One at a time, President Barack Obama is alienating America’s European allies. First there was the embarrassingly crude snub of Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Great Britain, who was denied the courtesy of a joint press conference with the president on his recent Washington trip and was sent packing with a disastrously cheap official gift: a DVD collection that Brown cannot even view in London. By comparison, Obama was treated like royalty in Britain at the G-20. However, the gift he presented Queen Elizabeth, an iPod loaded with Broadway show tunes, left some scratching their heads.
But if the president’s behavior toward America’s best friend is a scandal, then his treatment of the president of America’s oldest ally is an international incident. Obama has publicly snubbed French President Nicholas Sarkozy three times since being elected, and now it is coming back to bite him.
Then president-elect Obama refused to meet with Sarkozy in Washington after his election. As president, Obama wrote to former French President Jacques Chirac and pledged that the United States would work with Chirac’s organization to “build a safer world,” words usually reserved for the current head of state. The insults culminated last week at the G-20, when Obama refused an invitation from Sarkozy to tour the American Cemetery and dine in Normandy on his way from London to Strasbourg for the NATO summit. The reason given for the refusal was that the Obama Administration did not want to upset the Germans. The Normandy visit in particular should have been a no-brainer for a president who pledged to rebuild America’s relationships with Europe.
Sarkozy is not taking all of this lying down. He had a frank assessment of Obama in the wake of his European tour, which was no doubt motivated by the less than friendly way in which Obama has kicked off his relationship with the French.
Mr Sarkozy is pouring cold water on President Obama’s efforts to recast American leadership on the world stage, depicting them as unoriginal, unsubstantial and overrated. Behind leaks and briefings from the Elysée Palace lies Mr Sarkozy’s irritation at the rock-star welcome that Europe gave Mr Obama on his Europan tour earlier this month.
The American President’s call “to free the world of the menace of a nuclear nightmare” was hot air, Mr Sarkozy’s diplomatic staff told him in a report. “It was rhetoric – not a speech on American security policy but an export model aimed at improving the image of the United States,” they said. Most of Mr Obama’s proposals had already been made by the Bush administration and Washington was dragging its feet on disarmament and treaties against nuclear proliferation, the leaked report said.
Personal pique and French politics are also behind the souring of Mr Sarkozy’s self-promoted honeymoon with the United States. On the personal side, the French President is needled by the adulation for an unproven US leader whose stardom has eclipsed what he sees as his established record as a world troubleshooter. “The President is annoyed by what he sees as the naivety and the herd mentality of the media,” said a journalist who is privy to Elysée thinking.
What started as a careless disregard for Sarkozy is quickly turning into an ugly personal feud. The truly sad part of this whole affair is that Sarkozy at his core is an America-phile. He is the one leader among the United States’ traditional Western allies who truly wants to be pro-American. But one too many tastes of the back of Obama’s hand is turning him against the Administration, and reminding France of the dim view it takes of America’s leading role in the world.
Obama is a dolt
Doc Holliday Thursday, April 16th at 9:19PM EDT (link)he wanted a capitalism hating Frenchman and had the bad luck of catching the rare pro-American in the Elysee. I can just imagine how Obama and Berlusconi will NOT get on lol. When the Tories take back the UK, I hope Cameron does not catch Obama Worship Disease.
All the libs want to be loved in Europe, I have a strong feeling Obama is looking at other continents. I am not thinking Africa, I am thinking left leaning Latin America.
Molon Labe!
Not a dolt, Doc. Unwise, but the synapses fire quickly.
Achance Thursday, April 16th at 11:14PM EDT (link)He’s the pig his handlers dressed up for this gig so they could sell him to the dolts that comprise the res publica. If he effs it up, there are string pullers and spin masters to fix it. They have an agenda and they’re working it play by play.
In Vino Veritas
It's Not Working, Then
IJB Thursday, April 16th at 11:28PM EDT (link)Look, I get there’s an agenda here, and part of it is to purposely make America weak internally and externally.
But this kind of stuff with France doesn’t even play well into those plans.
This kind of stuff is sloppy. It doesn’t serve their ultimate agenda. They should be try to co-opt Europe (which, even in the form of Sarkozy & Berlusconi, is significantly to the Left of the American norm) to supporting their socialist/Maoist transformation of America.
Instead, they are sloppily alienating all of the external “allies” who could help them achieve that.
