Obama Responds To Bush, McCain Appeasement Attack

The AP reports on Obama's swift and forceful response to Bush and McCain's criticism of his foreign policy approach:

Barack Obama laid into John McCain on Friday for advancing a tough-guy foreign policy that he called "naive and irresponsible," serving notice that he's ready to launch a full-throttle challenge to the Republican presidential contender on international relations in the general election campaign.

Lumping McCain together with President Bush, Obama declared: "If they want a debate about protecting the United States of America, that's a debate I'm ready to win because George Bush and John McCain have a lot to answer for." He blamed Bush for policies that enhance the strength of terrorist groups such as Hamas and "the fact that al-Qaida's leadership is stronger than ever because we took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan," among other failings.

The New York Times has more from the back and forth between McCain and Obama in what is the behginning of what is sure to be a long and intense debate:

Senator Barack Obama responded sharply on Friday to attacks on his foreign policy, linking President Bush and Senator John McCain as partners in "the failed policies" of the past seven years and criticizing them for "hypocrisy, fear peddling, fear mongering."

Confronting a major challenge to his world view, Mr. Obama tried to turn the tables on his critics, saying they were guilty of "bluster" and "dishonest, divisive" tactics. He cited a litany of what he called foreign policy blunders by the Bush administration and accused Mr. McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, of "doubling down" on them.

Earlier this week McCain had suggested that Obama was unfit to protect the US:

And the belief that somehow communications and positions and willingness to sit down and have serious negotiations need to be done in a face to face fashion as Senator Obama wants to do, which then enhances the prestige of a nation that's a sponsor of terrorists and is directly responsible for the deaths of brave young Americans, I think is an unacceptable position, and shows that Senator Obama does not have the knowledge, the experience, the background to make the kind of judgments that are necessary to preserve this nation's security.

Comments

[reelcobra]

Obama is STRONG on foreign policy by having the COURAGE to advocate:

***surrendering Iraq to be split up by al Qaeda and Iran

***sitting down with our sworn enemies, face-to-face, giving them legitimacy

This STRENGTH comes from his many, many years of foreign policy EXPERIENCE.

Plus he has written not one but two books about his tremendous experience and QUALIFICATIONS.

________________

Character is a "distraction" - NOT an ISSUE!

BHO '08!!

[MourningDude]

You forgot that Obama claims he can continue to exert influence in Iraq after pulling out all our troops.

Apparently he didn't learn from the fall of Saigon. We negotiated a treaty ensuring that none of the people would be punished. And then before the last US helicopter left the country, people were being arrested and rounded up and put into re-education camps. The treaty was utterly worthless without a military presence to enforce it.

Obama must think that we can just parachute in from Kuwait anytime we want. Instead of maintaining our influence, he thinks we can re-invade with special forces every other week and accomplish the same thing.

It's an extremely simplistic and extremely naive plan, and it's almost sure to fail.

[reelcobra]

I think he's into the Jack Murtha plan to redeploy to Disneyland, and come back in if there's a problem.

BHO '08!!

[CoolRock]

I see after 4000 Lives have been lost, the Voters must now decide to choose more of the same War in Iraq Verses a staged withdrawal. Without naming any Muslim names, I might remind you that our Enemy is Muslim. Without sounding like a fear monger, need I remind you that they Cut American's heads off on Camera. Without sounding politically incorrect, would you vote for a Muslim by birthright?

The Argument between a Believer in Change(Retreat) and a War Leader(The Long War) is an easy one to solve. Clearly, the War Leader will keep the peace and the believer in change may destabilize the Nation. As our Nation falters economically, a tactical Retreat will mean 160,000 troops will be OUT OF WORK. The investment America has made in the Middle East would be a TOTAL LOSS. PLUS, we will be OUT OF OIL! If we continue on a Failed Strategy of Embedding Troops, more troops will die. But, if we stay in IRAQ with a Modernized Strategy of Tactical Advantage, we will secure the IRAQI people in Weapons Free Safe Zones. Plus, we will modernize the IRAQI Oil System. We will have plenty of available OIL in America. This is my Strategy. I am America's Write-In President, David Jon Sponheim. Reach me at americasthirdparty.com.

[hannibalBarca]

Man I'm not sure where some of these guys heads are at.
Labeling for some people mean more than the ugly reality that stares them dead in the face.

Here's the price the war leader have left for the tax payer to pay (or in most situations endure).

Mortgage melt-down (more fore-closures)!
Failing financial institutions!
Oil prices out of reach!
Food prices rising with the no end in sight!
A war that cost billions of hard working tax dollars a month!
That's just to name a few.

The current administration has totally rave havoc with the america way of life (unless you're rich)!!!! I guess some people need to be hit by a bus before they see its a bus.

The war is a total bust! Cutting off heads, dropping bombs from a plane, how can any one equate or even come close to rationalize this insane situation?

The war is unjustified, the wrong country was attacked!
No one can't dispuste that fact. The attemp of the current adminstration to justify it with lame excuses, somehow is a blantant insult to the intelligence of most americans. Cmon, faulty information?
Keith Obermen (excuse the spelling) msnbc anchor said it best, about the sad state the adminstration has left this country in.

