Obama Begins Mocking GOP’s National Security Attacks

[babylonsister]

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/obama-begins-mocking-gop-criticism-of-his-international-outreach/

Obama Begins Mocking GOP’s National Security Attacks


An interesting, if subtle, shift in Obama’s tone: He’s taken to openly mocking GOP criticism of his willingness to diplomatically engage hostile foreign leaders.

You saw the new tone on display over the weekend, where Obama was questioned by reporters about the widespread GOP criticism of a warm handshake moment he had with Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. GOP Senator John Ensign had criticized Obama’s gesture towards Chavez, saying it was “irresponsible” to be seen “laughing and joking” with him.

Obama replied, in part:

Venezuela is a country whose defense budget is probably 1/600th of the United States’. They own Citgo. It’s unlikely that as a consequence of me shaking hands or having a polite conversation with Mr. Chavez that we are endangering the strategic interests of the United States. I don’t think anybody can find any evidence that that would do so. Even within this imaginative crowd, I think you would be hard-pressed to paint a scenario in which U.S. interests would be damaged as a consequence of us having a more constructive relationship with Venezuela.

Obama, in short, ridiculed the very idea that we should see Chavez as a threatening figure, and threw in a bit of mockery of the reporters, to boot.

It’s worth recalling that there was a time when Dems would quake with fear about national security attacks coming from the right, let alone respond to them with outright mockery. In this sense, Obama’s tone underscores how much the political climate has shifted on such matters.

It’s also a sign of his confidence that the public is with him — and has little trust in the Republicans — even on questions of national security. He appears to feel on solid enough ground that he can respond to the basic ideas underlying Republican efforts to depict him as weak with little more than contempt and derision. :D

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. Newt sounded rather lame

[Demeter]

6. He Always Did

but there are a lot of weak-minded people out there...and he had wealthy sponsors.

Hope the wealthy sponsors lost it all in the crash.

[populistdriven]

16. Has Newt finished paying off the $300K loan he took from Bob Dole to pay for his ethics fine?

just askin

[11 Bravo]

9. Isn't that called "Truth in Advertising"?

[Arugula Latte]

2. Love it.

This is how it's done.

Chuck it back in their faces. The Republicans just look like the whinyass titty babies they are.

[dae]

3. Sounds like a real grownup may be in charge!?! n/t

[NewJeffCT]

4. well, it deserves contempt & derision

the criticize somebody for shaking hands with somebody in a social situation is worthy of derision.

[FightingIrish]

5. President Obama's critics would rather see relationships with these countries

deteriorate to the point where the only option left is military force. We've already wasted enough young lives doing it their way.

[mzmolly]

13. It's an odd and glaring moment of hypocrisy, coming from those who befriended Saudi

Arabia in spite of the fact that the 911 hijackers were primarily from that Country. :crazy:

[prolesunited]

7. What would they have Obama do?

Slap the book out of Chavez's hand? Perhaps punch him? Bomb Venezuela?Ignore him altogether?

Face it. No matter what he would have done or not done, they were going to criticize it.

[Cha]

20. The gop would love to bomb

Venezuela for their OIL.

[Laelth]

8. I swear; he rocks!

:rofl:

:dem:

-Laelth

[indepat]

10. dems, imv, have let 'pukes largely set the national agenda for over one-half a century and we all

know where that has brought us: a crippled economy and jobs market, crippling deficits and national debt, defense spending approaching that of the rest of the world, jails burgeoning with non-violent, mostly drug offenders, the most expensive health delivery system in the world where most bankruptcies involve medical expense and large numbers have no hospitalization insurance or huge deductibles, pre-emptive wars of choice, rampant fraud in the securities industry, et al ad nauseam. It's past time for dems to quaver in abject fear if labeled by 'pukes as soft on communism, soft on crime, soft on drugs, soft on terra, and weak on national defense and just tell 'pukes how ridiculous their ideology really is. ;)

[TygrBright]

11. LOL... "This imaginative crowd..." I'm dyin' here....

He just pwnd them and they don't even know it. No clue. None.

Lordy.

The man has style. Pure style.

appreciatively,
Bright

[Cha]

21. "Imaginative crowd"!

Prez Obama doesn't even have to call them bald face liars. :)

[mzmolly]

12. If we can buy gas from Chavez, we'll be fighting terrorism in a round about way.

Our President is full of common sense and he's not afraid to use it. ;)

GoBama!

[Cha]

22. Precisely! When I

had a car..I would always buy citgo.

[ms liberty]

14. And the Three-Dimensional Vulcan Chess Master strikes again...n/t

[AtomicKitten]

15. Good for him. It's the appropriate response in light of the craziness. n/t

[empyreanisles]

17. Obama has alpha-male "swagger". People mistake his cordiality for weakness.

Kathleen Parker touched on this in an op-ed a few weeks back. Obama doesn't need to beat his chest and proclaim - "HEY, I'm in charge here!". He simply exudes that charisma. He's one of those people who you just KNOW is in control.

He's the guy who walks into the club with 2 or 3 pretty ladies on his arm. He sits down at his booth to enjoy drinks and music and lets the ladies roam free and mingle. He doesn't care if they flirt and dance with the other guys at the club (read: Chavez, Ortega). Because he KNOWS in the end, they are coming home with him.

He's one of the most self-confident, non-needy people I have observed.

[Aloha Spirit]

18. Sometimes I feel threatened by bugs

especially moths and millipedes.

Due to this irrational fear, I then run away like the baby that I am or smush them.

[Cha]

19. The goperverted Lie Points are

to be Mocked. If they're going to continue talking absolute heinous trash then he has no choice but to mock their lazy non-efforts.

Al Hunt highlighted this in his brilliant article mocking the gop.