Redstate

Posted at 7:01am on May 29, 2008 Obama Hopes to Change Course on Unilateral Meetings

He means what he says until he doesn't. And he usually doesn't after the right punches him.

By Erick

In another cave to the right wing bloggers and Rush Limbaugh who have been pounding him, Obama is trying to nuance his way out of his former statements on meeting unilaterally with American enemies.

So egregious is his backpedaling, even the New York Times is willing to point it out:

This week, Mr. Obama said that he was still considering meeting with Iranian leaders, though he would not necessarily guarantee a direct meeting with Mr. Ahmadinejad.

“There is no reason why we would necessarily meet with Ahmadinejad before we know that he is actually in power,” Mr. Obama told reporters. “He is not the most powerful person in Iran.”

But, let's go back to his original statement before he decided to cave to Rush and the bloggers:

The caveats belie the simple answer Mr. Obama gave during a debate last summer, when the issue was first raised in a major public forum. Without hesitation or qualification, Mr. Obama said he would hold direct talks with America’s enemies, drawing strong and immediate criticism from his rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

“Would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?” asked Stephen Sixta, a video producer who submitted the question for the CNN/YouTube Democratic debate.

Mr. Obama, the first candidate to respond, answered, “I would.”

Several aides immediately thought it was a mistake and sought to dial back his answer. But on a conference call the morning after the debate, Mr. Obama told his advisers that he had meant what he said and thought the answer crystallized how he differed from his rivals.

Obama only means what he says until he doesn't.

And if he'll cave like that to the right, how fast will he cave to China and Iran?

Posted in 2008 | Ahmadinejad | Barack Obama | Obamafiles — Comments (2)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 12:22pm on May 28, 2008 Barack Obama: He'll Meet With Ahmadinejad, But Not With the Troops in Iraq

By Erick

Barack Obama has not been to Iraq since 2006, when he took a *two day* tour. In fact, for all of Obama's alleged globe trotting, he has pretty much decided to form his foreign policy by reading the editorial page of the New York Times and listening to leftists in Hyde Park, instead of taking field trips to check out the scene for himself.

John McCain has invited Barack Obama to go to Iraq together. But no, Obama will not go. He'll gladly participate in a Townhall meeting with John McCain, but actually going to meet with the commanders in the field is too much.

As Jim Geraghty notes, Obama has rejected the offer calling it a "political stunt." Let's back up to the last paragraph: he'll join McCain in townhall meetings on the campaign trail, but doing so with the troops in Iraq is a political stunt.

The man who has said he would meet unconditionally with Ahmadinejad will not go meet with our soldiers in Iraq. And, as Jim says, that's fine if he thinks it's a political stunt and he does not want to go together. But Obama, thus far, *has chosen to not go at all.*

Even the media's narrative on Iraq has changed more than Obama's. The surge has had a positive impact. The media has acknowledged as much. Not only will Obama not acknowledge that, he'd rather close his eyes and not see the success.

And it's not just the troops in Iraq and General Petraeus that Obama is refusing to meet with. He won't even meet with soldiers from Illinois.

A lot of the left claims to support our soldiers, but not the war. Obama apparently cannot even muster support for our soldiers and sailors.

He's too busy planning his unconditional meetings with American enemies.

Posted in 2008 | Ahmadinejad | Barack Obama | Iran | Iraq | John McCain | Political Stunts — Comments (56)/ Email this page » / Read More »

Posted at 9:59am on May 21, 2008 Richardson: Talk to Castro, Chavez, but not Ahmadinejad

By Soren Dayton

Another Democratic foreign policy leader rejects Barack Obama's foreign policy:

Well, you know throughout my career, I've talked to a lot of bad guys. You know, I have talked to Castro. I think you don't talk to Ahmadinejad. You talk to some of the moderate clerics.

So far Joe Biden, Harold Ford and others have rejected Obama too. If the Democratic foreign policy establishment rejects Obama, the American people will too.

Posted in 2008 | Ahmadinejad | Barack Obama | Bill Richardson | Iran — Comments (50) / Email this page » / Read More »