[MourningDude]

Obama won Iowa by promising to continue filling the trough with agriculture subsidies.

We're actually PAYING farmer NOT to grow food!

How insane is that?

McCain is the only Presidential candidate that has come out against this insane practice.

Liberals are quick to fly into a rage over oil subsidies. How much more enraged would they be if we were actually paying them NOT to pump oil?

There's a huge disconnect here, and Obama is still in favor of filling the trough for huge agriculture corporations at our expense.

[edhillfiker]

have been a Clinton supporter from day one, mainly because the 90's were good, economically, progressively, etc.

Hillary has made a case for herself, separate from Bill & I think she would make a better president . She is an intelligent fighter, but I am not blind to her faults & the likelihood of her winning the nomination is grim.

That said I cannot & will not put personal preference above the good of the party and yes, I vote for the party as opposed to the person because all the candidates subscribe to the precepts of their party.

If Obama wins the nomination, I must vote for him over McCain's 3rd Bush term.

Clinton's avid supporters will only be appeased if Clinton is picked as VP, and that's what Obama should do to secure & win the election.

That seems unlikely & I wish Clinton's supporters would put personal feelings aside & vote for what is right, but this is the real world & that's unlikely.

Obama has an epic fight & there's a lot of negatives against him.

The dream team would certainly make that easier, given Clinton's loyal base.

Still, how can we have another 4 years in an immoral war, go another day without health care or hand our nation over to Bush,Jr?

We were heading in the right direction at the close of the 90's. I had hoped the 21st century would be a step forward, instead we have regressed in the most horrifying

[blndrhed]

Why don't you ask how great the 90's were for some innocent Iraqi civilians who perished under brutal sanctions supported by Bill Clinton? That bastard is partly responsible for the genocide that the US has imposed on Iraq since 1990.

[gladys46]

"Obama has an epic fight & there's a lot of negatives against him ..."

What!! And those "negatives" are!? Some of us would like to go back to the roaring twenties ... those were very good years too .. however, even a rose dies ... even a rose has thorns they sure are lovely while they last!!

It's a new day .. time to move on ... it's Obama's time please don't stand in the way, help if you will!

[siwiclem]

If You read everything that's going on you have to consider the fact that there won't be an election.

Please Read:
http://www.legitgov.org/tehrantimes_iran_cia_terror_180508.html

Please Read:

https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=578278693854789592&postID=8245840277694499115

With This Happening It would Be a Good Time (NOT) for Bush to Start a War!
Please read:

http://www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/torturefoia.html

[DonDavis]

'Current McCain" Refuses to Negotiate with Kidnappers of "Former McCain"
http://satiricalpolitical.com/?p=1831

[indrakaran]

If only a wise man had talked to Hitler during his adolescent days of insecurity, then he would not have turned a Warmonger and by talking it out one would only know, the true intent of the so called enemy, which would staratagically help before it is too late.

[riverhouse]

I think Obama should ask GWB about his grandfather's appeasement of Hitler. Now that's a true story, documented and researched.

[MourningDude]

You can't choose your parents, but you can choose your pastor.

I never understood why liberals are more interested in the bad policies espoused by someone's grandparents or great grandparents than they are in the bad policies espoused by people today.

If you go back far enough, almost everyone has a horse thief or a murderer or an adulterer or a slave-owner in their family tree. So what?

[Bella Liberty]

Actually talking to the terrorists is not an appeasement policy. Appeasement policy is concern between two nations and its leaders but nothing concern to terrorists. Obama already declared that he wants to talk with terrorists its mean he wants to balance himself with terrorists status.

[McPander]

There was once a small group of people that their government called terrorist. The government pledged that they would hang any who partook with them.

On July 4th we celebrate those terrorist and are thankful that King George finally agreed to speak with them.

[reelcobra]

Great liberal point!

There is no good. No evil. We are all the same!

Bin Laden is just like George Washington...

Please feel free to keep making it in public.

_________________________________

Character is a "distraction" - Not an ISSUE!

BHO '08!!

[Bella Liberty]

Who you vote than who should win is an important political matter.

[texastornado]

NO MATCH:
Bush and McAnus are no match for Obama. Neither is Hillary for that matter. One is a dimwit, the other is an old telepromter geezer and the third in running on name recognition only. Obama has the education, good judgement, class, manners and is a hell of a counter puncher. We finally have a candidate with a brain and is a free thinker.

[Obama08Supporter]

If you take a good look at republicans and those that hate Obama there is something unique to all of them. They are simply bullies!

How many of you have been bullied and not have had to finally face the bully with words and a fight if those words did not work? When you look at our current President, you will see a bully in deguise. He has gone over into another country, killed their government leader, making them unsafe to Iran, he has killed thousands of young Americans, thousands of our allies, all for oil. McCain has confirmed this on his stump.

All of the bulling in the world has done absolutely nothing to stop us from being attacked. Bin Laden still lives and will never be caught and killed or jailed because he and Bush are very good friends.Do your research.

Yet when someone comes along and say we need to talk to our enemies he is accused of appeasement, which actually means to give something to the agressor, which Obama has not done and has never said he would. Then all of your self righteous people come here talking about something you do not know the meaning of.

