APOLOGIZE TO HU? WHY? (Boortz)

Nealz Nuze ^ | 21 April 2006 | Neal Boortz

[rattrap]

Yesterday China's president Hu Jintal was heckled by someone who managed to sneak into the press gallery covering a White House event. This is simply not allowed in China. In fact, when the video of Hu's remarks at the White House were shown in China the part involving the heckler was blacked out. We now learn that after the incident President Bush apologized to Hu. Apologized? For what? Did Bush apologize because someone managed to slip by White House security? If so ... probably appropriate. On the other hand, if Bush apologized because someone actually heckled the Chinese president, not good. This was a good chance for a lesson, not an apology. How about "Glorioski, President Hu, I'm do apologize that we didn't prevent that woman from slipping into our press gallery. But, you know, things are somewhat different here in the United States than they might be elsewhere. Here the leaders are directly responsible to the people, and the people have the freedom to express their thoughts, good thoughts or bad thoughts, to their leaders without fear of retribution or censorship. You ought to try it sometime."

[swain_forkbeard]

The issue here isn't security. It's politics. Or rather, the issue is overarching politics versus common courtesy. I, for one, believe that there is still room, in these hyper-politicized times, for politeness and refinement of behavior. Yes, Bush could have used the heckling incident in some boorish and heavy-handed way to teach his guest a lesson. Bush took a different path and said, "This was unfortunate and I'm sorry this happened." Since both the heckler and President Hu were President Bush's guests, this seems a natural expression of polite regret.

[DoctorMichael]

"Who's Hu?"
(Washington Times piece from a few years back when this little Fascist was put into office by the other apparatchiks of the glorious People's Republic of China)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/674888/posts

Hu's resume..................
1) Instructor of comrades in "Correct Thinking".
2) Party Apparatchik
3) Communist Party Cadre Trainer
4) Tibet Communist Party Secretary: A) Successfully "sanctioned" (Re: Murdered) Pachen Lama; B) Restored order and quieted "unrest" by pesky Buddhists who were interrupting the assimilation of their territory by the glorious People's Republic.
5) Lent moral support to glorious People's Army that crushed (Re: Literally) students in Tianamen Square.

[murdoog]

Much like Cindy Sheeedevil at the State of the Union

I'll admit her MO was a lot like Sheehan's. I hope we can agree that that is where the similiarites end.

[rattrap]

Yeah, he's real worthy of standing on the WH lawn. Maybe we should move Stalin's grave to the rose garden.

[Rummyfan]

Atcually I think it was a good thing and I wouldn't be surprised if we were somehow complicit in getting her in and giving her the opportunity. The Chinese regime is in some ways simply monstrous, and their 'president' shouldn't be allowed to come here and not be reminded of same. Bill Gates and Boeing can kiss his rear, but President Bush should not. This woman did the dirty work and let the President focus on the big picture.

[Coldwater Creek]

In fact I actually heard Bush say that there were profound differences in their views.

[righttackle44]

Apologize? Did Hu apologize when the hostile
Chinese students fired questions at the President
when he spoke in China?

Send Hu home.

[Coldwater Creek]

I prefer to take the high road. It was the right thing to do!

[silverleaf]

Ah. Reminding his guest that free speech sometimes bears a price for leaders of democracies, would have been "heavy handed and boorish" behavior indeed by Bush.

While tactfully avoiding mentioning that her screams of torture and murder of Falun Gong are known within the USG to be totally accurate.

[swain_forkbeard]

I really did not want and do not want to debate what Bush might have done but did not do. I pointed out that he avoided being heavy-handed and boorish. I doubt you disagree with that.

What Bush did say still seems a natural and polite response to one guest who has been heckled by another. If Bush did not intend to maintain a veneer of civility, why invite Hu to the White House anyway? Just convene some tough-as-nails, all-business negotiating session.

And that was my primary intention - to insist that there is a time for leaving partisanship and politics aside and treat each other with courtesy.

[zook]

You're absolutely right. This was a press conference. Bush did the right thing. I'm amazed at the mentality that thinks to itself, "Now here's a good idea! Let's invite that Hu fella over here and them scream at him and tell himn what a tyrant he is! Yep! That'll work out jes' fine!"

[dljordan]

"I think it's a good thing when leaders are subject to verbal harrassment form the people."

The leaders don't like it though. That's why we saw the rise of "Free Speech Zones" during the Clinton administration and continued through this administrtion where they herd protestors into a cage or behind barricades blocks from where the "leader" will be. They really don't care what you think, they just don't want their carefully scripted PR events to be disrupted.

[silverleaf]

Oh come now. What hyperbole (worthy of paranoid ChiCom thinking itself) to suggest that this protest was planned by the adminstration, and was not an eruption planned by that journalist herself when she got herself acredited to the press pool to cover the ChiCom leader's visit.

I'm amazed at the mentality that thinks Bush plans everything (unless it comes from the repressive societies of the world where "Presidents" do indeed plan everything). Including all the carefully scripted insults to our political leaders that occur when they visit China (most unrecognized to westerners)

Now, this journalist is lucky a Clinton wasn't in charge yesterday or her tax returns for the past 5 years would already be undergoing audit by the IRS.

[MadeInAmerica]

Now, I agree with you!
____________________________

Which one of us should be scared? ROFL

[BenLurkin]

I believe you are correct (even though HU is the current front man for a very evil regime).

[AD from SpringBay]

They should have the heckler on the Today show, shower her with accolades and put her on a podium, just like they did with Cindy Sheehan.

[linda_22003]

THAT was classy, wasn't it? Doesn't the White House employ a protocol chief any more? It would come in handy. The "Chinese national anthem" that was played at the White House for Hu was the one from TAIWAN. :]

[silverleaf]

I would like an admittance that security is lax -- or else how could a heckler get into the area reserved for the Press Corps?

Read this carefully and slowly. SHE WAS a MEMBER OF THE PRESS CORPS. That's how she got into the area reserved for the press corps.

The only weapon she carried was the truth about what the Chi Coms (non PC term) do to the Falun Gong among other citizens who pose a threat to groupthink. In fact, the entire press corps had the same weapon at their disposal...knowledge of truth, while dictator Hu blabbed about his admiration for democracy. She was the only one who vocally wielded it. A journalist with an agenda. Yes, the worst security breach ever, if security depends on respectful silence while listening politely to the hypocritical political leader of one of the world's greatest violators of human rights.

[i_dont_chat]

The only problem is: you don't know when someone takes verbal harrassment a step further and commits violence.

I want our President protected from harm. This outspoken person was allowed to get too close to the podium, in my opinion.

Where is the outrage because of this huge security breach?

Are we being quiet because we agreed with her message? What about next time?

[zook]

"Oh come now. What hyperbole (worthy of paranoid ChiCom thinking itself) to suggest that this protest was planned by the adminstration, and was not an eruption planned by that journalist herself when she got herself acredited to the press pool to cover the ChiCom leader's visit."

I hope you didn't think that the above was what I meant! Far from it! Please go back and read my post again.