The only thing I can possibly take away from this is that the Obama Admin. isn’t just stocked with Commies - it’s stocked with the grossest incompetents we’ve ever seen in a Presidential Administration. Even worse than Carter, and that’s saying something!
I think Obama hates Western Civlilization AKA Europe
Doc Holliday Friday, April 17th at 4:17AM EDT (link)and the USA, why would he like the people we got our inspiration from?
Molon Labe!
Doc, I think you have hit it on the head
JustLeaveMeAlone Friday, April 17th at 12:53PM EDT (link)I had a light-bulb moment the other day. To me, and probably to most of us on this site, America is an ideal, an idea, not geography. Put me anywhere in the world, and I’m an American with American values. Send a few of us to live on a desert island, and we’ll create a little America there, because America lies in our hearts.
But to Obama and his ilk, America is geography. It’s land and resources and people to be “exploited” for their maximum value. Transplant them to Australia or Asia, and they’d try to do the same thing. Thus, Obama and his cronies have no problem trashing the Constitution or trying to remake this piece of geography as a socialist utopia of their own leadership, of course.
And with Obama’s upbringing and background, he has no real feeling for the ideals of America. I seriously doubt he believes in American exceptionalism. And he obviously has resentments and grudges against “Western Civilization” and its bulwarks, such as Capitalism and Christianity. He wants to “broaden our horizons”.
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson
55555 nt
mom2oneson Friday, April 17th at 1:12PM EDT (link)You got it. Obama isn't American as much as he is a victim.
Common_Cents Friday, April 17th at 1:34PM EDT (link)He’s been brainwashed his entire life.
He has a victim’s mentality. But with teleprompter polish to conceal.
Paybacks will be hell.
“Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake.” Napoleon - Well, unless he is ruining your country! Common Cents
A cult of personality arises when a country’s leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.[1] Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships.
Absolutely correct
student Friday, April 17th at 8:59PM EDT (link)Very perceptive comment. America is rooted in the values of “classical liberalism” - free enterprise, small and frugal government, individualism with individual self determination and responsibility, the concept that an individual can make as big a success as their heart and ability allows, maximization of liberty. America is the only country created based on a philosophy, a country that was created by successful capitalists and built by a people who understood the uniqueness of their Republic. Obama is rooted in the collectivist and statist values of the left - state control of all means of productions and enterprises, the masses and “group rights” over the individual, the concept of victim-hood as exalted over the concept of success, the nanny state circumscribing your liberty to a nubbin “all for your own good”, and most importantly the concept that a political elite should be able to lord their power over us lowly entrepreneurs, businessmen and workers.
very well stated, I agree completely Dontread
Doc Holliday Friday, April 17th at 11:00PM EDT (link)you could make a nice diary with this, America the place vs. America the idea and how Obama doesn’t even understand the latter while he wants to exploit the former.
Molon Labe!
55555 nt
mom2oneson Friday, April 17th at 1:12PM EDT (link)I'd trade Obama and a cabinet member to be named later for Sarkozy
6eorge Jetson Thursday, April 16th at 9:28PM EDT (link)Never thought I’d see the day when I’d think that.
did we not hear all during the election
Wing Zero Thursday, April 16th at 9:52PM EDT (link)How much Obama would return our respect in the world?
Dear Lord, I almost puked when I heared that.
I don’t know weather to laugh or cry now.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
did we not hear all during the election
Wing Zero Thursday, April 16th at 9:52PM EDT (link)How much Obama would return our respect in the world?
Dear Lord, I almost puked when I heared that.
I don’t know weather to laugh or cry now.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
Beaucoup Plus Mal
Skanderbeg Thursday, April 16th at 10:02PM EDT (link)Actually, it’s MUCH worse than that.
When Obama (and those before him in the same train of thought) said “Europe” they really meant “France and Germany.”
And he’s already really ticked off BOTH of them.
Nice work….
I'm torn...
Wing Zero Thursday, April 16th at 10:45PM EDT (link)I really think he is trying to drive a wedge between us and Europe. The only other explination is that he has no class. But he’s a socialist.. so that’s par for the course.
I don’t want to get like the lefties where Obama is to dumb to lead the country and at the same time he’s an evil mastermind.
I really lean towards Doc Holliday’s take on this. I guess we’ll see what Obama says on his APOLOGY Tour II: South of the Border.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
Truly, there are gypsies in the palace...
olsmithie Thursday, April 16th at 11:02PM EDT (link)“he has no class”
Remember Goofus and Gallant from “Weekly Reader”, this isn’t Gallant!
