Republicans Rip Obama For Reponse To Chavez

By: Michelle Levi
Topics: White House

(AP PHOTO)

Coverage of the handshake over the weekend between President Obama and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during the Summit of the Americas has earned the president some harsh criticism back home from Republicans.

On Saturday, Chavez, known for his outspoken anti-American rhetoric, unexpectedly approached President Obama during the Summit of the Americas and presented him with 1970s's leftist manifesto "Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent."

The book, by Uruguayan writer Eduardo Galeano, has since surged to number two on Amazon.com's booklist, Reuters reports.

Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich lambasted Mr. Obama on NBC's "Today" show this morning. "Everywhere in Latin America enemies of America are going to use the picture of Chavez smiling and being with the president as proof that Chavez is now legitimate, that he is acceptable."

Gingrich said he thinks there is a "shallowness" in how the Obama administration "analyzes" diplomatic situations. "How do you mend relations with someone who hates your country who actively calls for the destruction of your country?" he asked.

On CNN's "State of the Union " yesterday, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) called the exchange "irresponsible."

"When you're talking about the prestige of the United States and the presidency of the United States, you have to be careful who you're seeing joking around with," Ensign said. "And I think it was irresponsible for the president to be seen kind of laughing and joking with Hugo Chavez."

He argued that Chavez "is not somebody the president of the United States should be seen as having, you know, kind of friendly relations with."

On CBS' "The Early Show" this morning Bush White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said the handshake was a break from Bush policy.

"We did not shake hands with Hugo Chavez. We were not friendly with dictators," Perino said.

According to reporters covering the event, Mr. Obama was completely taken by surprise by Chavez's approach and short of making a major statement in ignoring the Venezuelan leader, there was nothing the president could do but accept the gift and greetings.

"It doesn't make sense," Mr. Obama said of the criticism during a press conference in Trinidad and Tobago Sunday.

"The whole notion was that if we showed courtesy and opened up dialogue with governments that had previously been hostile to us, that that somehow would be a sign of weakness."

Earlier during the summit, Chavez said he would work to reinstate a U.S. ambassador to Venezuela (he kicked the formed U.S. envoy out in September).

Watch Dana Perino and Dee Dee Myers debate the handshake on 'The Early Show' below:

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by kansas1946 April 21, 2009 11:41 PM EDT: God willing, they will prove that willingness again in four years and correct the mistake that is the presidency of Barack Obama.
Posted by winstrv at 8:58 PM : Apr 20, 2009
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Peter Heck is a "guest columnist" from what publication? No one is listening!!!!!!; Reply to this comment


by kansas1946 April 21, 2009 6:33 PM EDT: GOP as usual. No ideas, no plan, no morals, no nuttin' except spit-slinging hysteria. Dead party.; Reply to this comment


by rednomo April 21, 2009 9:23 AM EDT: When is the GOP officially going to make the change to POG?

P!ssed Off Geezers

That is all that is left, racist (be honest, you hate it that we have a BLACK President) intolerant, self-righteous, uneducated, ill-informed hate mongers; Reply to this comment


by rednomo April 21, 2009 9:09 AM EDT: Hate is not the answer to anything. You can hate these people which breeds even more hate, which somehow makes the world a better place?

Hate has created the worst of the worst in this country, see Columbine and Oklahoma City bombing anniversaries.

You can slam Obama all you want as he visits with friends and foes and tries to rebuild Americas image around the world as a country that no longer embraces hate as a foreign policy.; Reply to this comment


by abbe91 April 21, 2009 8:16 AM EDT: Shaking hands with a dictator ... OMG

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r42oejmpkgw; Reply to this comment


by speakinup April 21, 2009 12:18 AM EDT: I think Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Reid and a good 50% of the Democratic Representatives and Senators should go visit Iran to talk with them - all on the same trip.

Maybe the chimp would have them arrested.

