Politics | 04/20/2009 8:30 am
Newt Gingrich Says Chavez-Embracing Obama Like Carter: 'Weak' (Video)
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Newt Gingrich definitely doesn’t approve of Barack Obama’s warm relations with Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, whom the president met at the Summit of the Americas this weekend.
Appearing on Fox and Friends this morning, Gingrich, the Republican former House speaker, said that Obama’s actions are like those of Jimmy Carter and, therefore, weak. "Frankly, this does look a lot like Jimmy Carter. Carter tried weakness, and the world got tougher and tougher, because the predators, the aggressors, the anti-Americans, the dictators – when they sense weakness, they all start pushing ahead."
Obama caused a minor sensation when he greeted Chavez this weekend and shook his hand, which, says Gingrich, legitimizes the anti-American leader.
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Obama warmly greeting someone like Chavez is beyond belief. It went beyond PC, Obama needs to buy oil from him. It will be used by Chavez to legitimize his horrible and despicable government.
Obama had a chance to speak out AGAINST this idiot, not treat him like a legitimate and accepted leader. He is not.
Not good, not smart, not going to pay off. But Obama…narcissist that he is thought that it made HIM look good.
Weak. He made America and our policies against human rights violations look weak.
What hypocrisy. I’m sure it was fine when Dear Leader George Bush kissed the Saudi prince on the lips and held hands with him as they strolled through a garden, even though the Saudi "justice" system is a human rights nightmare.
Rape victims are routinely punished. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women are not permitted to drive. Nor are the allowed to testify in court, unless it is about a personal matter that did not occur in the presence of a man.
The punishment for drinking alcohol is amputation of a hand or a foot. The punishment for robbery is beheading.
Saudi citizens who are discovered to be gay can also be subject to execution — a punishment that I’m sure is fine with some Americans.There is no freedom of the press in Saudi Arabia, and the Internet is strictly censored. Public demonstrations are also forbidden.
Finally, 15 of the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi natives — as is Osama bin Laden.
In sum, the right wing position is that when Obama shakes hands with a leftist elected leader who dared to criticize the United States in general and George Bush’s policies specifically, Obama is behaving traitorously, but when George Bush smooches it up and skips through the garden holding hands with an unelected despot of the country that produced Osama bin Laden and the 9/11 bombers it is A-okay.
Well Rudi, there you go again….spinning facts. Or maybe you really don’t know.
It has nothing to do with Bush….but go ahead…trot that trick pony on out Rudi. That was the protocol at the time. BOWING is NEVER appropriate nor a protocol between heads of Nations.
Obama has carried all of the above far and away further than anything Bush did. But glad to see that you realize how dangerous these people are to freedoms that you and I have in this country. Your comments about Americans agreeing with the beheading of gays is dipicable and disgusting. Shame on you to attack your countrymen in such a manner based on your own personal agenda.
FYI, Chavez was not criticizing only Bush…you are WRONG again. Chavez recently called Obama a disparaging name. I will have to agree with him on that one….but Chavez should not be welcomed by our President with anything other than minimal courtesy.
And, as usual, you provide no sources or citations for your allegations.
I also understand that is the right wing’s view that America’s standing is so fragile — so weak — that it can be destroyed by a 10 second photo op at summit meeting. I fundamentally disagree with the right wing’s disparaging view of America’s position in the world. I know that we can meet with those who disagree with us and oppose us without compromising our fundamental values.
Wrong again Rudi. A 10 second photo op on a National stage will be used for propaganda for far longer than that. To think otherwise is well…simple minded.
America must not meet with those that defy standing sanctions. GOOD GAWD….THEY ARE IGNORING UN SANCTIONS. They can comply with the sanctions and EARN the position of meeting with our leader. Maybe Obama should offer them cookies and milk???
kelly, you suggest that obama shook chavez’s hand because the us needs to buy his oil…?
i’m guessing you are just as mad that president bush held hands and kissed the saudi royalty on the lips? i mean, that would at least make sense - we purchase a big big big amount of saudi oil every day.
that’s a bit more weak-looking… to slobber all over a saudi oil royal and then hold his hand warmly… but that’s just my opinion.
when obama kisses chavez and holds his hand, i’ll agree with you.
Lemon Tea…you will agree with me sooner or later…
Once again, Bush was following protocol of the time. Bush is not the subject here. So try to keep up. Obama was disrespected in front of the world by Chavez, he was punked, simply stated. Obama is inexperienced and it is showing up. However, Obama’s good friend Ayers gave Chavez an award last year…
Obama sat and endured 50 min of Ortega disrespecting America. The President of France is questioning Obama’s experience and commented that he is "not up to speed" on world issues. Obama is grinning and backslapping his way around world leaders. It is not working….they are treating him like the nerd on the playground.
Because Obama had no idea how to handle the book gift by Chavez, that Anti American book has now risen to 2nd on Amazon. Gee…just what Chavez needed…more American press and money….so that he can continue to torture and repress an entire population…good going Obama….that was really thinking on your feet.