Actually when you are arrogant enough to think you are smarter than God, and the rest of the world, your arrogance leads you to do dumb things such as hugging the Queen.
I doubt he’s figured out why the world is so disgusted with him, after all isn’t he smarter than they are?
And, yes your instincts are good, he has class, low class.
Regards
Weekly reader... the begining of our left wing education
Wing Zero Thursday, April 16th at 11:08PM EDT (link)The only thing I remember out of that magazine is that it had a silly little prediction that some time in the future, (I was in 6th grade or so at the time) Magic Johnson would me mayor of LA and limit Car driving to 3 days a week to stop polution.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
Weekly reader... the begining of our left wing education
Wing Zero Thursday, April 16th at 11:08PM EDT (link)The only thing I remember out of that magazine is that it had a silly little prediction that some time in the future, (I was in 6th grade or so at the time) Magic Johnson would me mayor of LA and limit Car driving to 3 days a week to stop polution.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
Clueless
Skanderbeg Thursday, April 16th at 11:02PM EDT (link)Methinks he’s just clueless and unbelievably full of himself. He’s so wonderful he doesn’t need to do his homework (too cool for school).
I'll by that, Skan.. but,
Wing Zero Thursday, April 16th at 11:27PM EDT (link)He’s come off as full of himself since the first day I saw him. But there’s just something that bothers me. Everything I’ve learned doing what I do tells me there is something more going on here.
Something akin to “spider sense” is tingling in me.
By the way Skan, I sent an email to the directors. If they have any questions.. you might be able to answer them.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
I'll by that, Skan.. but,
Wing Zero Thursday, April 16th at 11:27PM EDT (link)He’s come off as full of himself since the first day I saw him. But there’s just something that bothers me. Everything I’ve learned doing what I do tells me there is something more going on here.
Something akin to “spider sense” is tingling in me.
By the way Skan, I sent an email to the directors. If they have any questions.. you might be able to answer them.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
dude, learn how to not double post please nt
Doc Holliday Friday, April 17th at 4:19AM EDT (link)nt
Molon Labe!
Doc
Wing Zero Friday, April 17th at 6:08AM EDT (link)All I do is hit the POST button ONCE.
Then I get a blank screen. Then I retype redstate.com into the address bar for fear that I am double posting.
I’m also using IE as my browser.
I’m sorry, I don’t know what to do about that. I’d humbly take any suggestions on how to avoid a dupe post.
by the way, every time I read one of your posts, I hear Val Kilmer’s voice in my head.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
maybe somone else can help you here
Doc Holliday Friday, April 17th at 10:51PM EDT (link)I am using Firefox right now but have mostly used IE. The only times I have had a problem were when the site had issues, delays etc. If you are sure you are only hitting post once, I don’t know what to advise. Sometimes there is a delay and people hit post again thinking it did not go through the first time.
Molon Labe!
You are not the only one with problems...
DONTREADONME Friday, April 17th at 10:55PM EDT (link)with IE on RS. What I keep getting is comments everytime I post a comment like “duplicate…” “slow down take a breath” or something like that. What I do to when I see this is I hit the back button and it prevents the whole double comment. I thought the same thing, “Look, darlin’, it’s Johnny Ringo. Deadliest pistoleer since Wild Bill, they say. What do you think, darlin’, should I hate him?”
DTOM
“The UN is right? you can’t be any more “un”; Than you are right now, the UN is undone, Another mushroom cloud, another smoking gun, The threat is real, the Locust King has come, Don’t tell me the truth; I don’t like what they’ve done, Just give me ammo for the United Abominations”-Megadeth
lol Dontread
Doc Holliday Saturday, April 18th at 3:52PM EDT (link)“you don’t even know ‘em” “I don’t know, there is just something about ‘em, reminds me of … me, yep, I hate him”.
Molon Labe!
Wing Zero, you made my day!
Doc Holliday Saturday, April 18th at 3:47PM EDT (link)with that Val Kilmer comment
Molon Labe!
It's not surpsing that a community organizer. . .
Rich Tandler Thursday, April 16th at 10:16PM EDT (link)who served about 100 days in the Senate wouldn’t have a clue as to how to treat other heads of state. But is is surprising that one of the many Clintonistas around there hasn’t sidled up to him and set him straight.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed with the tears of defeated politicians of BOTH parties and at ALL levels over the next few election cycles.
