Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

[superdave]

The Democrats are really upset about Bush making his comments regarding appeasing terrorists with discussion. He likened it to discussions with Hitler before the invasion of Poland.

My opinion is the the media is making too big of a deal about this story. The media is quick to defend their candidate. I guess when the Hitler references come out is equivalent to the gloves come off.

Or maybe this is the real start of being really over for Hillary as discussed in another thread now that Bush & McCain are attacking Obama. A strategy by the Republicans to expose Obama as being inexperienced. It may have backfired on the Republicans with all the negative press they're receiving considering who delivered the message.

[subterFUSE]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

OBAMA: WRONG ON IRAN

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published on May 16, 2008.

President Bush is absolutely right to criticize sharply direct negotiations with Iranian President Ahmadinejad. Barack Obama’s embrace of the idea of direct negotiations is both naïve and dangerous and should be a big issue in the campaign.

The reason not to negotiate with Ahmadinejad is not simply to stand on ceremony or some kind of policy of non-recognition. It is based on the fundamental need to topple his regime by increasing the sense the Iranian people have — that he has isolated Iran from the rest of the world, to its severe and ongoing detriment.

The Iranian regime is almost entirely dependent on oil and gas revenues to pay for the vast program of social subsidies with which the government buys domestic support. Gasoline costs 35 cents a gallon in Teheran. Bread and all other staples are subsidized from public funds. But 85 percent of all government revenues come from oil and gas exports. There lies the regime’s vulnerability.

Iran is sitting atop the second largest oil reserves in the world. Only Saudi Arabia has more. But it can’t get at them. It lacks the foreign investment and technology necessary to increase, or even to sustain, its petroleum output. Under the Shah, Iran pumped upwards of six million barrels of oil a day. Now, Iran generates fewer than four million daily barrels. With domestic consumption of energy increasing at 10 percent a year — due in part to the massive subsidies which hold the price down — Iran is expected to see its oil exports cut in half by 2011 and entirely eliminated by 2014. If Iran cannot export oil, it cannot pay for social peace and the regime could be in dire trouble.

Without subsidies, the Iranian people, half of whom are under 30 and only 40 percent of whom are ethnically Farsi, will become restive and resentful. Already, many complain that Ahmadinejad’s policies have led to global isolation of Iran and stymied economic growth and social upward mobility. While opinion surveys in Iran indicate that the people support the nuclear aspirations of the regime, they are not willing to pay a price of international isolation.

If a President Obama were to meet with President Ahmadinejad, it would send a signal to the Iranian people that they are not isolated but that the rest of the world has come to respect them and to have to deal with them. The leading argument for toppling the current regime will have been fatally undermined.

But if the West sustains a policy of economic sanctions, curbs on foreign investment, and diplomatic isolation, the Iranian regime’s days are numbered.

Official United Nations sanctions are having some effect on Iran but the real power lies in cutting off investment by foreign companies, particularly in the banking and energy sectors. American companies are already prohibited from doing business there, although General Electric may be seeking ways around this prohibition through foreign subsidiaries.

Frank Gaffney, formerly of Reagan’s Pentagon, has pioneered the use of private economic disinvestment in companies that do business with Iran, Syria, North Korea, or Sudan. On his Web site, he has identified almost 500 companies that do business with these terror sponsoring nations. They include such international powerhouses as Sieman’s, Shell, Repsol, BNP Paribus, and Hyundai. He has crafted a terror free mutual fund which can earn good returns while avoiding investment in any of these companies.

Missouri Treasurer Sarah Steelman — now running for governor — pioneered disinvesting pension funds in these companies. Now California, Florida, and Louisiana have followed suit.

We need to let these policies work and global isolation of Iran is the way to do it. Negotiating with Ahmadinejad would simply boost his domestic stature and enhance his political stability, the exact opposite of what we should — and must — be doing.

[chunky]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

OBAMA: WRONG ON IRAN

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published on May 16, 2008.

