Posted on 09/23/2004 6:39:35 PM PDT by Jalapeno
ST. JOSEPH, United States (AFP) - US Vice President Richard Cheney said he was apalled by what he described as the "lack of respect" shown by Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) to the interim leader of Iraq (news - web sites) Iyad Allawi.
Allawi met President George W. Bush (news - web sites) at the White House earlier Thursday and addressed a rare joint session of the US Congress where he told lawmakers: "We are succeeding in Iraq."
Speaking in Columbus, Ohio, shortly after Allawi's speech, Kerry said the interim Iraqi premier was painting an unrealistically upbeat picture of the situation in his homeland.
Kerry's comments drew a sharp rebuke from the vice president just 40 days before Americans go to the polls on November 2 to cast their presidential ballots.
"I must say I was appalled at the complete lack of respect Senator Kerry showed for this man of courage when he rushed to hold a press conference and attack the prime minister, a man America must stand beside to defeat the terrorists," Cheney told an audience in St. Joseph, Missouri.
"John Kerry is trying to tear down all the good that has been accomplished, and his words are destructive to our effort in Iraq and in the global war on terror.
"As Prime Minister Allawi said in his speech, and I quote, 'When political leaders sound the siren of defeatism in the face of terrorism, it only encourages more violence,'" Cheney added.
Let's see now. So far he's insulted our 30 partners in the MNF and now he's insulted the Prime Minister of Iraq. And this guy is supposed to bring people to the table and be "diplomatic" LOL!
Ah, but he didnt say which allies.
"And this is a man who is supposed to win allies with better diplomacy?"
Gingrich commented that Kerry is only aiming for agreement with anti-American foreign leaders (France, Germany, Belgium).
He reserves the role of being hostile and disrespectful of pro-American countries, and their leaders. Britain, Italy, Poland, Australia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and so forth.
Figuring this all out requires "nuances" not available to most of us; the great "unwashed."
These folks have used $$$ diplomacy for so long they've forgotten plain old simple diplomacy that keeps real friends.
I agree. What was worse was the way the media treated our President and Alawi? They were childish and disrespectful. Welcome to FR.
I don't know what he said... for some reason the MSM refuses to quote him, instead they "characterize" his remarks.
Big time. Theres not a statesman this century that I have more respect for.
GO RALPH GO!!!
Why the F wasn't Kerry in the House today? This Kerry POS makes my blood boil. /rant
Because he's pompous, arrogant, and gets paid for doing NOTHING. He just thinks he's tooo good to actually work.
? = .
He would finally get the French to agree to come in...
...and convince the Iraqis to throw us out!
I was thinking along these same lines. It seemed to me that Kerry, a puppet of Ho Chih Minh, thinks that Alawi is a puppet of President Bush.
bttt
I think they should interview Kerry and Heiney about every 30 minutes. They will seal their own fate.
Actually as my tagline notes, the entire Democratic party suffers from projection . . .
Amazing how the no-show senator from Taxachusetts knows more about what's going on in Iraq than their own PM.
What an arse!
Like the diplomatic way he treats our colation of the "bribed and coerced". If I was Britian, Australia, Poland, Italy, or even the surrender monkeys of Spain, I'd be angry.
He understands and fills the VP slot perfectly.
He's not worried about protecting his favorability ratings, and he's not worried about a race for a future office. He just hammers the RATs again and again.
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