why isn't Obama meeting with leaders at UN? Andrea saying it was

[Laura PourMeADrink]

a political calculation - didn't want anything bad to come out of it.

but, was on View.

this seems to just give the pukes a big talking point.

is there a good side to this?

[bigtree]

1. well, it gave you a talking point

. . . other than that, it's just bullshit. Show me sometime where it's made any difference at all in this election.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

6. Gave me a talking point? WTF, BT?

[bigtree]

9. I didn't mean all that, Laura

. . . but this is a tempest in a teapot.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

17. Ok BT ! I just don't want to give the other side any ammo. And then to

hear Andrea and then Clinton and MSNBC wondering why, scared me.

We are so close....don't want to blow it now.

[bigtree]

19. I hear ya!

PBO speaking NOW, at UN . . .

watch here:

C-Span - http://www.c-span.org/Events/World-Leaders-Pres-Obama-Speak-at-UN-General-Assembly/10737434383-3/

CNN - http://edition.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=4

CBS 1 - http://www.ustream.tv/cbsnews


http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021411303#post1



CBS 2 - http://www.cbsnews.com/liveFeed/widget.shtml

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. geez...even Clinton kind of called him out on this

[bigtree]

7. no, he did not 'call him out' on this

WaPo blog post by Rachel Weiner on September 25, 2012 at 9:06 am


Bill Clinton defends Obama’s foreign policy

ON MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Tuesday, former president Bill Clinton argued that President Obama has invested plenty of time in working with world leaders, even though he’s not holding any bilateral meetings when he addresses the UN General Assembly today.

“I have not talked to Hillary about this because I never want to know anything that i shouldn’t be talking about on television,” Clinton said. But he said his understanding was that “they’ve been up to their ears in conversations” with leaders in the Middle East.


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/wp/2012/09/25/bill-clinton-defends-obamas-foreign-policy/

[Laura PourMeADrink]

22. Here is the clip they just played of Clinton

When asked about Obama meetings with foreign leaders. He paused, and then said:

"It looked to me like, that the President was reluctant to have one meeting with a UN schedule where you normally would have 15, because of the nearness of the campaign"

In retrospect, you are right, this may not be "calling him out"....but it surely isn't a glowing support/got your back statement either.

[bigtree]

24. he's basically defended the President on this today (no accounting for the 'pause')

from Nat. Journal: http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/bill-clinton-obama-made-no-mistake-not-meeting-with-netanyahu-20120925

Bill Clinton: Obama Made No Mistake Not Meeting with Netanyahu

Former President Bill Clinton said it was not a mistake for President Obama to forego meeting privately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week, as world leaders gather at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly.

Citing a recent conversation that Obama and Netanyahu had over the telephone, which reportedly lasted for an hour, Clinton said he wasn't sure if there was anything more the two men needed to discuss in person. Because of the campaign, Clinton said, it might have been difficult to meet with as many leaders as Obama may have hosted ordinarily.

It is “not necessarily a mistake if you're going to have a no-meeting policy,” Clinton said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

Clinton said he assumed U.S. and Israeli security operations “are fully conversant with whatever the facts are on Iran and whatever they intend to do for the next several weeks.”

[Laura PourMeADrink]

29. Ok...so MSNBC took a line out of context, assholes. The point I see though...is that his

decision here is nuanced. Half the people don't get nuance. And it does definitely create a talking point for the pukes. They will boil it all down to "he won't talk to anyone" and part of America will lap it up.

I can hear FakeBake now in the debates: "The President in 2008 campaigned about talking to everyone, even our enemies, and now, with the mideast in turmoil, wouldn't even talk to leaders when they came to NY."

That's my take. I know you don't agree.

[lapfog_1]

3. Who should he meet with?

Why is there an obligation to meet with any of these cork soakers?

Hell, the repukes are the ones that want to dissolve the UN or at least have the US withdraw.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

11. They are saying that Egyptian President Morsi wanted to talk to Obama

[lapfog_1]

18. cork soaker who encouraged the rioting at the US Embassy.

his is NOT our ally in the region... his is not an enemy (yet).

If Obama met with him, the repukes would start yammering about appeasement.

[GoCubsGo]

20. Morisi can talk to Obama any time he wants to.

All he has to do is pick up the damn phone. He doesn't need some UN event to do that. If matters were that important, he would likely get a White House invite if he's in this country. The media whores are just trying to gin up shit for the ignoramuses in their audience.

[GoCubsGo]

12. Beat me to it.

They hate the UN, yet they're upset that the President won't meet with UN leaders? What a crock.

[skeewee08]

4. He's speaking in about 3 minutes

[sammytko]

5. Wasn't the view appearance taped last week?

[Avalux]

8. The View appearance was taped last week and Obama is addressing the UN now.

Perhaps poor timing....but Ohio is THE place to be this week, with Romney and Ryan prancing around the state. Obama has made the decision to be there as well. It's a matter of importance and I think that all things considered, he should be in Ohio, instead of spending the week at the UN.

[treestar]

10. It's funny, because usually, the right wing hates the UN

Wants it out of NYC, thinks it is a harbinger of "world government", doesn't think the US should give two shits what it wants/thinks.

Also inconsistent was their demand Obama change his schedule on Bibi's command. Usually, the US should never in any way "bow" to a foreign leader, not even to be polite because it's part of their culture.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. Yes, it is odd since they hate the UN. But, not speaking to anyone one-on-one plays right into

repukes hands. I can hear it now....the world's gone to hell in a handbasket and Obama won't even talk to anyone.

