Posted on 02/18/2009 12:21:21 AM PST by americanophile
WASHINGTON, Feb. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is trying to boost the political fortunes of Prime Minister Taro Aso on her visit to Tokyo this week. But it looks like Mission Impossible.
Clinton has already honored Aso by making him the first major world leader she has flown out to visit since taking her new job as the director of American foreign policy. She followed up Tuesday by inviting Aso to fly out to Washington to meet her and President Barack Obama, making him the very first foreign leader to be so honored.
But any bounce the enormously unpopular Aso hoped to get out of Clinton's generosity was trumped at once by the fall of his own finance minister. Shoichi Nakagawa resigned Tuesday.
The immediate cause of Nakagawa's fall was his bizarre behavior at a news conference Saturday in which he slurred his words and appeared to be drunk. Nakagawa denied that allegation, of course, and claimed -- rather unconvincingly -- that he was just suffering from jet lag and a rather strong cold medicine.
(Excerpt) Read more at upi.com ...
This really sums it up...the finance ministers are drunk! How did it come to this!
How much of that watery saki would you have to drink to get that drunk? dont think I could drink that much myself.
Too much saki...
Some cold medicines, combined with even a small amount of alcohol, can make a person that incoherent. The minister could be telling the truth.
Who knows!?
So far, he's the only person in authority with the correct response to this crisis!
Really!
That’s politics I’m afraid. It’s humiliating for the man, I’m sure he’s a nice guy and all, but I couldn’t help but laugh. In this economic climate when a G7 finance minister shows up like that, it’s just icing on the cake.
PM Aso hasn’t been in office for very long. How is it possible that they are already clamoring for his replacement? At that rate they will cease having a coherent functioning Government if the PM office turns into a revolving door. Plus Japanese economy is based on primarily on Exports and running overseas manufacturing plants, correct? So how do the Japanese expect their Government to change things in such a horrible world economic condition?
One Aso meeting another Aso.
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