Gingrich Slams Obama Over Chavez Greeting At Summit Of The Americas

WASHINGTON — Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich charged Monday that President Barack Obama's cordial greeting with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez sends a poor message to enemies of America.

In a nationally broadcast interview on NBC's "Today" show Monday, the Georgia Republican also accused the administration of being too slow to react to North Korea's launching of a rocket test and said it has reached out too much to ease relations with Cuba.

Appearing on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends," Gingrich said: "This does look a lot like Jimmy Carter. Carter tried weakness and the world got tougher and tougher because the predators, the aggressors, the anti-Americans, the dictators, when they sense weakness, they all start pushing ahead."

Chavez has been one of the harshest critics of the United States in that part of the world. Obama said at the conclusion of the Latin summit Sunday that he didn't think greeting Chavez would be "endangering the strategic interests of the United States."

Gingrich complained that the simple act of a smiling Obama shaking Chavez's hand caused a book Chavez has written to skyrocket on the best-seller lists in the United States.

"What I find distressing," he said, "is that the administration opposes opening up oil exploration," but yet Obama has "bowed to the king of Saudi Arabia" and now reached out to Chavez, whom Gingrich said has been conducting "a vicious anti-American campaign."

Gingrich, whose name has been mentioned in 2012 presidential speculation, said, "How do you mend relationships with someone who actively hates your country. ... "

"Cuba releases zero prisoners," he said, "yet we make nice with Cuba. I'm for doing things methodically and calmly ... things that will work, but I'm not for deluding myself about smiles and words."

Comments

[Digeeedad]

Yesterday Rachael Maddow had a GREAT segment on her show, on thsi very topic, where she showed photos of ex-Presidents smiling and shaking hands at first meetings with "evil" foreign dictators and rulers. Reagan shaking Gorbachev's hand and both of them smiling, Nixon shaking Chairman Mao's hand, both of them smiling broadly, Kennedy shaking Khrushchev's hand and once again smiles all around! I think there might have been a couple more such meetings pictured...

Amazing that when President Obama does the SAME THING he is looked upon as a traitor and enemy of our country. He could singlehandedly discover the cure for cancer or find a way to end hunger forever in Africa and the GOP would find fault that he did so!

The issue sadly, I believe, is that they have too much invested in making sure "the black man" doesn't succeed at anything... even when he does! Breaks too many racial/cultural stereotypes to allow ANY credit to be given!

[cobobs]

Diplomacy is that polite thing you do with enemies instead of war. You can backslap friends and call them nicknames like "old europe" and at the end of the day, you will laugh it off and make up. Even little poor people and countries appreciate respect and politeness .

[RRG64]

Cheney bowing to "receive a medal" from Saudi King Abdullah

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1082001

Talk about disturbing....

[Beard]

No,Newt still deludes himself by thinking that he is an honorable man . Even after the way he behaved while his former wife was dying.

[kareemachan]

FTA:

"Gingrich, whose name has been mentioned in 2012 presidential speculation, said, "How do you mend relationships with someone who actively hates your country. ... "

Well, Newt, the first step is be civil to them and shake hands. Duh. Even though you're trying to revamp your image as a senior statesman, remarks like these just show how little you've changed or learned since you had to resign.

[rf-hawaii]

Gingrich is a legend in his own mind.

[firstrax]

The spin machine is spinning out of control.

[AKWrongWinger]

If the new de facto leader of the Republican party is Newty then we will govern for the next 30 years!

[mervr1]

Is Newt or Kudlow's comments really relevant to anyone other than themselves and trying to gain political points.

Who really cares what Newt thinks other than Newt?

[lmnop13]

Gingrich would slam Obama for scratching his a$$.
Whatever, 'Newt'.
What with all these goofy names in the GOP?
Newt, Scooter.
What is this, the playground?

[HST]

Doesn't Mr.Ethics Violation have a dying wife somewhere that he can serve with divorce papers?

[ObamAtomic]

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flossophy See Profile I'm a Fan of flossophy I'm a fan of this user permalink
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Go study what FDR did with the Constitution... he essentially got the supreme court to bend and twist the constitution to fit his own policy agenda. That's not rule of law. Bush did not do this.
__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__________­__
On the contrary B_ush use any AG and the D_OJ to fit his needs,even the last AG Mus_kasey
can not even define torture to the Congress.
Any ways you remind me of the powerful attorney in Washington to vet Pa_lin with three simple question?
You have ears but you deaf
You have mouth but you mute
You have eyes but you blind
We are not happy with you here lying,trying to change the course of history.
The election is over O won you irrelevant like a zero to the left! have a good day,behave.

[Dragline]

Yes, Newt. The fifty year old embargo of Cuba was on the brink of bringing Castro to his knees when President Obama reached out. As for Chavez, the President should have given him a three stooges two-fingered poke in the eye. We should continue to follow the same failed policies.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. And have you forgotten that even your idol Reagan met with Gorbachev. The very fact that you think you have a shot in 2012 shows what a shambles the Republican party is in.

[SimJack]

If Gingrich has a grievance with this, he's going to develop a really serious case of restless lip syndrome when Obama meets with the Brothers Castro.

[JanaK63]

If McCain had won, what do you think he would have give Chavez ~ his infamous eye roll??? The problem with the GOP is they don't know the first thing about class, how to have it or where to get it. But they better get comfortable with Obama, because if Newt or Palin is the future of the party, they are going to be on the losing end of every election.