Obama On World Stage
This week Barack Obama heads off on his first European trip as president. His itinerary takes him to London for a meeting of the G20 – the world’s 20 largest economies , to Czechoslovakia on the occasion of NATO’s sixtieth anniversary and then to Turkey where Obama will hold a global, video-based town hall meeting. There is speculation that it will be in Istanbul where the President will deliver his long-awaited address to the Muslim world.
“After 69 days in which international issues have taken a back seat to attempts to rescue the economy at home, President Obama takes the world stage this week as a wildly popular figure among the people of Europe, but one who faces a difficult task in selling his plans to the continent’s leaders.
The president plans to push for a new approach to the war in Afghanistan, aggressive action to stop the proliferation of weapons and a more united European effort to combat the global recession.
But if the U.S. president thought his popularity would cause foreign governments to fall quickly into line behind a new American leadership, experts warn, he could be in for a rude awakening.
The German government has resisted calls to deploy more combat troops to Afghanistan. Russia is pushing back against a NATO missile defense system in Poland. And the Czech prime minister last week described the U.S. plans for global economic recovery as the “road to hell.”
The London meeting will deal with the need for a global stimulus package as well as laying the groundwork for reforming the policies and structures which in part caused the economic crisis.
The Prague meeting will focus on the proliferation of dangerous weapons as well as putting forth a strategy for fighting the terrorist threat as well that of rogue nations.
A major component of Obama’s European trip will be to restore America’s standing in the world.
Washington Post:
“Obama’s election was heralded by many European leaders as a clean break from the administration of President George W. Bush, who angered many in foreign capitals with what they viewed as slight regard for their input. They saw Obama’s Republican predecessor as reckless and too willing to act without first achieving consensus.
We think [the trip] is obviously going to be a fundamental part of the president’s agenda of restoring America’s standing in the world, and particularly in Europe,” said Denis McDonough, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications.
Longtime observers of cross-Atlantic presidential trips say Obama retains much of the star power he exhibited during his campaign swing through Europe last summer, when he delivered a speech to more than 200,000 people in a German square.
“It’s still a case that European leaders want to be seen next to Obama, preferably with Obama, his arms around their shoulders and a big smile, because he’s so popular in Europe,” said Reginald Dale, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.”
More to come…
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It’s going to take some serious work to undo the damage done by Bush’s eight years of arrogance and neglect
Many European Leaders are concerned about the prolific, irresponsible spending proposed by President Obama and the Democrats. Should President Obama ignore these countries the way most feel President Bush ignored them?
It’s time for this administration to stop leaning on the faults of the previous administration and begin to stand on the merits of it’s own.
“prolific, irresponsible spending”
Is that a consensus opinion or simply your and the right’s biased slant on the matter?
And where is the Obama administration leaning on the faults of the Bush administration? That is quite the ridiculous statement. If Obama has done anything it’s to move forward with new and sweeping proposals. Reminding people along the way as to how we got here is not “leaning”. It’s simply correcting the misleading statements from the right.
You just have to open your eyes and read the words of other World Leaders.
http://www.puma08.com/2009/03/25/world-leaders-view-obama-as-hopelessly-incompetent/
“China, meanwhile, is expressing serious reservations about owning U.S. debt.”
“Australia’s leadership, whose longtime enthusiastic support for America had buttressed the Bush administration, is reluctant to send more troops to Afghanistan.”
“We consider that in Europe we have already invested a lot for the recovery, and that the problem is not about spending more, but putting in place a system of regulation so that the economic and financial catastrophe that the world is seeing does not reproduce itself,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy told a news conference in Berlin last week with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, rebuffing U.S. calls to spend more.”
“A top European Union politician on Wednesday slammed Obama’s plans for the U.S. to spend its way out of recession as “a way to hell.”
“Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, who lost a confidence vote in his own parliament this week and whose country currently holds the EU presidency, told the European Parliament that Obama’s massive stimulus package and banking bailout “will undermine the stability of the global financial market.”
“Most European leaders favor tighter financial regulation, while the U.S. has been pushing for larger economic stimulus plans.”
I’m not saying they are right and it’s certainly not my “consensus opinion” necessarily. But I’m not deaf and blind.
