I am proud of my president and proud of his policies to extend a hand across political and ideological divides throughout the world. I don't believe he's anybody's sucker or anybody's fool, but he knows the old (republican) ways of mindlessly attacking enemies do not work, have not worked.
In Europe, at the G-20 Summit, Obama reached out to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, talked about an arms deal cutting nuclear warheads below levels agreed in 2002 on the sidelines of that conference, agreed to meet Medvedev in Russia, possibly in July.
In Europe, also at that G-20 Summit, Obama reached out to Chinese President Hu Jintao, talked about North Korea and "human rights issues". Hu invited Obama to come to China, with a trip tentatively planned for the second half of the year.
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This is from the Associated Press:
Obama's move this week to ease travel and some other restrictions for Cuban-Americans brought an unprecedented reply from Havana. Raul Castro, who took over from his ailing brother, Fidel, a year ago, offered to talk to the Obama administration about all outstanding grievances.
Speaking from a meeting Chavez hosted in Venezuela, Raul Castro declared: "We have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything."
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Here is Newt Gingrich, speaking to TODAYs Meredith Vieira about Obamas reaching out to leaders from Cuba and Venezuela at the Summit of the Americas:
Meredith: Do you think he should not be trying to mend relationships with other world leaders?
Newt: How do you mend relationships with somebody who hates your country, who actively calls for the destruction of your country, and who wants to undermine you?
Meredith: We've certainly mended relationships with countries that've hated us in the past. Russia comes to mind, China comes to mind...
Newt: But we didn't rush over, smile, and greet Russian dictators, we understood who they were. You can talk, I'm not against him talking to Chavez, but I think you have to talk to Chavez in a cold and distant way, because Chavez openly, constantly attacks the United States. Just as the Iranians are building a nuclear weapon every day and smiling at them doesn't slow the nuclear weapon down a bit.
Meridith: You have called the Obama administration the "most radical left-wing administration in american history with a fantasy foreign policy that has no connection to reality"...
msnbc.com Video Player
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In other words, republicans are offering up no new ideas, no innovative, bold solutions for breaking out of the current stalemates and impasses with the various "Evil Empires", rogue regimes. Of course Chavez verbally attacks the United States. Chavez is a proud, egotistical latin american president who reacts to all the mindless bating from republicans. You have to meet him halfway. Continue to attack him, he'll dish out more of the same.
Republicans are literally offering up the same warmed-over leftover "policies" they've held, in some cases, for decades. It's time for a fresh start, a revivifying approach.
In Europe, at the G-20 Summit, Obama reached out to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, talked about an arms deal cutting nuclear warheads below levels agreed in 2002 on the sidelines of that conference, agreed to meet Medvedev in Russia, possibly in July.
In Europe, also at that G-20 Summit, Obama reached out to Chinese President Hu Jintao, talked about North Korea and "human rights issues". Hu invited Obama to come to China, with a trip tentatively planned for the second half of the year.
----------
This is from the Associated Press:
Obama's move this week to ease travel and some other restrictions for Cuban-Americans brought an unprecedented reply from Havana. Raul Castro, who took over from his ailing brother, Fidel, a year ago, offered to talk to the Obama administration about all outstanding grievances.
Speaking from a meeting Chavez hosted in Venezuela, Raul Castro declared: "We have sent word to the U.S. government in private and in public that we are willing to discuss everything human rights, freedom of the press, political prisoners, everything."
----------
Here is Newt Gingrich, speaking to TODAYs Meredith Vieira about Obamas reaching out to leaders from Cuba and Venezuela at the Summit of the Americas:
Meredith: Do you think he should not be trying to mend relationships with other world leaders?
Newt: How do you mend relationships with somebody who hates your country, who actively calls for the destruction of your country, and who wants to undermine you?
Meredith: We've certainly mended relationships with countries that've hated us in the past. Russia comes to mind, China comes to mind...
Newt: But we didn't rush over, smile, and greet Russian dictators, we understood who they were. You can talk, I'm not against him talking to Chavez, but I think you have to talk to Chavez in a cold and distant way, because Chavez openly, constantly attacks the United States. Just as the Iranians are building a nuclear weapon every day and smiling at them doesn't slow the nuclear weapon down a bit.
Meridith: You have called the Obama administration the "most radical left-wing administration in american history with a fantasy foreign policy that has no connection to reality"...
msnbc.com Video Player
----------
In other words, republicans are offering up no new ideas, no innovative, bold solutions for breaking out of the current stalemates and impasses with the various "Evil Empires", rogue regimes. Of course Chavez verbally attacks the United States. Chavez is a proud, egotistical latin american president who reacts to all the mindless bating from republicans. You have to meet him halfway. Continue to attack him, he'll dish out more of the same.
Republicans are literally offering up the same warmed-over leftover "policies" they've held, in some cases, for decades. It's time for a fresh start, a revivifying approach.