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Obama Takes Heat For Skipping Bilaterals

But Carney had a tougher time explaining to White House reporters why Obama will not hold formal meetings with any foreign leaders while he's in New York.

At Monday’s White House news briefing, Carney took multiple questions on Obama’s decision not to meet with foreign leaders:

One reporter asked Carney, "What do you make of the Republican complaint that the President has time to tape 'The View' and no time for (Israeli) Prime Minister Netanyahu?"

Another reporter pressed Carney: "What is the justification for the president not having sideline discussions with these world leaders?"

Carney took several more questions, including this one: “I know you said the president has gotten readouts, has had consultations with leaders throughout the region. But isn’t there something different between having a phone conversation and meeting and talking with someone in person?”

Another reporter noted that last year, President Obama had 13 bilateral meetings with foreign leaders during his visit to the U.N. General Assembly, but this year, “you can’t tell us of any. So what is different about last year and this year?”

Carney ducked the question, saying that President Obama “looks forward to speaking tomorrow.” Carney then repeated the general outline of what the president will say in his Tuesday morning speech to the U.N. General Assembly.

“But the U.N. meeting has always lent itself to a number of bilats, but not this year?” the reporter persisted.

And the press corps still wasn’t satisfied:

“At the risk of asking the same question a number of times, on Mark’s question, I’m not sure that we actually got an answer. He gave you some stats that last year the President has 13 bilats during the General Assembly, and this year there is zero. What is the specific reason?” a reporter asked Carney.

Reporters Press WH: Why Isn't Obama Meeting Foreign Leaders/CBS

tapper, todd, knoller, ed henry, et al...

buncha republican whiners

LOL!
 
Yeah... how dare those desperate Republicans attack the president for his mis-steps as president...

We should be far more concerned with stuff like what vacations he took in the 70s, or how his tax returns stack up from a decade ago, or what color his face looked on television...

Republicans ought to be ashamed for the substantive approach to politics and get back to the national enquirer approach... :roll:


No one is comparing the events of the past 9/11 to the results of September 11, 2001... when in a time of peace, we were attacked in a way that had never occured before in the history of mankind...

What happened this 9/11 was that the president, who was fully aware that we were attacked on 9/11 and by a people who are notorious for attacking on anniversaries and other significant dates, had just overthrown pro-US and anti-terrorist leadership in Egypt and Libya in favor of Muslim Brotherhood membership elected leaders in Egypt and Hamas and Hezbollah influenced leadership in Libya... So he should very well have had those locations extra staffed with security...

What I think most Dems want to pretend, is that this very same thing didn't occur just last year as well in Afghanistan... where the US embassy in Kabul was bombed on the 9/11 anniversary, in part of a larger offensive being carried out by the Taliban to regain power... which was promptly followed up by an anouncement that the president intended to draw down troop strength, and not wait until the violent seasons that have been experienced in every fall and spring in the region, when the weather is most receptive to it...

This was an act of gross negligence on the part of the president... because he was far more interested in paying attention to his re-election, than his actual duties as president... and he continues to make it worse...

It's that Republicans are such hypocrites. There's plenty of evidence that "W" had warning that something big was being planned as a strike in the U.S. before 9/11/01. When criticized about it conservatives cry that this kind of threat is received constantly so it's difficult to know which ones are valid. Of course they don't extend the same consideration to Obama. Personally I would expect it to be easier to defend American airspace over our capital and largest city than every embassy across the world. Good thing those airliners weren't Backfires or NYC and D.C. would be gone. This double standard is mirrored by the stunning silence by conservatives concerning Romney's lack of foreign policy experience especially in light of his recent European tour of blunders. Seems like lack of experience was a big issue when it could be thrown at Obama in '08.
 
It's that Republicans are such hypocrites. There's plenty of evidence that "W" had warning that something big was being planned as a strike in the U.S. before 9/11/01. When criticized about it conservatives cry that this kind of threat is received constantly so it's difficult to know which ones are valid. Of course they don't extend the same consideration to Obama. Personally I would expect it to be easier to defend American airspace over our capital and largest city than every embassy across the world. Good thing those airliners weren't Backfires or NYC and D.C. would be gone. This double standard is mirrored by the stunning silence by conservatives concerning Romney's lack of foreign policy experience especially in light of his recent European tour of blunders. Seems like lack of experience was a big issue when it could be thrown at Obama in '08.