The Three T’s of reform–Term Limits, Tax Reform, and the Tenth Amendment
You assume...
Fred Maidment Thursday, April 16th at 10:58PM EDT (link)…that the Clintonistas had a clue. Bill was an adept politician and made friends easily, but I sincerely doubt that many of the people who have held positions in both the Clinton and Obama Administrations have any idea the meaning of the term “class.”
Remember what happened to the White House on January 19, 2001?
How to Start a Business - Fred’s News
Follow Me on Twitter
“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”
- - Thomas Jefferson, to Archibald Stuart, 1791
The clintonistas have no love for this kook
olsmithie Thursday, April 16th at 11:05PM EDT (link)They would just love to see him become a hermit so Hillary could run next time.
I would never turn my back on a Clinton, not for a second.
Regards
We need an over and under pool on when she resigns
texas214 Thursday, April 16th at 11:17PM EDT (link)I’ll take 9/1/10, It will make him look weak ahead of the mid-terms, so she can claim him a loser ahead of ‘12.
But he's such a man of the world....
texas214 Thursday, April 16th at 11:05PM EDT (link)Weren’t we all told that he was more than president of the good ol’ USA, he was much more worldly than Bush,McCain, and the rest of us peons. Seems President ZerO is living up to this build up…..not.
Ignore 500k-600k+ swing voters who were revolting from his policies and referred to by European leaders as not having the cohones (slang for guts, for those of you who do not live in the south) to be President of the USA, all in a single week. It’s a combination of Barney Fife whipping your ass and making Jimmy Carter look like a great leader.
Obama is reckless...
larryp Thursday, April 16th at 11:13PM EDT (link)and some of these many back-handed comments might well blow back on the USA. It won’t affet Obie and family. the rest of us and our troops and embassies are sitting ducks.
Obama the weak
nod90 Friday, April 17th at 12:24AM EDT (link)This is why you don’t want to snub the French. They tend to react badly. However, some of this may be an honest assessment of Obama which may well be shared by other European leaders, and even the Russians and Chinese.
Unoriginal, unsubstantial and overrated is a pretty good description of The One’s policies at home. It is also a good summary of his performance as a Senator.
Meekly yielding? Pressure form the French and the Germans was required to “stiffen him up and change his mind”? Translation: Obama is a weak President who can be bullied.
Put all this together with the non-response to North Korea’ s missle, the weak response to piracy so far, and the cave-in to Wall Street banks and you have an emerging pattern. This is the weakest American President since Jimmy Carter.
Obama needs to raise his game, or sooner or later something will come along to make his shallowness obvious to all. It might be a hostage crisis or a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, but at some point this man’s incompetence will become impossible to hide.
Actually
antisocial Friday, April 17th at 1:55AM EDT (link)Chinese, Russians, Iranians, North Koreans and Cubans must be very happy. I am sure they can’t believe their good luck.
No you can’t - Moe Lane
——————————
The Emperor has no clothes!!!
——————————
Republicans who lost the Crap-and-Raid fight in the House -
Mary Bomo Mac (CA-45)
Mike Castle (DE)
Mark Kirk (IL-10)
Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-02)
Chris Smith (NJ-04)
Leonard Lance (NJ-07)
John M. McHugh (NY-23)
Dave Reichert (WA-08)
Bush snubbed Chirac and Sarkozy "the American" got elected - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine Friday, April 17th at 1:59AM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
Oh Dear Lord
Wing Zero Friday, April 17th at 12:42AM EDT (link)It took France… FRANCE and Germany, GERMANY to get our President to man up.
We are so screwed.
1-21-09 - We are so screwd
OPromptor is a tool...
JChesney Friday, April 17th at 1:06AM EDT (link)Family friends recently returned from a three-week cruise around Europe. They said that everywhere they went, the issue of Obama would come up in conversation. Every single one of them raved about Obama, but not because they adore him. They are thrilled that he is the US president because they KNOW he is weak and this is their chance to put America in its place.
I’ll take my “cowboy” President Bush back any day over this arrogant, empty suit weenie!
I have friends in eastern europe
spedteacher Friday, April 17th at 1:59AM EDT (link)with whom I write to quite frequently. They all say the same as you, that it is time America was put in its place.
what is America's "place"? - seriously - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine Friday, April 17th at 2:01AM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
I suppose they
spedteacher Friday, April 17th at 2:08AM EDT (link)like the fact that o apologizes for our “arrogance”, of being too big for our britches. For many years I have heard that from people in europe. For some reason they do not like the fact that we WERE powerful, helpful, and HAD the ability to withstand any crisis in our country and outside of our country.