I hear you about not changing schedule for Bibi....but not talking to him has it's down side too.

[cbayer]

13. Discussed on NewsHour last night and I took away two points.

First, since he can't meet with everyone, he would have to be selective, which would cause a potential ruckus.

Second, he is focused on prepping for the upcoming debates, which are critical right now.

He's delegating to Clinton, and I am very cool with that.

[renie408]

23. Thanks for that. Makes sense. I was wondering why he wasn't meeting with

other leaders, too.

[DURHAM D]

15. Thank you for your concern.

[renie408]

21. Sincere question here...

Why do you appear to ridicule ANY concern that a person might have about Obama? Do you feel that Obama cannot make a mistake or that questioning him or his administration is disloyal?

And just an observation...instead of mocking someone who does have a legitimate concern, why not explain why YOU don't think it is anything to worry about?

Also, I bet it would be interesting to go back through your 15,000 posts and see how many of them are 'Thank you for your concern.', cause you get A LOT of mileage out of that phrase.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

25. thanks renie ! couldn't have said this better myself. You know, I knew not to question Obama.

But...just like my husband always has to remind me when I am driving..."No good ever comes from staying in the right lane" ...I forgot.

Sometimes I think what you said could someday come true ....an honest debate - the pros and cons of an action.

[treestar]

28. During the election season, it starts to come across as hair on fire

worrying about everything. I remember all the talk me down posts. No matter how good the polls got, there were these people that wanted to worry about some little damn thing that was going to be a big "game-changer" (I hate that phrase). The media will blow up anything - yet here we have some ordinary functioning of the government, properly delegated - and not the kind of thing average voters will change their mind over. So it starts to look like it's just meant to get us discouraged.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

31. I understand. It's just that we are SO damn close now....don't want anything to screw it up. I do

know that the general public knows very little and you are right...a minor event that we fret over...is never even known by most people. I bet half don't know all the stupid shit that Romney has said and done....but they have reached critical mass...along with all the mocking by talk shows and comedians. Put all together has worked to diminish Romney.

[BeyondGeography]

16. More like a teenie weenie talking point

[WI_DEM]

26. well, if it is a talking point it won't last more than a day

It's pretty minor.

[Mz Pip]

27. Conservatives hate the UN

Seems to me if Obama met with some of these leaders he would just be accused of paling around with terrorists.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

32. good point...might have been worse had he picked and chose who to talk to. Guess I just think

more good might have come from talking to whoever wanted to talk to him. Easier to defend, IMHO.

My focus is on how you defend points in a debate. You defend talking to countries, by saying you are open to talking to everyone in the pursuit of world peace.

I don't even know how you defend not talking to them. How would you?

[Enrique]

30. not a big talking point imo

since when did the GOP want the president to talk to foreigners?

[EC]

33. Mainly because if he met with one

he'd have to meet with all that were asking for meets.

on edit: didn't want to show favoritism or appearance of.

[utopia-now]

34. Why Hasn't Dawned on anyone that Obama's not meeting with leader's was in the Country's best interes

Why Has no one thought that there are factions in the middle east that want to start a war with Iran. Why has no one realized how courageous Obama's message was to the countries who have lined up year in and out WANTING OUR MONEY. The convention made it completely clear that it is time to do nation building here at home. Who of us are to criticize what could be additional national security issues that might have plotted not only the assassination of our Ambassador but our President!

The naivety and criticism is unbelievable American stupidity at action.

What Obama has done is to clearly send a message that he is not going to start a war - if anything, he's more bound to turn the lights out in that part of Iran! He is not going to put our country in more jeopardy by being seen with a country appearing on our Sunday shows insisting and manipulation us to get into another frickiin' war. And he's also sent a message that he has no interest at this time to give countries who want to hurt us more money

I applaud Obama and so should all of America. This is clearly an ongoing matter of National Security and not the business of CNN, Fox News or any other media who thinks they know all the facts to just throw them on the public manipulating ideas into the brains of the uneducated voters. How stupid are we getting, even among democrats.

[DURHAM D]

36. That is quite a first post.

You need to dial it back.

[utopia-now]

38. Everyone has the right to disagree, but NO ONE ....

Everyone has the right to disagree, but NO ONE ....has the right to tell another what they can or cannot think and say in a forum!

I guess the people who are complaining about Obama not kissing ass at the U.N. are the missing the days of Bush W. kissing the ring of a Bin Laudin family member.

I see all this criticism misguided and uninformed and the resulting reaction will just pollute more minds.

Thank God a president has gone out of their way to walk away from talks of war and handouts of our money. Like he said in the convention, its time to do nation building at home.

I don't want to dial it back because I believe lies are being spread about this U.N. Behavior and anything that moves this country in the direction of voting for Romney, the American Dream will never rise again.

[spanone]

35. puke talking point. bullshit.

[UTUSN]

37. On sl-IMUS, an astute guest said the reason was

that if he met with any of them, then they would be open to meeting with mittens, that this would elevate/equalize him.

[MysticLynx]

39. in a nutshell

Netanyahoo. First before even requesting a meeting went public saying that Obama refused trying once again to manipulate the American process and the president. Obama called his bluff and refused to meet with him, but of course now he can't meet anyone, or is will be spun that he is 'shunning' the Israeli's so Netanyahoo warmonger and manipulator effectively shut down any possibilities of Obama and the leaders of the middle East coming together and possibly making some progress on peace, which is exactly what he wanted in the first place. He has as have other Israeli PM done everything he can to derail the peace process.