Don’t you think it’s time the Obama Administration stands on the merits of it’s own actions? I’ve always been told when you spend so much time criticizing others, it’s because you are trying to cover up your own faults.
If you ever want to be taken seriously, try not using radical wingnut meaningless websites to bolster your claims. PUMA – are you serious?
Huffington Post; Media Matters. Are YOU serious??
I was not concerned with the messenger. I was simply concerned with finding the quotes.
(Sorry. Hit return by accident)
Much of the same information can be found on BBC and AOL Websites, among many others.
So what’s your point, obamaman? That not all world leaders agree with Obama on how to deal with the global financial crisis? What does that have to do with your statement about the president not standing on his own merit? In your rush to find reasons to criticize Obama, you’re not making much sense.
I always find it amusing when righties criticize MediaMatters. This site shows the actual video/audio feed as well as posting the transcripts from buffoons like O’Reilly and Beck. These guys are caught in their own lies time and time again.
And all that righties can do is parrot whatever they hear from their Fox heroes. Why don’t you guys try judging the site on its own merit instead of criticizing what you know nothing of.
obamaman, I am seriously concerned for our future.
You hear often in the media that the party is over, and seriously it is. The deregulatory Bush years and selfish greed of so many on Wall Street has done so much damage, I fear we’re not spending enough (frankly, no amount may be enough).
I deeply fear the USA is now changed forever and may lose the title of world’s greatest power. I think everything you’ve quote above has little to do with Obama’s policy and more to do with the dire state America is in. Housing in Detroit that was worth hundreds of thousands in 2004 are now selling for hundreds…
I never thought I would live to see this…
You rock with the illustrations Mario. :-) This one is a PS masterpiece…
Yes. That’s my point exactly. Thank you for recognizing it.
I didn’t say the “President” should stand on his own merits. I said the Administration should stand on it’s own merits and quit parroting failed previous policies b.s. And I still say it’s time for this Administration to stand on it’s own actions and accomplishments or lack thereof and quit always falling back on the “failed policies” of the previous administration. I would have thought you would have understood that thought and statement, whether you agree with it of not!
As for Media matters, don’t take my word for it. Here is their mission statement:
“Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.”
By this, I would assume there is no such thing as “liberal” misinformation??
I judge from your statement above you feel only you, or like minded liberals are capable of independent thought? What about liberals that don’t share your radical viewpoints? Or how about liberals that just don’t agree with the direction our country is being taken? What are WE “parroting”?
You have to be intelligent enough to separate the man from his policies. I was not aware that being fiscally responsible was a heinous trait, only attributable to “righties” or Conservatives. Thank you for making me aware of that fact.
I think YOU Sir, have a man crush on Mr. Obama and it clouds your judgment and opinion. Why don’t YOU Sir, try judging the accomplishments and policies of President Obama rather than just continue to fawn over him like some love sick teenager?
Whether I like President Obama or not. Whether I am Conservative or Liberal, Democrat or Republican, I don’t like the intrusion of Government into the private sector on the scale it is being done by this administration. I don’t think the way to fight being broke, is to go out and spend tons more money.
If the only way you can rebut that thought is to call me more names and ridicule me, well, I guess that speaks volumes to your credibility and knowledge.
I don’t understand why you feel it necessary to attack me in a more or less personal manner. I am simply trying to add to the thought process. If you don’t want critical or opposing thought, say so.
BTW….that really is a nice image.
Thanks, trudeau.
Are you ok, obamaman? Where have I called you “names”? I just noted that you’re not making much sense in your attack on Obama, that’s all.
As for MediaMatters, you avoided my point completely. The site offers the actual video or audio and the transcripts…so trying to refute the content is pointless. And yes, there is misinformation on all sides but the right has turned it into an art form. Fixed News, Washington Times and a host of conservative web sites just plain lie. Only you guys have the masters of deceit. Seriously, if I had a Limbaugh, Savage and Hannity on my political team, I’d switch for that reason alone.
You should do some research on how MediaMatters came to be. It was started by a former conservative hack who admits he was paid to write lies. It’s a good story. Look it up and you might stop criticizing an organization you know nothing about.