First off, yes, most Americans are pissed GWB didn't do more to stop it... and blame him for ignoring the warnings... So the hypocrisy lies with those who said it then, but are silent now, when it has happened on 2 successive anniversaries of that date...

What blunders did Romney make on his European tour that actually qualified as blunders, and not media concocted blunders...

He went to London, as a guest of the olympic games, as a former head of the games, was asked about what he felt regarding the numerous reports of security concerns, and said, there have been concerns, but the people of England will be ready, and the Olympic staff volunteers will be ready, so we will have to see... No mis-step there... it's reported as a mis-step and used by liberals in England as fodder to go at Romney in order to ramp up excitement and nationalism ahead of the games... (It wasn't like his wife played grabass with the queen... or he spoke during their national anthem or anything)...

He then went to Israel, went to the wailing wall, met with Bibi Netenyahu, who he used to work with, and who would much prefer Romney to Obama in the election... then he held a private gathering with donors in Israel, and a fuss was made as if he was breaking some big promise to the media... so then the media was let in to the dinner... (it wasn't like he had to re-insert recognizing Jerusalem as their capital into his convention or anything)

He then went to Poland, and met with the Polish president, who said to him... "where is the us leadership on this issue?" meaning, the current administration has been weak and ineffective, and he'd prefer Romney than Obama... then when visiting the Polish equivalent of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and was observing the somber occasion, when a mob of press came up and tried to force him to respond to their unfounded criticisms, and an aid of his said to have some gd respect...


So, yes, he came home, and the liberal MSM tried to paint it as blunder after blunder... But, that's hardly the case... The liberal mayor of London had a go at Romney... big deal, no one will remember his name... I already don't... The Israeli and Polish president's wish Romney is elected... No gaffe's I'm aware of there...

He went abroad and got two resounding endorsements by the Israeli and Polish presidents... who sat down and had public meetings with him as a presidential candidate only... (people Obama has refused to meet with as of late)

However, Obama has had major gaffe's in dealing with each of those respective countries... Romney's experience on that trip far trumps Obama's...
 
Sorry but the Republicans have no credibiltiy on national security anymore and no one is listening to them. Giving Bush a pass when he dropped the ball on 911 blew any cred they may have had in the past.


Foreign leaders fear Republican presidents.

They don't want to experience "shock and awe" firsthand.
 
wapo this morning, home of the famous factchecker, also residence of watergate wonderboy woodward who two weeks ago reported that the only way the big 4 congressional leaders could get a debt ceiling lift, thus avoiding default, was to "vote obama off the island"

Let it not be said that columnists don’t have clout.

Take, for example, The Washington Post’s op-ed columnist Marc Thiessen’s Sept. 10 piece saying President Obama has failed to attend his daily intelligence briefing (or PDB) “more than half the time.”

Our colleague, Washington Post Fact-Checker Glenn Kessler, debunked the GAI analysis as meaningless, given that different presidents have different ways of getting briefed on intelligence matters — some prefer just to read the Presidential Daily Brief, some prefer just meeting with their national security adviser and so on. He gave it three Pinocchios (of a possible four). Thiessen disagrees.

But then Karl Rove’s Operation Crossroads super PAC picked up on the analysis when it blistered Obama in an ad for his supposed inattentiveness to foreign policy and cited The Washington Post column.

Next thing you know, as Kessler pointed out to us, the White House Calendar, starting Sept. 14 (four days after Thiessen’s column) and for every workday last week and up to Monday, says that Obama — and sometimes, Vice President Biden — is briefed.

Asked about that recent uptick in Obama’s “attendance, ” White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Tuesday afternoon that, “As we’ve said countless times, the President reads the PDB every day and most days he’s in D.C. has an Oval [Office] session. That scheduling has nothing to do” with Thiessen’s column.

Well, okay.

Obama's intel briefing attendance nears 100 percent - In the Loop - The Washington Post
 
Foreign leaders fear Republican presidents.

They don't want to experience "shock and awe" firsthand.

Americans fear Republican presidents. We no long wish to be in shock for the cost of the awe....