It is just like the Americans that feel superior to all human kind to enjoy and accept the USA bullying other countries without at least having a dialogue with the leaders of that country. Every country feel they are right, even the good old USA.

[kburlz]

Actually, I predict Bin Laden is found under Obama. Someone with a brain at the helm, anyone? I guess we now know what general election Obama looks like, and I like it!!

[texastornado]

A bully is nothing more than a coward.

[HawkOnTheLeft]

Barack is still too much on his back heel on this. Why not try:

George Bush, your actions have made our enemies stronger. You have no business telling anyone how to make America safer.

Worried about what Iran will do next in Iraq? Well, Iran wasn't in Iraq until you invaded. You have made our enemy Iran stronger. Concerned about a resurgence of al Qaeda in Iraq? There was no al Qaeda in Iraq before you invaded. You have made our enemy al Qaeda stronger.

Iraq was a secular state before we invaded. Now 40% of Iraqis live under Sharia law. Our enemies are stronger because you invaded. The Taliban are strengthened by drug money. Our enemies are stronger because you were distracted by Iraq. Or jump to North Korea, where the madman who had 1 to 2 nuclear weapons now has 8 to 11, The madman is stronger because of your cowboy diplomacy.

George Bush (and John McSame), you have made our enemies stronger. No thinking national security hawk could possibly support you. You have no business telling anyone how to make America safer.

[esquire07]

"protect us ?" What a joke... I thought the job of the President of the United States was to "Protect and defend the Constituion of the United Sates ?"

Neither one of these fools will be able to do anything... The United States is a failing nation, to deep in the gutter to pull itself out... A NAtion based on a Military Industrial COmplex will destroy itself.... it is just a matter of time.

[halyscomet]

Obama can and will win the Foreign Policy debate on its merit alone. The George Bush Approach has also made Foreign Policy inexorably tied to the economy and no both are poor. Bush and McCain are tied to an identical extent.

Obama should continue to package these issues as such to extend his advantages in these debates.

[ResidentChimp]

If you read Obama's books, you will see that he has spent his whole life appeasing others. That's how he has gotten through life. He appeased the African-American community so he could be accepted as a black man. He tries to appease the white community so they will accept him as president. the Afro-Centric church he attends requires him to reject his whiteness and protray his grandmother as "a typical white person". He just can't help himself. He will be an appeaser in the Presidential office too. Far left liberals can't stand the idea that they're not liked by our enemies. They feel they just have to appease them to receive love back. Just as Carter made a fool of himself by abasing himself before the terrorists, Obama will feel obliged to do the same.

[Obama08Supporter]

Definition: Appeasement: pacify, conciliate; especially : to buy off (an aggressor) by concessions usually at the sacrifice of principles.

Now can you show us where Obama has appeased someone, what did he give in return to buy off the appeasee?

First you need to know what the word means, and secondly Obama, not unlike Mya Angelo spoke about his years of hardship and struggles. Does this mean that he is all the you want to make him.

Is the dearly beloved Mya Angelo somehow wrong writing about her experience as a black woman. Does his story have to be what you want it to be. Finally, how many times have you had the black or biracial experience? None, that's what I thought.

How may times have you cared enough to ask a biracial person how they feel inside and what are the experiences that have shaped their lives in one way or another? None, I thought not.

You are just another one of those ignorant people that would like to SCARE THE HELL OUT OF WHITE AMERICA, it will no longer work, we have no FEAR of the dead beat liars anymore.

Obama 2008
By the way, great book Obama

[discombobulated]

His speech on racism where he disowned his grandma but stuck up for the anti-Semetic, anti-American Wright to butress his black credentials. Obama is all about appeasement. If he thinks sitting down with Ahmeijad is going to get him anywhere, he might as well just admit he's running for Jimmy Carter's 2nd term. God help us all. Bush then Obama... Will there be anything left of the country?

[sherbug]

Well its so nice to see you have a legitimate reason for not liking Obama. Its the far right conservatives that can't stand the idea that they stand for nothing and will fall for anything. Good luck.

[MrKINOKO]

And while you are rootin' around in the dictionary, look up "debasing".It's not 'abasing', whatever that means....unless it's some secret word for just you Republican guys or something.

[ErikW65]

You should concentrate on reading the dictionary (for a definition of appeasement) before venturing into anyone's biography.

[gladys46]

I believe you misinterpret the word "appease" .... Obama is and has been successful enough to "co-exist" ...CO-EXIST ...! Good christians are to love their neighbors, do unto others ... you know the rest ... hopefully! Or we all perish!

[NuOrigin]

No person on this planet is more responsible for the deaths of thousands of brave young Americans than George W. Bush.

[ResidentChimp]

Do you think not voting in elections absolves you of responsibility? It's a funny thing about Democracy, unlike totalitarian or Fascist rule, you can't escape responsibility.

[JTyroler]

We have people in government taking responsibility for their actions???? Who?

[mystic]

I'm confused: Are you saying we are living in a democracy? Please explain yourself and include the absence of habeus corpus in your explanation.

[KBAR]

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.

Will Rogers