I’m glad you like the illustration. Ty.
I know exactly how Media Matters came to be. I have researched it in the past. YOU Sir, shouldn’t make assumptions about someone you know absolutely nothing about. I didn’t avoid any point. The point you missed is one biased source is no better than the other biased source. So, Media Matters finds ONLY misinformation from Conservative sources. That Sir, I find preposterous and THAT was my point.
Let me ask you, isn’t it good to be informed? Regardless of where that information comes from? Does one benefit any more or any less by listening to a source that beams and glows over every action someone takes, finding, or at least voicing little or no dissenting opinion?
I’m not sure about you or the company you keep, but most people I know can separate the information from the commentary and form their own thoughts.
In my opinion, there are two throw away factions in the Political Process, the Radical Liberals and the Radical Conservatives. I try my best to be neither one.
My suggestion to you or anyone else is to follow the comments on this subject. I simply made the observation that not all European Leaders were in agreement with the direction the US under President Obama is headed. And voiced the opinion that this Administration should move beyond the tired mantra of blaming every ill we have on the previous administration. Even President Obama has said the crisis is now HIS problem.
That got me ridiculed by someone. When I supported my comment with quotes, I was lambasted for the source. When I made the point that I wasn’t really concerned with the source as much as the comments, and that one biased source was no better than another biased source, I drew YOUR ire.
Why? I just simply disagree with the direction President Obama is taking our nation on some of these economic issues. And I supported my position as best I could. So for that, I deserve the “wingnut”, “parrot”, “biased”, “rightie” crap??
My belief is that you know nothing of MediaMatters aside from what you’ve heard from conservative media. If you did take the time to explore the site, you’d find that they don’t deal in opinion or idle commentary. They provide the actual words spoken by conservative liars and then point out why their words are lies or misinformation by pointing to actual links and facts which make the case.
There’s no room for interpretation and it’s all there for you to see yourself. All it would take is for you to suspend your belief in the infallibility of the O’Reillys and Savages and Hannitys and check it out for yourself.
You’re right. You nailed me on that one. I mean….probably only Radical Liberals are intelligent enough to use Google. I mean, not even a plain old, regular everyday liberal can aspire to such greatness.
I guess when you really have no argument, you have to fall back on your position that if one doesn’t agree with you, think like you, they aren’t capable of independent thought and simply repeat whatever they hear.
Man!!! It must be lonely at the top! I can only hope that you can be tolerant of us simpler people that don’t know how to use Google. And that can’t formulate our own thoughts and have to be told by others what we should think and say and why.
I guess you missed my point because you think on such a higher plane. Silly me! I just assumed you would understand my bourgeois musings. I’ll try again, understanding you may not be able to communicate with me on my understandably lower level. Media Matters Mission statement states:
“……dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.”
Which in my simpler way of thinking begs the question, are ONLY Conservatives guilty of misinforming? There is no such thing as misinformation coming from any other source??
Please forgive me for actually trying to inform myself when I should understand the limitations imposed on me by my intellectual superiors!
What does it matter what MediaMatters mission statement states? How does it alter what I’ve said repeatedly here – that MediaMatters uses the actual words of the offender to make their case?
You use straw men and ineffective sarcasm to avoid the issue. Typical.
“Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.”
http://mediamatters.org/about_us/
I’m simply asking you, or actually, stating, that if they ONLY look for misinformation from CONSERVATIVE sources, are they stating or implying that misinformation from any other source does not exist or does not deserve their scrutiny and exposure?
BTW I looked up the word “sarcasm” in the dictionary and found this:
“All it would take is for you to suspend your belief in the infallibility of the O’Reillys and Savages and Hannitys and check it out for yourself.”
And I’m not sure how you call it a “straw man” (weak or imaginary opposition) when I have supplied you with their own words from their own site.
Isn’t that really about enough on this? Media Matters by it’s own statement is a biased source of information. Until they start exposing the lies and hypocrisies of Barney Frank, Nancy Pelosi, Jack Murtha, Chris Dodd and others, they REMAIN a biased source and true to their Mission Statement.
BTW “2″….I personally thought my sarcasm was at LEAST as effective as your own! :-)