(actually, if you spent anytime out of the country, most of the world thinks some of our past Republican presidents were crazy. We all fear the crazy man.)
 
wapo this morning, home of the famous factchecker, also residence of watergate wonderboy woodward who two weeks ago reported that the only way the big 4 congressional leaders could get a debt ceiling lift, thus avoiding default, was to "vote obama off the island"



Obama's intel briefing attendance nears 100 percent - In the Loop - The Washington Post

I count 19 foiled attack during the Obama administration. Those are only the ones we know about. Over 22 high level terrorist targets have also been killed during Obama's time in office, many of them were targeted and killed using drone technology.

If reading his intelligence briefs gets these results then I think Obama should go on reading.
 
john king with wolf, this afternoon's situation room:

"there are a lot of people, it's not just republicans, a lot of people in the foreign policy community, even democrats, quietly wondering if the president is making a mistake by not having the bilateral meetings at the un general assembly, the new egyptian leadership is there, the new libyan leadership is there, the president of afghanistan is there, you have fires burning around the world right now, if you will, and he might be president for 4 more years, he's certainly going to be president for the next couple months, and a lot of people are saying, is the campaign really that important that he can't spend some time eyeball to eyeball with these leaders"

CNN's King: Democrats Are Questioning Obama Not Meeting With World Leaders | RealClearPolitics
 
I count 19 foiled attack during the Obama administration. Those are only the ones we know about. Over 22 high level terrorist targets have also been killed during Obama's time in office, many of them were targeted and killed using drone technology.

If reading his intelligence briefs gets these results then I think Obama should go on reading.

How many attacks do we not know about? That's such an absurd statement... and you act like the president had any hand in stopping them... Again, the same can be said about Bush... we stopped numerous attacks, after 9/11...

However, the issue is, not how many are stopped, but which ones occur... The president is not charged with stopping many attacks, but all attacks from occuring... It's a tall order, but that's the standard when you're the man in charge of the largest and most powerful army on earth, sworn to protect Americans safety both home and abroad...

These attacks occured amidst lax security on the anniversary of 9/11 on successive years, in areas which there have recently been civil wars going on, and the leadership of the country that was pro-US and anti-terrorism was beseiged or overthrown by mobs with ties to anti-US terrorist groups...

There is absolutely no way the US Embassy in Egypt, that just 2 years ago had mobs that were violently beating, raping, and mudering Western journalists, then elected representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood into power should have had an understaffed agency that was no ready for defense from such mobs again... and where the al-qaida flag was raised above our embassy on the anniversary date of the attacks on the WTC and our Pentagon... While the president was in Las Vegas doing a campaign fund raiser, and not doing anything about it... The embassy knew they were under seige even, and put out a statement of appeasement prior to the attacks... If the FAST teams were ready, they could've been sent into place to prevent the attacks... And if appopriate embassy security had a couple cannisters of tear gas to disperse the mob with, it would've prevented the attack...

That's gross negligence in protecting Americans abroad, no matter how you try to spin it...
 
How many attacks do we not know about? That's such an absurd statement... and you act like the president had any hand in stopping them... Again, the same can be said about Bush... we stopped numerous attacks, after 9/11...

However, the issue is, not how many are stopped, but which ones occur... The president is not charged with stopping many attacks, but all attacks from occuring... It's a tall order, but that's the standard when you're the man in charge of the largest and most powerful army on earth, sworn to protect Americans safety both home and abroad...

These attacks occured amidst lax security on the anniversary of 9/11 on successive years, in areas which there have recently been civil wars going on, and the leadership of the country that was pro-US and anti-terrorism was beseiged or overthrown by mobs with ties to anti-US terrorist groups...

There is absolutely no way the US Embassy in Egypt, that just 2 years ago had mobs that were violently beating, raping, and mudering Western journalists, then elected representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood into power should have had an understaffed agency that was no ready for defense from such mobs again... and where the al-qaida flag was raised above our embassy on the anniversary date of the attacks on the WTC and our Pentagon... While the president was in Las Vegas doing a campaign fund raiser, and not doing anything about it... The embassy knew they were under seige even, and put out a statement of appeasement prior to the attacks... If the FAST teams were ready, they could've been sent into place to prevent the attacks... And if appopriate embassy security had a couple cannisters of tear gas to disperse the mob with, it would've prevented the attack...

That's gross negligence in protecting Americans abroad, no matter how you try to spin it...