BTW, Barry - hugo sends his thanks for funding his book and regime.; Reply to this comment


by winstrv April 20, 2009 11:58 PM EDT: Arrogant Americans, Mr. President?
Peter Heck - Guest Columnist - 4/14/2009 7:50:00 AM
As I was sitting in church waiting for the start of the service, my grandpa came walking towards me pointing his finger. No matter how old I get, and no matter how long he?s been out of the U.S. Navy, that?s still an intimidating sight. As he approached me, his voice quivered as he said, ?We saved that continent twice...how dare my president apologize for this country?s arrogance.? My grandpa is right. Americans need not apologize to the world for their arrogance; rather, Americans should apologize to their forefathers for the arrogance of their president.
Barack Obama?s first foreign trip as President of the United States has confirmed the naiveté so many of us feared during the election cycle. But worse than that, it has also demonstrated that our president suffers from either a complete misunderstanding of our heritage and history, or an utter contempt for it. Neither is excusable.
Garnering cheers from the French of all people, President Obama declared, ?In America, there is a failure to appreciate Europe?s leading role in the world. Instead of celebrating your dynamic union and seeking to partner with you to meet common challenges, there have been times where America has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive.? Consider that Obama spoke these words just 500 miles from the beaches of Normandy, where the sand is still stained with 65-year-old blood of ?arrogant Americans.?
Indeed, columnist Mark Whittington observes, ?One should remind Mr. Obama and the Europeans how America has ?shown arrogance? by saving Europe from itself innumerable times in the 20th Century. World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the wars in the Balkans were largely resolved by American blood, treasure, and leadership.? But all that appears lost on the president?s seemingly insatiable quest to mend fences he imagines have been tarnished by the bullish George W. Bush.
If Obama wishes to continue trampling the presidential tradition of showing class to former office holders and publicly trash Bush for his own personal gain, so be it. But all Americans should make clear that no man ? even if he is the president ? will tarnish the legacy of those Americans who have gone before us. Ours is not a history of arrogance. It is a history of courage, self-sacrifice, and honor.
When abusive monarchs repressed the masses, Americans resisted and overthrew them. When misguided policies led to the unjust oppression of fellow citizens, Americans rebelled and overturned them. When millions of impoverished and destitute wretches sought a new beginning, Americans threw open the door and welcomed them. When imperial dictators were on the march, Americans surrendered their lives to stop them. When communist thugs threatened world peace, Americans bled to defeat them. When an entire continent was overwhelmed with famine and hunger, Americans gave of themselves to sustain it. When terrorist madmen killed the innocent and subjugated millions, Americans led the fight to topple them.
This is the legacy that generations of Americans have left. If President Obama seeks stronger relations with the world community, perhaps he should begin by reminding them of these very truths, rather than condemning his own countrymen on foreign shores.
This ?obsessive need to put down his own country,? has caused blogger James Lewis to call President Obama a ?stunningly ignorant man? who has evidently never spoken to a concentration camp survivor, a Cuban refugee, a boat person from Vietnam, a Soviet dissident, or a survivor of Mao?s purges.
Unfortunately, I can no longer bring myself to give Mr. Obama that benefit of the doubt. Not after looking at the pain in my grandpa?s eyes...a man who still carries shrapnel in his body from his service to this country.
As a student and teacher of history, I recognize that America has made mistakes...plenty of them, in fact. But one of the great things about our people has been their courage and humility in admitting and correcting those mistakes. God willing, they will prove that willingness again in four years and correct the mistake that is the presidency of Barack Obama.; Reply to this comment


by realnews12 April 20, 2009 11:22 PM EDT: He and his administration violates the USA Contstitution constantly - nothing is visibly being done and no one being accountable.

Posted by USA_Constitution at 1:55 PM : Apr 20, 2009

Examples, please ?; Reply to this comment


by TPS2 April 20, 2009 10:33 PM EDT: DefendLiberty at 6:32 PM : Apr 20, 2009
I dont really care for either party, but I have to agree with you on some of your points. I think President Obama handled himself well considering he was ambushed by Chavez. I have never been to an international summit, but I assume what Chavez did was a breach of protocol. It was definitely bad form if nothing else.; Reply to this comment


by DefendLiberty April 20, 2009 9:32 PM EDT: Another example of the GOP trying to gin-up a controversy and throw slime. They have nothing else. Nothing.

Not only that, but they always claim (when there is a GOP President) that criticizing the President when he is overseas is tantamount to TREASON. So what do the right wingnuts do? Exactly what they have cried and whined about when Bushie the Moron went overseas. It's funny (really) that they have so little regard for the memory of the American people.

Obama did nothing wrong. He showed himself to be a good diplomat. Of course, that is something the wacko right, their talking empty heads, and the PARROTS who squawk the talking points would NEVER understand.

Luckily, Americans are tired of the GARBAGE that comes from the FAR RIGHT that is all that is left of the GOP. The more they whine and sound like PETULANT CHILDREN , the smaller the GOP will become. We can only hope that a SANE GOP will one day emerge from the rubble left by the RUSH/HANNITY/FAKE-NEWS triad of stupidity that is today's GOP.; Reply to this comment