The only way we ever over come disputes is by direct negotiations. This has been proven in the past. Like Robert McNamara said you have to sympathise and understand your enemy. Sanctions don't work. Its just a case of the big kid not letting the little kid play because they don't like them. Iran mite be sitting on top the second largest oil reserves in the world. And mite not be able to get at them as it lacks the foreign investment and technology necessary to increase. Venezuela had a similar problem and most foreign oil companies where more than willing to invest after Chavez made it clear it wasn't going to be a free ride they thought it would be. If Ive got some oil in my garden and i want to drill for it but don't have the resources. I make a deal with someone who has. At the end of the day its my oil. I shouldn't have to be starved out of my house or have someone jump over the fence, possibly murder me, my wife and children just because they are not happy with the way i do business. Its called World Trade not Theft

Here in the UK the British Government had to deal with Gerry Adam's & Martin Mc Guinness (Both Considered Terrorists. But not in the USA who actively allowed them to find funding in the US) in order to bring peace to Ireland. And more recently Cornel Gaddafi . How Bush can criticise anyone is beyond me. I can't think of one defining thing hes done that's good.

[Shpira]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

OBAMA: WRONG ON IRAN

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published on May 16, 2008.

This article, factually speaking is pure bullshit...I don't even know where to start...pls don't take its figures for granted and read other data on your own.
But perhaps more importantly, its assumptions and conclusions are flawed to begin with:
It argues that the US should not open negotiations with Iran because that would break the isolation...this again is not true Russia and the EU have negotiated quite recently with Iran on sharing technologies for nuclear power i.e. Iran stops developing its own nuclear program and in return the Russians and the EU help them by giving them the technology for making Nuclear energy.
Furthermore isn't giving subsidies on petrol just what the US basically does???
And it does the same for its steel industry, its farmers and many more this is no revolutionary view. In addition to this what the hell are the Iranians gonna make money of if they are isolated with economic sanctions and no one wants to negotiate with them as the writer says???

I mean come on this article is self contradictory, its pure rubbish.

also maybe he needs reminding what the effect of sanctions was in Iraq during Saddam Hussein??

[88Mariner]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

correct me if i'm wrong, but Nixon went to China, and Reagan went to Moscow.

how is it possible that people are forgetting RECENT HISTORY???

[toasty]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

correct me if i'm wrong, but Nixon went to China, and Reagan went to Moscow.

how is it possible that people are forgetting RECENT HISTORY???

I think it just underscores how absurd politics can be. I guarantee you there are Republicans that view Reagan as the greatest conservative icon ever on the one hand, but who have at the same time firmly entrenched themselves into the idea that talking with enemy nations is somehow associated with liberalism and is verboten. We won the Cold War in part because Reagan sat down with Gorbachev. The only way that's overlooked, IMO, is blind partisanship.

McCain intends to make this the linchpin of his candidacy. I say bring it on.

[toasty]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

The Democrats are really upset about Bush making his comments regarding appeasing terrorists with discussion. He likened it to discussions with Hitler before the invasion of Poland.

My opinion is the the media is making too big of a deal about this story. The media is quick to defend their candidate. I guess when the Hitler references come out is equivalent to the gloves come off.

I think part of the reason we're seeing the reaction we're seeing can be traced to John Kerry and the swiftboating. Kerry would ignore negative attacks, and many would attribute his loss to that reluctance to respond. Obama, and the rest of the Dems, want to send the message early on in the process that all attacks will be met with a forceful response. My recollection, as this unfolded, was that the Democratic response got more coverage than Bush's comment. My sense is that Obama viewed this as an argument he could win, and sought to take the opportunity to use his response to frame the discussion.

The truth is, from a pure campaigning standpoint, he's actually pretty adept at the counterpunch. I think he comes off poorly taking the first shot, but he does a good job of getting a dig in when responding to attacks. Maybe that's the message in making such a big deal out of this -- "feel free to attack me if you wish, but understand that you're going to get a counterattack in return."

Just thinking out loud here.

[toasty]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

correct me if i'm wrong, but Nixon went to China, and Reagan went to Moscow.

how is it possible that people are forgetting RECENT HISTORY???

Here's a refresher:



That's from Nov. 19, 1985, the first Geneva Summit.

[88Mariner]

Re: Bush criticizes Obama on terrorism

^ too damn long ago. doesn't count. unless the Founders Intended appeasement of commies.