Like it or not, Obama is human. You can't expect any president to know about, let alone stop, all planned attacks against US interests. I don't believe for a second that Obama and those in charge of security in these coutries was not beefed up. Just like I don't, for second, think Bush was able to stop the 9-11 attacks. Bush was warned that something was being planned, yet the attack happened, the same is true for Obama. I used to work as a prison guard. We got information from time to time that something big was being planned. TRying to sort through the valid information and the useless information and knowing how much extra security in troubled areas wasn't an easy task. Sometimes we were able to prevent problems and other times we were not. As humans, all we can do is try to make informed choices and move on when things don't go as planned.
 
Like it or not, Obama is human. You can't expect any president to know about, let alone stop, all planned attacks against US interests. I don't believe for a second that Obama and those in charge of security in these coutries was not beefed up. Just like I don't, for second, think Bush was able to stop the 9-11 attacks. Bush was warned that something was being planned, yet the attack happened, the same is true for Obama. I used to work as a prison guard. We got information from time to time that something big was being planned. TRying to sort through the valid information and the useless information and knowing how much extra security in troubled areas wasn't an easy task. Sometimes we were able to prevent problems and other times we were not. As humans, all we can do is try to make informed choices and move on when things don't go as planned.

Or...you can do nothing...which is what Obama did.
 
Or...you can do nothing...which is what Obama did.

Unless you show me some sort of proof that Obama did nothing, then I will regard your comment as simply your opinion.
 
Americans fear Republican presidents. We no long wish to be in shock for the cost of the awe....

(actually, if you spent anytime out of the country, most of the world thinks some of our past Republican presidents were crazy. We all fear the crazy man.)

16 trillion in debt... nice try.. nice jive..
 
Unless you show me some sort of proof that Obama did nothing, then I will regard your comment as simply your opinion.

yes we have proof Obama did nothing to stop that attacks in Egypt and Libya.. again we have proof.. we have proof he even went to bed not knowing if our Ambassador was safe... he was later found dead... Obama then went to Vegas to raise funds for Obama...

Obama is a a loser a ****IN SCUMBAG
 
yes we have proof Obama did nothing to stop that attacks in Egypt and Libya.. again we have proof.. we have proof he even went to bed not knowing if our Ambassador was safe... he was later found dead... Obama then went to Vegas to raise funds for Obama...

Obama is a a loser a ****IN SCUMBAG

Where is your proof?
 
Where is your proof?
Barack Obama knew of the attack on the Libyan consulate within 90 minutes of it beginning. There is no doubt that Obama knew that the attacks involved AK-47s, along with Rocket propelled grenades. He knew that his ambassador was in grave danger and yet knowing all of this, and not knowing the status of Ambassador Stevens, Obama allegedly went quietly to bed.

Imagine if Bush had gone to sleep after hearing that a plane was headed toward the World Trade Center?

But what Obama was likely told was that an attack was happening, but that his friends in the Muslim Brotherhood’s Martyrs of Feb 17 Brigade were tasked with protecting the Consulate and that they were the heaviest armed militia around. What was there to worry about?


Obama Went to Bed While Consulate was Under Siege | FrontPage Magazine

http://www.lvrj.com/multimedia/Pres...-after-deadly-attacks-in-Libya-169567466.html
 
Barack Obama knew of the attack on the Libyan consulate within 90 minutes of it beginning. There is no doubt that Obama knew that the attacks involved AK-47s, along with Rocket propelled grenades. He knew that his ambassador was in grave danger and yet knowing all of this, and not knowing the status of Ambassador Stevens, Obama allegedly went quietly to bed.

Imagine if Bush had gone to sleep after hearing that a plane was headed toward the World Trade Center?

But what Obama was likely told was that an attack was happening, but that his friends in the Muslim Brotherhood’s Martyrs of Feb 17 Brigade were tasked with protecting the Consulate and that they were the heaviest armed militia around. What was there to worry about?


