Obama Closes Trip On An Optimistic Note

Addressing College Students in Turkey, President Heralds "New Chapter In American Engagement"

(CBS/AP)  President Obama wrapped up his first foreign trip as president with a request of the world: Look past his nation's stereotypes and flaws. "You will find a partner and a friend in the United States of America," he declared Tuesday.

"The world will be what you make of it," Mr. Obama told college students in Turkey's largest city. "You can choose to make new bridges instead of new walls."

Promising a "new chapter in American engagement" with the rest of the world, Mr. Obama said the United States needs to be more patient in its dealings. And he said the rest of the world needs a better sense "that change is possible so we don't have to always be stuck with the same arguments."

The students formed a tight circle around the new U.S. president, who slowly paced a sky-blue rug while answering their questions. He promised to end the town hall-style session before the Muslim call to prayer.

Mr. Obama rejected the "stereotype" that Americans are selfish and crass. "I'm here to tell you that's not the country I know and not the country I love," the president said. "America, like every other nation, has made mistakes and has its flaws, but for more than two centuries it has strived" to seek a more perfect union.

He repeated his pledge to rebuild relations between the United States and the Muslim world.

"I am personally committed to a new chapter in American engagement," Mr. Obama said. "We can't afford to talk past one another and focus only on our differences, or to let the walls of mistrust go up around us."

The questions were polite and rarely bracing, though one student asked whether there was any real difference between his White House and the Bush administration. Mr. Obama cautioned that while he had great differences with Bush over issues such as Iraq and climate change, it takes time to change a nation as big as the United States.

"Moving the ship of state is a slow process," he said.

The Turkish stop capped an eight-day European trip that senior adviser David Axelrod called "enormously productive" - including an economic crisis summit in London and a NATO conclave in France and Germany.

Axelrod said specific benefits might be a while in coming. "You plant, you cultivate, you harvest," he told reporters. "Over time, the seeds that were planted here are going to be very, very valuable."

Picking up on his consultant's theme later, Mr. Obama told the college students he sees nothing wrong with setting his sights high on goals such as mending relations with Iran and ridding the world of nuclear weapons - two cornerstone issues of his trip.

"Some people say that maybe I'm being too idealistic," Mr. Obama said. "But if we don't try, if we don't reach high, we won't make any progress."

Mr. Obama's final day in Turkey also featured a meeting with religious leaders and stops at top tourist sites in this city on the Bosporus that spans Europe and Asia. Accompanied by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he toured the Hagia Sophia museum and the Blue Mosque.

At the Blue Mosque, just across a square and manicured gardens from Hagia Sophia, the president padded, shoeless like his entire entourage in accordance with religious custom, across the carpeted mosque interior. All around were intricate stained-glass windows and a series of domes, thick columns and walls entirely covered in blue, red and white tile mosaic. Again, he appeared to speak little, as he was schooled in what he was seeing by a guide. He spent about 40 minutes at both places.

At his Istanbul hotel, Mr. Obama met with Istanbul's grand mufti and its chief rabbi, as well as Turkey's Armenian patriarch and Syrian Orthodox archbishop.

Mr. Obama was driven after the town hall meeting to a tarmac, where Air Force One was waiting to return him to Andrew's Air Force Base, outside Washington D.C., where he was due to arrive late Tuesday afternoon.

[nolies74621]

Obama bows to Saudi king
Greeting called 'most unbecoming for president of the United States'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: April 02, 2009
4:12 pm Eastern


By Bob Unruh
© 2009 WorldNetDaily


President Obama greeted the king of Saudi Arabia with a full bow from the waist yesterday, a move one commentator described as a violation of protocol and not worthy of the office he holds.

"I am quite certain that this is not the protocol, and is most unbecoming a president of the United States," writes Clarice Feldman in an American Thinker commentary.

The situation developed as leaders of the world attending the G20 summit in London assembled for a photograph to mark the event.