This is very confusing to me, because they like to berate the USA but at the same time they look to us for so many things.
They couldn't even clean up their own Bosnian backyard - we had to - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine Friday, April 17th at 8:30AM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
Simple, they resent us because we are-- or were--everything that
janis Friday, April 17th at 2:29PM EDT (link)they are not. One huge country that has been the business engine of the world for decades, a large and excellent military force, a true heart for helping millions of others in catastrophic situations both manmade and natural, and an ability to decide our own destiny.
That is what America has been up until now. It remains to be seen what we will be capable of in years to come.
Arrogance??
fotophun Friday, April 17th at 1:58PM EDT (link)I think the problem here is that if we are taken down, who will be there to fight the fight..
Europe and the world forget how over and over we have come to their aid in time of war, and military problems..remember Kuwait etc
WHEN IS THE ONE GOING TO APOLOGIZE TO US AND THE WORLD FOR HIS ARROGANCE
AND TO GOD HIMSELF FOR ALLOWING MANY TO CALL HIM OR TREAT HIM LIKE A MESSIAH
this also reminds me of this quote
fotophun Friday, April 17th at 2:02PM EDT (link)In Germany, they came first for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist;
And then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist;
And then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew;
By the time they came for me, there was no one left to speak up.
– Poem based on speeches by Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892-1984)
Pres. Sarkozy, the great American critic
Hammer2008 Friday, April 17th at 1:59AM EDT (link)I jest. Recall his speech before Congress last year:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Too much noise! “Noise! You’ll have noise enough before long. The Regulars are coming out.” ~ Paul Revere (April 18th, 1775’s eve…)
5555555555555555 - he loves the real America more than Obama - nt
Mike gamecock DeVine Friday, April 17th at 2:00AM EDT (link)Mike DeVine’s Examiner.com, Charlotte Observer and The Minority Report columns
“One man with courage makes a majority.” - Andrew Jackson
Obama snubs the UK, then France, and now has the gall to seek
TNJim Friday, April 17th at 2:25AM EDT (link)international efforts to combat the Somali pirate situation? France could be the strongest ally in that particular fight yet Obama’s slaps at Sarkozy is derailing that train before it even gets on the tracks. Last I looked, France is handling the pirates pretty well by themselves:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8000447.stm
I think some apologies to Mr. Sarkozy might be in order here, Mr. Obama, else the French may end this problem before your “negotiations” with the pirates even start.
Join the RedState Strike Force
“No. You can’t” -Moe Lane
And let's not forget how Obama the Omnipotent told Turkey they should be allowed to join the EU
JustLeaveMeAlone Friday, April 17th at 1:00PM EDT (link)I’m sure Europe really appreciated that.
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.” Thomas Jefferson
Foreign leaders sense Obama's weakness, his submissiveness, insecurity/desire to be liked, and they will take advantage and get aggressive. nt
Common_Cents Friday, April 17th at 1:38PM EDT (link)“Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake.” Napoleon - Well, unless he is ruining your country! Common Cents
A cult of personality arises when a country’s leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image, often through unquestioning flattery and praise.[1] Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships.
Sarkozy's "Japanese trade official" moment
novimir Friday, April 17th at 6:34PM EDT (link)It seems President Sarkozy managed to insult a lot of leaders at that lunch. The latest at http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090417/wl_afp/francespainuspoliticsdiplomacysarkozy.
Perhaps President Sarkozy had too much to drink at that lunch. In any event it is not clear to me that we should hold his opinion in higher esteem than the Europeans quoted below:
The Spanish government has not officially responded, but the Spanish media reacted with incredulity to the alleged gaffe.
La Vanguardia daily’s headline read “Sarkozy humiliates Zapatero.”
“It does not seem like the best way to prepare a state visit,” it noted drily, referring to Sarkozy’s planned trip to France’s southern neighbour later this month.
Italy’s La Republicca wrote of “Sarkozy’s gaffe,” while The Times of London opined that “Sarkozy is annoyed by the adulation for an unproven US leader whose stardom has eclipsed his own record as a world troubleshooter.”
The same paper’s diplomatic editor wrote in a separate article that “the arrival of a new — taller, more handsome and popular — president on the scene (has turned) him into (a) kind of bitchy little princess.”