Obama Went to Bed While Consulate was Under Siege | FrontPage Magazine

President Obama campaigns in Las Vegas after deadly attacks in Libya - Multimedia - ReviewJournal.com

Obama also knew within 24 hours that al Qaeda was behind the attack. However he sent Susan Rice out to all the political news shows that Sunday to lie and attempt to divert responsibility onto "Innocence of Muslims".
************************************************************************************************************************************************

Within 24 hours of the 9-11 anniversary attack on the United States consulate in Benghazi, U.S. intelligence agencies had strong indications al Qaeda–affiliated operatives were behind the attack, and had even pinpointed the location of one of those attackers. Three separate U.S. intelligence officials who spoke to The Daily Beast said the early information was enough to show that the attack was planned and the work of al Qaeda affiliates operating in Eastern Libya
U.S. Officials Knew Libya Attacks Were Work of Al Qaeda Affiliates - The Daily Beast
 
How many attacks do we not know about? That's such an absurd statement... and you act like the president had any hand in stopping them... Again, the same can be said about Bush... we stopped numerous attacks, after 9/11...

However, the issue is, not how many are stopped, but which ones occur... The president is not charged with stopping many attacks, but all attacks from occuring... It's a tall order, but that's the standard when you're the man in charge of the largest and most powerful army on earth, sworn to protect Americans safety both home and abroad...

These attacks occured amidst lax security on the anniversary of 9/11 on successive years, in areas which there have recently been civil wars going on, and the leadership of the country that was pro-US and anti-terrorism was beseiged or overthrown by mobs with ties to anti-US terrorist groups...

There is absolutely no way the US Embassy in Egypt, that just 2 years ago had mobs that were violently beating, raping, and mudering Western journalists, then elected representatives of the Muslim Brotherhood into power should have had an understaffed agency that was no ready for defense from such mobs again... and where the al-qaida flag was raised above our embassy on the anniversary date of the attacks on the WTC and our Pentagon... While the president was in Las Vegas doing a campaign fund raiser, and not doing anything about it... The embassy knew they were under seige even, and put out a statement of appeasement prior to the attacks... If the FAST teams were ready, they could've been sent into place to prevent the attacks... And if appopriate embassy security had a couple cannisters of tear gas to disperse the mob with, it would've prevented the attack...

That's gross negligence in protecting Americans abroad, no matter how you try to spin it...

LOL Obama's responsible for the election in Egypt but has nothing to do with foiling plots against us or eliminating terrorist leaders? You live in a partisan dream world. Obama has kept us safe when his predecessor was unable to do the same. Republicans are not capable of protecting this nation, Bush proved that beyond a doubt. I fear for this country should another one ever be elected.
 
Barack Obama knew of the attack on the Libyan consulate within 90 minutes of it beginning. There is no doubt that Obama knew that the attacks involved AK-47s, along with Rocket propelled grenades. He knew that his ambassador was in grave danger and yet knowing all of this, and not knowing the status of Ambassador Stevens, Obama allegedly went quietly to bed.

Imagine if Bush had gone to sleep after hearing that a plane was headed toward the World Trade Center?

But what Obama was likely told was that an attack was happening, but that his friends in the Muslim Brotherhood’s Martyrs of Feb 17 Brigade were tasked with protecting the Consulate and that they were the heaviest armed militia around. What was there to worry about?


Obama Went to Bed While Consulate was Under Siege | FrontPage Magazine

President Obama campaigns in Las Vegas after deadly attacks in Libya - Multimedia - ReviewJournal.com

I see you used the word allegedly. No one knows if Obama went quietly to bed while we didn't know the fate of Ambassador Stevens. Your first link didn't work. As for Obama going to a campaign event after the attacks, I don't see a problem with that. Presidents do that sort of thing all the time. Romney decided to use the time after the Ambassador's death and the death of 3 other Americans to attack Obama. Wow, classy.
 
LOL Obama's responsible for the election in Egypt but has nothing to do with foiling plots against us or eliminating terrorist leaders? You live in a partisan dream world. Obama has kept us safe when his predecessor was unable to do the same. Republicans are not capable of protecting this nation, Bush proved that beyond a doubt. I fear for this country should another one ever be elected.

amazing..

Lets try some facts.. Obama avoted against everything that now keeps us safe... but now you want to run total BS that Obama is keeping us safe? if Clinton built he HSD after the first WTC attack 9/11 would have not happened.. if Obama was President on 9/11 he would have surendered like he is doing all over the world... Obama cant take credit period.. he did NOTHING.. he voted against the EITs that got us UBL.. obama is a scumbag..a complete loser..

do you just make things up to try to change reality?...our dead Ambassador I think says you have no idea..
 
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