Had Obama been respected at all, Chavez would not have dared approach him in that manner at that time.
the bush family owes much of their wealth to the saudi family - kissing and holding hands with just any male is NOT protocol in saudi arabia, kelly, not in the least and you are deluding yourself if you think it is. the reason he was slobbering all over the saudi royalty was because they have personal ties - profitable, personal ties. abdullah made a point to hold hands with bush during his visit to the president’s ranch in texas. "In our culture, holding hands is a sign of friendship and a sign of loyalty and you do it with people dear to you. And President Bush is a friend whose friendship I value and treasure," he said.
the words of a juvenile mindset. obama’s response to you:
it’s called progress, discipline, character, strength, decency, maturity, diplomacy. but i understand why a lot of americans don’t know what diplomacy looks like - it has been quite a long while since our leaders have exhibited any. apparently some right-wingers think to stay calm and positive is to be weak, and that to be strong one must get angry and blown out of proportion when one is provoked. but they, and you, are sadly mistaken.
it takes an immense amount of strength to maintain ones position of calmness and stay fixed in ones position to be a peacemaker and to show others and the world that the U.S. President does not get down in the gutter when others are throwing barbs at him.
we had to show the strength of character that jesus christ did when confronted with enemies and confrontation — that is to be silent and not engage in the confrontation but to stay responsible with the response given in the face of such challenges!
that is what president obama did — who continued to radiate the energy of goodwill and kept his cool in the face of childishness adversity and really showed leadership qualities and also emulated christ’s teachings… the teachings the gop frequently profess they live by.
Lemon Tree
I don’t know if the president’s actions will reap the results that he wants, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt to see what becomes of it. What choice do we have? He is our president now and we shall see what happens. He has met many issues square on to push and move the government forward. Any kind of shake up like that will only spur change. There is also another clip of Obama talking to Chavez and it almost looks like he is lecturing him, or laying down some rules, but there is no audio.
I think people are nervous about it because on his first time out internationally he looked weak, and as if he was still campaigning. He was out on the road for 2 years, and it seems a little hard to break the habit of "campaigning" for something. I also believe that the other reason some are wary is because we are all old enough to remember President Carter, who was an honest man, but naive on the international political playing field. My Iranian friends, and many in the Mid East blame Carter for the Iranian Revolution and many of the current problems in the middle east because of all the deals he made to try to be the president that could heal the Middle East. He had a lot of spiritual pride which blew up in his face as the Iranians took the hostages. Yet on the other hand, we are not only player there and if the Mid East would have wanted peace, they would have had it.
Right now, the actions the Bush Admin took in the Mid East have pushed and pulled it to the point of giving in on certain issues. We are now there semi-circling Iran. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but for geo political reasons, that is where we are. Mr. Obama now has the opportunity, if used well, to yield or push for better results in the Mid East.
You wrote: "we had to show the strength of character that Jesus Christ did when confronted with enemies and confrontation - that is to be silent and not engage in the confrontation but to stay responsible with the response given in the face of such challenges!" When Jesus turned over the tables of the money changers, he was not silent - he was active and determined. He also said "Render unto Ceasar what is Ceasars". To me that speaks to our responsibilities in our daily civic lives. Unfortunately, even Jesus, for all of his spiritual wisdom, depth, and miracles, was crucified.
When you talk about "progress, discipline, character, strength, decency, maturity, diplomacy" I say hear hear - more of that, but just like it takes two of like wills to tango in arguments, it takes two or more to have those characteristics for integrity of result on an international scale.
Everyone keeps saying how much our image has been destroyed - people in Europe liked Clinton, but they still thought the United States was too big for it’s britches - they always have for that matter. I think they wanted us to respond differently to 9/11 than we did. They wanted us to be them, but still bad enough to protect them as we have since WWII.
as for the comparison between carter and obama, i think that is a little too soon to be said. as for his international policy, he does have biden in his cabinet and a wide selection of advisors to help him. he is not alone, he has the whole of america and their learned professionals at his disposal.
and our image has been destroyed due to the way we have conducted international affairs under the bush administration. being outside of america, i am sometimes a little embaressed to say where i am from because of the stereotypes and prejudices we have created all on our own. people in other countries think we are uneducated, obese, red-neck hillbillies who all wear cowboy hats and drive hummers, with no real concern of how we treat others and other countries… and it saddens me to say that for part of the country, their stereotypes are correct. one just has to look at this website and the comments - certain people couldn’t give a fig about torturing innocent people, or bombing their country, or invading their government, or defying internation u.n. law. some even say it’s a good thing we defy international law and we should be able to do whatever we want.
as for my quote about jesus, i did not say we should stay silent period, we should stay silent and not engage in confrontation; but to stay responsible with the response given in the face of such challenges. don’t engage with confrontation, but give a responsible and strong response.
the world recoils from america because they now equate it with bush - a bully, someone who trashed our constitution and bill of rights, who bankrupted this country, a military power that throws its weight around to accomplish any goal. obama hopefully can repair that with the correct behavior as he has been exhibiting.