Posted on 01/04/2009 1:16:46 PM PST by AfterManyASummer
Barack Obama's chances of making a fresh start in US relations with the Muslim world, and the Middle East in particular, appear to diminish with each new wave of Israeli attacks on Palestinian targets in Gaza. That seems hardly fair, given the president-elect does not take office until January 20. But foreign wars don't wait for Washington inaugurations.
Obama has remained wholly silent during the Gaza crisis. His aides say he is following established protocol that the US has only one president at a time. Hillary Clinton, his designated secretary of state, and Joe Biden, the vice-president-elect and foreign policy expert, have also been uncharacteristically taciturn on the subject.
(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk ...
“His aides say he is following established protocol that the US has only one president at a time.”
Didn’t stop him from trying to cut deals in the Mideast during the campaign. Guess he had to open up his excuse book to page 24.
He will speak when he is good and ready, and when George Soroa et-al have his magic talking points ready.
Eh, eh. Bet he didn't think it would be Israel doing the testing.
yitbos
Obidet couldn’t even throw the Mid-East a couple of “hope” or “change” bones? Sad.
He’s shi!!ing in his pants over this.
When you encourage people to project their own hopes and dreams on you, eventually you’re going to face a lot of disappointed people.
Much better to stand on firm convictions and tell folks, this is who I am - take it or leave it.
Doesn’t voting present count?
Good point. They’ve been there, done that.
Joe Biden, October 19, 2008
“Mark my words,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”
“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you - not financially to help him - we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”
We cannot forget about this statement from the VP select. This was immediately after a national security briefing. I thought then that what they would want us to support is siding with the Muslims against Israel. Lord help us if this administration takes that position.
You guys have it all wrong. Pelosi and Hillary are calling the shots.
Obama is already on record of supporting Israel’s right to defend herself. There is a you tube somewhere, and the quote is from summer 2008.
Obama has to support Israel in this one. He has NO choice, Pelosi already came out and supported Israel. Oba,a will just do as he is told.
Bottom line, Big O will enrage 70% of his supporters on the day he does speak up. the Palestinians and arabs who gave money and ran the phone banks will see this as a betrayal—after all O is one of them right?
Even if Obama intends to throw Israel under the bus, he must speak in support of them first. The arab world will push rage boy to the front and riot.
On day one, his stance on Israel will doom him to a single term as president. Obama IS Carter.
Yo! Dude. Whadaya all bitchin abou? We hah us are firs blak PREseeden. Whaf mo y’all wan?
I watched that speech. It was widely publicized and unless all the Palestinian and Arabs who gave him money and ran his phone banks don't have access to the internet or TV, they saw or heard about it as well.
Did they think he was lying? And if so, why would a person support someone you thought was lying about such an important issue?
“That seems hardly fair,...”
Gack. Now the press worries about life being ‘fair’ for the US President. They spent the last 8 years making it as unfair as possible.
What morons. The only “reputation” The One has is voting present.
Nobody respects the timid.
The same unfortunately also held true for Bush. I was just hoping for the time when Bush would have the guts to go on national TV and stand up for himself. It didn’t happen.
But hey, we got a motivational speaker as president now! He’s SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dreamy!
Yes, I am aware of that; please let the rest of America know!
Just wait, Obama will come out with his Rodney King foreign policy just like in Georgia and say something to the effect of: “Why can’t we all just get along?”. That may work one or more times but his goose his cooked when he finds himself irrelevant within 6 months of taking office.
With Rezko, Blago and now being actually responsible to do something instead of saying harmonizing empty tidbits, it is looking more and more like this presidency is becoming irrelevant before it’s begun. A true leader with conviction bends historical events into grand themes. An empty suit bends to historical events and then window dresses it to look like he had a clue as to what he was doing.
Barack Obama will run his presidency like Pee Wee Herman rides a bike. Every time he crashes the bike, we’ll hear him say: “I meant to do that!” as though it were all part of some grand plan when it was only just empty stagecraft.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.