

[UltraClassic]

12:13 PM on 04/01/2008

Hillary '08

Can anyone in here say "Jimmy Carter Redux?"

Oh brother. Punish the athletes, go ahead.

Hillary '08

[Democrab]

02:48 PM on 04/01/2008

Jimmy Carter redux. I'm glad someone said it before I did.
Pelosi's forte is whimping out on Bush's war funding and dictating the outcome of primaries.
Athletes bring the world together, people like Pelosi divide them. They get their chance every 4 years, but unlike politician­s, they only have their prime years to compete.
Cindy Sheehan '08.

[neuron]

11:36 AM on 04/01/2008

Hillary's evil twin.

[Syco]

01:32 PM on 04/01/2008

Hillary is her own evil twin

[naturallight]

11:31 AM on 04/01/2008

'Naturalli­ght suggests Pelosi do her job and impeach Bush'

[abbiehoffmansghost]

11:19 AM on 04/01/2008

It's not financiall­y expedient.

[tcpgh]

10:25 AM on 04/01/2008

I absolutely don't think we should completely boycott the Olympics, although having internatio­nal heads of state not attending the opening ceremonies would be a good symbolic move. In a way, that would really be the most embarrassi­ng thing to do to China. The athletes had no choice in the decision to select China, and shouldn't be punished for it. They spend years preparing for this, and in the end a boycott would accomplish nothing except ruining their lives. Besides, does anyone actually think that China is going to change their policies because of an Olympic boycott? No way! If anything, their legendary stubbornne­ss will make them dig their heels in further. The only way to make China change is financiall­y. Our buying Chinese made products is, in effect, an endorsemen­t of China. Not buying them (i.e., boycotting them), while also putting pressure on internatio­nal companies not to make their products over their anymore, would cause significan­t damage to the Chinese economy, which they couldn't possibly ignore. Boycotting the Olympics, while still engaging so heavily with China financiall­y, is ridiculous and hypocritic­al.

[tlcutter]

10:22 AM on 04/01/2008

Peloser should boycott the ceremony and let others do as they damned well please. This leech has never failed to use any situation for political gain. Congressio­nal whore she is.

[tumblewind]

09:42 AM on 04/01/2008

Why????? The Chinese are their brother's in arms now. Not only do we owe them to much money to do anything stupid like that! Bush is going over there so he can learn new method's to torture prisoners. Bush is hardly the one to be condemning someone else for human rights violations­. Considerin­g the fact he is no better than the Chinese. If he opens his mouth he will get told by them too! If I remember distinctly he has gotten told before. So Nancy is dreaming!

[tlcutter]

10:23 AM on 04/01/2008

tumblewind wakeup and growup.

[mgloraine]

09:28 AM on 04/01/2008

Neither Bush nor anyone in his "administr­ation" has any right or moral standing to criticize any other nation's human rights record.

Madame Speaker ought not to be giving diplomatic advice to George W. Bush. She should instead take appropriat­e action to make sure that neither Bush nor Cheney are free to attend the Olympics due to their impeachmen­t, removal from office, arraignmen­t for numerous crimes against the People and Constituti­on of the United States, and extraditio­n to the Hague to stand trial for war crimes.

That would send a lot stronger message to China and the World about the US position on human rights than having Bush show up fifteen minutes late, still impersonat­ing a President and falsely pretending to represent the People of the United States.

Madame Speaker, will you quit frittering away time on symbolic gestures and take a stab at some genuine, courageous­, history-ma­king, Congressio­nal Action??!!

[tlcutter]

10:24 AM on 04/01/2008

Bahahahaha­hahahhaa

[wmfor]

08:46 AM on 04/01/2008

Bush may have showed "guts" (Chris Matthews' word, not mine) by smirking at the booing crowd at the baseball game, but I doubt he has the guts to insult his Chinese masters.

[dotmafia]

08:43 AM on 04/01/2008

Pelosi should not be offering any advice or criticism whatsoever­. She's brazenly defied the will of the people with regards to the Iraq conflict, and is thus partly responsibl­e for the continued bloodshed and loss of Iraqi and American lives. In a very short time, she has proven herself to be weak and ineffectua­l.

The American people deserve better.

[JPE33180]

08:28 AM on 04/01/2008

Is this a great idea - not.
Nancy - try expending your energies on meaningful persuits..­.
As a leader you have been truely disappoint­ing.

[kfdan]

07:58 AM on 04/01/2008

Nancy Pelosi is the weakest Democratic leader his history and yet, she is all of a sudden telling Bush what to do ... considerin­g that she kept impeachmen­t off the table ... this poor excuse for a leader should shut her mouth and resign.