Is President Obama the apologizer in chief?
An overarching theme of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign is that he will not apologize for America - unlike the current occupant of the White House. Romney is so committed to this argument that he made it the title of his 2010 book, and it's a point he hits over and over again on the stump. Here's Romney last August, speaking to the VFW:
"I start with the fundamental conviction that America is the greatest nation in the history of the world and a force for good. And while we are not perfect, I will not apologize for America!Our president has taken a different approach. Have we ever had a president who was so eager to address the world with an apology on his lips and doubt in his heart? He seems truly confused not only about America's past but also about its future."
In his book, Romney points to what he calls apologies in speeches in various countries as part of Mr. Obama's "apology tour" - a term coined by Karl Rove.
There's no question that Mr. Obama has explicitly said that America is less than perfect. One of the quotes that Romney seized on comes from a 2009 town hall meeting in France. Here's the section Republicans highlight:
"In America, there's 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."
Let's put aside the question of whether that's an apology for now - and simply see what the president said next.
"But in Europe, there is an anti-Americanism that is at once casual, but can also be insidious. Instead of recognizing the good that America so often does in the world, there have been times where Europeans choose to blame America for much of what's bad."
Clearly, Mr. Obama was making a two-sided argument, not offering up an apology in a vacuum.
Romney also cited Mr. Obama's statement in Cairo that "The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history," a reference to slavery. But if this constitutes an apology, then Republican president George W. Bush is the real apologizer-in-chief. In 2003, Mr. Bush said that the "racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with slavery or with segregation." And Mr. Bush repeatedly apologized to foreign governments for American actions - including for an American soldier shooting a Koran and for abuse of Iraqi prisoners.
As I see it, there are two possible interpretations of Romney's position.
First, he believes the United States has never done anything wrong when it comes to foreign policy - a position that no serious observer could possibly hold.
Second, he believes the United States has made mistakes - but the president shouldn't admit them no matter what. If Romney truly believes that, he is both breaking with Mr. Bush and significantly limiting the tools at his disposal in international diplomacy.
If I had to guess, though, I'd say he doesn't believe it. A President Romney would be just as likely to acknowledge America's mistakes as a President Bush or Obama if he thinks doing so would serve American interests.
However, Romney appears to have calculated that he can win voters by implicitly casting Mr. Obama as anti-American - even if the claim has little connection to the truth.
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Yep, and his latest apologies were for the buffoon Mitt Romney's gaffes in England, Israel, and Poland.
If it weren't for the GOP, no American would have to apologize.
Why is the GOP keeping it's "Big Gun" locked up in the chicken coop behind the barn?
I want to see George W Bush released from GOP prison and start campaigning for Romney.
I think it would be very beneficial to hear GWB remind us all of how great Bush's trickle down economic plan, er...Romney's trickle down economic plan...err, the same plan, worked before...err..will work again.
Bill Clinton is coming out to the Dems' party. No Fear Bill and no shame for the Dems. They are proud of Bill and can't wait to let him off the chain.
Anyone at the GOP want to comment on that?
Where's the GOP love and respect for their main man, GWB?
So I say again!
FREE GWB!
His "apology tour" started within a few months of his election; bowing to the leaders of countries which are our enemies, callin the US a "warring" nation, saying "You could say the Us is a Muslim nation..........
He has however never apologized for asking the people of the US to help him "change it" immediately after saying the Us is the greatet country in the world.
Also he has disrespected the American Flag repeated by both his spoken words and his failure to honor it by staring off into the distance, or placing his hand over his crotch, by not having the American flag behind him when he spoke on different occasions.
Since day one of his Presdency, he has done his level best to bring down the Constituiton and the Bill of Rights, has tried to destroy references to GOD and ordered the removal of items (ex: the Ten Commandments) from all government buildings, taken away the rights of our troops to pray, caved repeatedly to thinly veiled "requests" by Islamics because some of our values and ideals offend them (he refuses to wear the American Flag pin for fear that someone will think he's taking sides), and the list goes on an on.
It seems to me the only people he owes any apology to are "We the People" for the havoc his monkeyshines have created.!
The US is not perfect. The US consists of imperfect people. But it is the best place on the earth to live! We should be remorseful for the evil but never apologetic for being American.
America may not be the worst international entity---I didn't say it was. But that doesn't mean we're perfect, either. Adults apologize when they're wrong. It shows character, and it might make us a little less dispicable the next time someone thinks about murdering our citizens.
90% of us remember that President Obama 'apologized' Osama bin Laden straight to the bottom of the ocean.
Bush blustered, then quavered, then forgot about bin Laden.
Thank goodness for President Obama unapologetically having the courage to pull the trigger on this very important mission.
His title should be senior political reporter for the re-election of Obama at CBSNews.com.
I mean has this moron ever written anything positive about Romney?
Blacks are lazy, Jews are greedy, the British have bad teeth, the French are cowards, Canadians are fat---any other generalizations you want to voice while you're here? Most humans are stupid, it's hardly limited to Americans.