"Keep your friends close and your enemies in China."

[babylonsister]

:evilgrin:

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2009/05/16/bonus_quote_of_the_day.html

Bonus Quote of the Day
"Keep your friends close and your enemies in China."

-- GOP strategist Mark McKinnon, quoted by Politico, on the appointment of Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman (R) to be ambassador to China.

[MADem]

1. I said as much yesterday, wondering if there was a strong gubernatorial challenger

in that state from our party.....

[TwilightZone]

2. Not a bad campaign strategy.

Now if we can just name Mark Sanford ambassador to the moon and Bobby Jindal ambassador to Mars....

[SamCooke]

3. He must be convinced he can't win the presidential nomination. Why would ...

a successful Governor want to be Ambassador to China?

[babylonsister]

4. For starters, he can't run again. He claims it's an honor,

and it will definitely be a positive addition to his resume. Plus, he's still relatively young.

[Cha]

5. It is an honor, imo..

And, while it's a clever quip..it could have nothing to do with Obama and Team's reasoning, as you know.

[pscot]

6. I wish someone would explain

Obama and teams reasoning to me, and not just on this particular appointment. I no longer have a clue as to what they are doing on a lot of different fronts. I would like to be supportive, but I'm not following anyone down a rabbit hole as a matter of blind faith.

[blm]

7. BULLSHIT!!! They're making this SOUND like good politics when Huntsman has long been a

loyalist to Poppy Bush and the fascist agenda - Poppy is calling the shots here in getting one of his main players into China - as USUAL. Clinton probably helped arrange this for Poppy.

[babylonsister]

8. How do you know poppy is even involved?

That's right, you don't. Maybe one of the major positives of this guy is he can speak the language?

Your hate for poppy is clouding your judgment if you actually think Obama or Clinton are getting their marching orders from GHWB.

[asphalt.jungle]

9. poppy is the all powerful puppeteer and yet he couldn't

win a 2nd term.

[Hippo_Tron]

10. But see that's because Clinton made a secret deal to "close the books" on Iran-Contra and BCCI

If he hadn't done that the entire world would be filled with magical rainbows and ponies. We're certain that whatever was in those "books" would've ended the Republican Party forever. If only Clinton had opened them...

:eyes:

[blm]

24. If he hadn't deepsixed BCCI matters Poppy and his cronies would've been more fully exposed.

Meaning....No turnover of congress in 1994 election. No Bush2. No 9-11 event. No Iraq invasion.

Your pony/rainbow rhetoric is frivolous.

[w4rma]

28. We're *still* dealing with things like that that Clinton pulled while he was in office.

Which is why I'll never vote for another Clinton. And, I'll try to make sure that I don't ever feel the need to.

[blm]

23. Poppy wanted to be in office knowing BCCI report release would mean certain impeachment?

.

[blm]

22. I didn't say Obama was getting orders from Poppy. I do believe DC insiders are advising him

in ways that benefit Poppy's agenda just as they did during the Clinton years.

Read Huntsman's resume. Surely you can detect whose agenda he was working on throughout.

And, if, after the last 4 decades you believe Poppy doesn't carry weight with influential Democrats, then color me surprised, baby_sis.

[babylonsister]

12. True Believers Lash Out at Latest Heretic to Escape Compound

True Believers Lash Out at Latest Heretic to Escape Compound

http://firedoglake.com/2009/05/16/true-believers-lash-out-at-latest-heretic-to-escape-compound/

[babylonsister]

20. This is more like it, even if it's from David Frum...

http://newmajority.com/ShowScroll.aspx?ID=b2289d5c-d34e-48bc-817b-ccf1682a6049

KISS ANOTHER REFORMIST GOODBYE
Saturday, May 16, 2009 5:49 AM


Jon Huntsman will resign as governor of Utah to accept a posting as ambassador to China.