In this first image, after the king extended his hand while Obama approached, Obama bends from the waist until his head is nearly at the monarch's waist:



OK! I saw the video and was shocked. How could the so called POTUS bow to a Monarch. I guess he wants oil. Any defense for the exhaulted messiahs' actions on this total lack of guts? He may as well have said to the world that America will BOW TO ANYONE and pretty much supplicated the US to the entire world. WEAK,WEAK,WEAK. So much for the intelligence and dignity factor. Now I have seen it all. Why is'nt CBS covering this?

[intheshade-2009]

At least Obama can end his trip with an up beat. This will get our attention away from North Korea. What ever happened to North Korea? Tough talking Obama said they would not get away with firing a rocket. He said he was going to take his complaint to the UN, and the UN would punish North Korea good. They were not going to be able to embarrass the President of the US in front of the whole world. A meeting was called. The matter was raised and discussed, and then it all went quiet. Was there a news blackout? Were the results too embarrassing to even mention? We dare not do anything that might offend North Koreas big brother; China might dump a trillion dollars worth of treasury bills on us. Yes they can.

[reasoned1955]

Absolutely! But you can be guaranteed that the rabid rightwads will continue to get even more rabid on all their attacks, the more President Obama succeeds!
Posted by evilbusheviks at 3:14 PM : Apr 7, 2009
=================
Republican here. Anyone who's read any of my posts knows this to be true. Although I'm almost loathe to post here anymore, I feel compelled to offer a couple of observations regarding the visit to Iraq. I'd use the Iraq story's comment board, but its been hijacked by some mutual admiration society. I'm tempted to tell them to get a cyber-room--but why bother?

I don't agree with many things going on today. I don't agree with the stimulus program and I don't agree with the bailouts (not even the ones last fall). But -- I tip my hat to the Commander-in-Chief for visiting the troops in Baghdad. Now, if we cut through the media hype (both sides), the bottom line is that he did the right thing and I believe he did it for the right reasons. My Repub friends would be quick to criticize him for being in the neighborhood and not stopping in; they'll challenge his political motives for doing it. The Dems will point to this and insist that all of our military troops love him. Some do, but I'll submit the majority lean to the right. Regardless, our men and women in the military defend the Constitution. They respect and serve the Commander-in-Chief as the embodiment of the American peoples' will. They respect the Office of the President. I don't want to downplay the esteem many feel for the President. He did the right thing and I respect his decision to spend time with our warriors. Regardless of politics -- he emerged as a leader. The same comments apply to President Bush's visits also. Let's avoid politicizing the actions of the Commander.

[geewheeez]

Bush just pushed more than 8.5% into unemployment, I guess he thinks they are not Americans.

[geewheeez]

Obama is only in office for the past 70 days, and McHineguy, you said he failed...please if we can take BUSH's 8 years, you republicans can certainly take a longer period of time to see how Obama does. If apologizing will get this country back its feet and get the support of other countries to help in fighting terrorism...so be it...only a man is man enough to admit the his mistakes and move on.

[geewheeez]

We sure regretted choosing BUSH.

[geewheeez]

please Jonesep...BUSH failed...not only 66% of the American people thinks he failed, so does everywhere else in the world...

[trillion1]

No matter what Obama does there will be a lunitic fringe will disparage it.

[jonesjep]

Only a Socialist that supports Obama would consider buying oil that continues to run our everyday economy as giving money away but ACTUALLY giving money away and getting NOTHING in return to be perfectly acceptable. I am amazed there are 27% of Republicans who actually think Socialism is a acceptable way to run the US. The reason there were more Democrats who supporter Bush is because he was not trying to radically shift the entire concept of the United States. Bush was not pushing everyone to be poor just so he could claim that everyone was equal.

[sjc_1]

Any candidate that can get more than 200,000 Germans to come out to hear a campaign speech is of interest to the world. After 8 years of stupid, arrogant and belligerent B.S. the world is ready for a sane, common sense leader.

[realnews12]

Going around the world making us look week will only bring on more terrorist attacks worse than 911.