It's a fine appointment from the point of view of the national interests of the United States. Huntsman speaks the language and knows the region (he previously served as ambassador to Singapore). His standing as a former governor and a possible future presidential candidate will enhance his clout in a capital where clout matters.

It's a brilliant appointment from the point of view of the political interests of Barack Obama. Gov. Huntsman's intellect, his popularity in his state, his undoubted conservatism combined with his open-minded new approaches on social issues and the environment - not to mention his enormous personal wealth - positioned him as the natural leader of the reform forces within the GOP. By sending him across the Pacific, President Obama has acted deftly to enhance the continuing dominance of the Republican faction that serves him best. The Limbaugh-Obama axis wins again!

From Huntsman's point of view, it's difficult to read his acceptance of this nomination as anything other than an assessment of the hopelessness of the 2012 cycle for him personally and Republicans generally. The enthusiasm we feel for him here at NewMajority has not to date proven infectious: The Republican party of Kent County, Michigan, outright cancelled an event rather than host the governor.

snip//

Four years of serving his country in a challenging posting seems as creditable a way as any of opting out of the political cycle. In 2016, Huntsman will be 56. He'll have been twice elected governor of a state, twice served in important international assignments - including one of the most important of them all. His understanding of environmental issues will be sharpened by his service, ditto his already sophisticated mastery of the international economic issues that will matter more and more. Odds are that by then even conservative Republicans will have worked their way to accepting a compromise on social issues that looks more or less like the one Huntsman has evolved for himself.

It's only sad that it looks like it will have to be such an unnecessarily long and frustrating wait.

[Number23]

11. Best line of the day. Brilliant

[thevoiceofreason]

13. Our strongest dem candidate for governor in Texas next year

Was W's ambassador to Austrailia then China.

Angers some folks, but it will help him statewide in the general.

[babylonsister]

14. Who is that? nt

[thevoiceofreason]

15. Tom Schieffer

Brother of Bob Schieffer of CBS

[babylonsister]

17. We're in trouble!

That's our strongest? Oi.

[thevoiceofreason]

18. So far, we have Tom, Kinky and Mark Thompson

Mark ran for railroad commissioner last year - and he might be the most unqualified candidate for public office ever.

Bill White and John Sharp are dead set on the senate race.

[Colobo]

16. Huntsman seems like a decent guy. Let's give him a shot.

[babylonsister]

19. To me, he was the dark,

sensible source in the rethug party that would surprise everyone. Imagine my surprise now.

He does seem decent to me, too. I hope he is a great ambassador for us.

[blm]

21. that's what Democrats said about Poppy Bush - he cultivated a 'moderate' image to mask his FASCISM.

.

[TimesSquareCowboy]

25. I'm surprised someone from a proselytizing religion would be chosen.

this guy learned Mandarin while on a mission for the Mormons in Taiwan. I would think the Chinese would be very sensitive to that.

[Occam Bandage]

27. The Chinese are slowly opening to foreign missionaries.

Slowly being the key word, of course--has any reform in China ever been quick?--but they seem to be offering progressively more religious rights.

Doesn't apply to Falun Gong, of course; the two sides seem to have stumbled into declaring war on each other, and neither's going to back down any time soon.

[blm]

29. yeah, and Poppy Bush was ambassador to China seeking world peace, not setting up global fascist

alliance with Chinese industrialists as he and Jackson Stephens prepared to relaunch WalMart as the flagship enterprise that would lure in the working class Americans who normally wouldn't accept the idea of their country leading the march for global fascism.

Huntsman is one of Poppy's boys.

[omega minimo]

30. one wonders how many of his own decisions Pres. O is able to implement

[blm]

31. imo, he probably has no choice on SOME matters, but not the total servant to Poppy that Clinton was.

Obama gaining power this next year still makes for a better chance for us open government types down the road.

[omega minimo]

32. absolutely

seems there's one legacy though .........

[iamthebandfanman]

26. lol n/t