Posted by oldtimer1941 at 11:13 AM : Apr 7, 2009

Please be specific: what exactly did he say that you think makes us look weak ? I really want to know. What did he say that will make the terrorists hate us more than they already do ??

[McHineguy]

...
The campaign is over, a president is chosen through the process of democracy and the majority of us choose him to be our president, when bush was president over 60% of democrats supported him, but when a democrat becomes president, only 27% of republicans supported....SORE LOSERS.
Posted by geewheeez at 10:51 AM : Apr 7, 2009

It isnt that we are sore losers. We just wish you had done a better job of choosing. Or, having failed so misserably we wish you would be adult enough to admit the failings so we can get him to do a decent job. Right now, you guys seem to be willing to accept anything he does so you dont have to admit you failed.

But time will show the truth. His cabinet are tax cheats and lobbyists, his stimulus is going to line pockets for the rich, he signs bills of PORK, GITMO is still in full operation, and the economy is barely recovering. Watch, thie apologistic foreign policy he champions will follow the same trend. Rich in rhetoric and posturing, poor in follow through. That is the mark of a teenager, not a president.

You need to accept your choice is a failure, just like Bush.

[julesarcher1]

But these two fools have one major thing in common, draft dodgers.
Posted by oldtimer1941 at 10:59 AM : Apr 7, 2009


And yet you support Bush and Cheney, I take it?

[geewheeez]

Jamem4....not so smart, where did you graduate from??? How about you run for president.

[fedup12]

Posted by oldtimer1941 at 10:37 AM : Apr 7, 2009

Hey there oldtimer its guys like you that got us into this mess. You'll bow when theres no more money left for you but theres always money that can be printed to buy an F-16 or some sh*t.

No medicine or clean water but by darn we have some awesome nukes.

you're a fossil.

[geewheeez]

Yeah and BUSH screwed the American people not only by bowing to the Saudi King but also given $700 billion of our money to buy oil from them, talking about being screwed by a president.

[geewheeez]

BUSH made that same bow to the Saudi King before...oh and when Michelle Obama touches the Queen, it is a no no, she did not have the respect for the queen of England...PLEASE...why because she is white??? The campaign is over, a president is chosen through the process of democracy and the majority of us choose him to be our president, when bush was president over 60% of democrats supported him, but when a democrat becomes president, only 27% of republicans supported....SORE LOSERS.

[geewheeez]

Finally a real president for a very long time....just glad we are rid of BUSH .

[daffy64]

From what I could learn, when a leader from one country meets a leader from another country BOWING isn't done. Even if the one guy is called a king.

--

It's a sign of respect, like saulting. Not so prevalent in Western culture but there's nothing wrong with it.

[daffy64]

For whatever reason, Obama is riding a wave of popularity as a rock star. Eventually, all rock stars fade.

Posted by leeanna59 at 8:46 AM : Apr 7, 2009

Leeanna, Obama is popular because people see that he is a good man, who is telling the truth, good and bad, about our country and trying his best to solve the economic problems in our country, keep us safe, and improve America's standing in the world. He is listening to people as well as talking. He is willing to admit that the US has sometimes acted in an arrogant way and has not always been at its best. This is simply the truth and other countries appreciate Obama's honesty and forthrightness in acknowledging it. He is reaching out to the world's people, even those of differing religion and beliefs, urging them to work with the US in solving the issues (like economic recession, terrorism, climate change, and poverty) that concern and affect all of us. He's not a "messiah" and he can't fix things with a wave of his hand. The policies and programs he's putting in place may or may not work as well as he hopes, but it is necessary to try them to try to ameliorate the extraordinary economic crisis we find ourselves in. Obama loves this country and is working very hard to restore it to greatness. People all over America and all over the world see that he that he is smart, articulate, well-intentioned, and, so far, a worthy and admirable President of the United States. If you don't agree with his policies, that's OK. But he is NOT a "rock star". His popularity is due to what people see in him.

--

Amen.