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While Attacking Obama, Romney Forgets That Bush Met With Putin ‘In His First Year Of Office’»

On Fox & Friends this morning, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney added to Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) and President Bush’s attacks against Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) over his openness to engaging with the leaders of rogue states like Iran. Romney said that “without precondition, in his first year of office,” no president should “sit down” with leaders like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or former Russian President Vladimir Putin:

The question is should the president of the United States, without precondition, in his first year of office, sit down with Ahmadinejad, with Putin, Chavez, Kim Jong Il, with Assad, with the world’s worst actors, and the answer is, obviously, no. No president would suggest such a thing.

I think the only president that might be open to such an idea would be Jimmy Carter

Watch it:

Screenshot

Romney’s inclusion of Putin in his list is odd, considering that in his first year in office, President Bush was more than “open to such an idea.” In fact, Bush met with Putin on June 16, 2001. After the meeting, Bush said that he “looked the man in the eye” and “was able to get a sense of his soul.”

bushputin.jpg

Additionally, though Putin is now the Russia’s prime minister, he is no longer president. Presumably, the next U.S. president to hold talks with Russia will speak with the country’s new president, Dmitri Medvedev.

But Romney shouldn’t worry that his gaffe will lose him favor with McCain. Like Romney, understanding the nuance of other countries’ power structures doesn’t appear to be high on McCain’s priority list.

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45 Responses to “While Attacking Obama, Romney Forgets That Bush Met With Putin ‘In His First Year Of Office’”


  1. Guido the Loving OBGYN Says:

    Not too bright. Every American knows Bush looked into Putin’s soul. Where ya been, Mitt?


  2. misshusseinmolly Says:

    IOKIYAR. Bush can meet with the president of Russia, but a Democrat can’t. Bush can meet with the imam of the biggest mosque in Dearborn, but a Democrat can’t. The list goes on.


  3. lokidog Says:

    And Romney’s opinion on anything is important again, why?

    Oh yeah, that drug addict Limbaugh loved him. That sure helped.


  4. StratRat Says:

    If the right side speaks, it is lying. It’s not that they mis-remember things - they know the truth. They simply know that the people they are speaking to (the audience or Fox news critters) DO NOT know the truth - so they believe what they are told. That is the low information citizen in action. Lazy and cowardly does not even begin to describe them.


  5. kassandrasduplex Says:

    But will the correspondents and media pundits point out these huge glaring errors in historical perspective and memory on the part of these hucksters? Will the hound these issues as they seem willing to do to any Democratic politician?
    If any more protestors hit the streets, they need to hit the streets in front of CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News etc. and SHUT THE BASTARDS DOWN until they exhibit a truly FREE press attitude about our republic.


  6. raynman Says:

    We have to be ready to throw the BS flag at all times. If we don’t we only embolden the right wing to continue their attacks on the truth.

    Besides, can you really trust anyone named after a piece of baseball equipment? Well, except for Spike Lee and Bat Masterson…..


  7. Uncle Ho Says:

    the Republic party 12th Commandment:

    Do as I say, not as I do.


  8. Badger Says:

    What is the definition of a “Precondition”.??

    Choosing a Time and Place to meet ,is technically a precondition.

    Demanding that the other country agree to what you Want… Before any Negotiations..is also a precondition.

    Where has all this tough talk by Bush got us with Iran?? Enriched Uranium is where it’s got us.


  9. Art Says:

    To say that Romney “forgets”, is to assume that he “knew” in the first place.


  10. lefty Says:

    I wonder where the expression “Pooty-Poot” came from then?
    Why can’t they just try to make the damn argument honestly?

    If you can’t make an honest argument, then you don’t really believe in it in the firstplace.


  11. Bobwurst Says:

    Mitt should shut up, there’s a reason he isn’t the nominee. Instead, he should focus his attention to the compound in Texas where his religious brothers and sisters have been spreading their unique form of family values.


  12. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    What is it with these guys? Are they so resentful of facts and their liberal bias that they refuse to look stuff up before they make fools of themselves?

    That’s the only explanation I can come up with.



  13. dbadass Says:

    Can you imagine growing up with Stepford dad?


  14. Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:

    Anyone besides me notice how much Romney is in the news these days? He has been non-existent for the last three months and all of a sudden, he’s everywhere. This feeds into my suspicions that the Republicans have no intention of picking McCain as their candidate in September. I believe they will pick Romney and probably Huckabee as VP and say that McCain is too sick to serve. I believe McCain is their sacrificial lamb right now.

    This is why the Democrats and Obama need to run against the Republican party and all the harm they have done to this nation and not run against McCain. If they run against the Republicans, the Democrats will be ahead of the game when they bring out their new candidate, all fresh, two months before the election.


  15. Shayne Says:

    How exactly do these Governors think they have so much more foreign policy experience than a senator.


  16. MCMetal Says:

    The question is should the president of the United States, without precondition, in his first year of office, sit down with Ahmadinejad, with Putin, Chavez, Kim Jong Il, with Assad, with the world’s worst actors, and the answer is, obviously, no. No president would suggest such a thing.

    I think the only president that might be open to such an idea would be Jimmy Carter…

    You mean the former president who was the facilitator of a peace between Israel and Egypt ?

    And didn’t have to pay either side to agree to it ?

    Guess only those in the horseshit GOP , themselves amongst the worst actors on the planet (as Ronnie Retard’s entire career will attest) , should be able to do it without being questioned on any level , eh Shitt Conme , though their record suggests they should never get involved in talks with other Heads of State…………..


  17. nanlichi Says:

    Shayne, have you read anything about Mitt’s religion? Pretty much qualifies him to be an expert on “foreign”.


  18. Shayne Says:

    dbadass Says:

    Can you imagine growing up with Stepford dad?

    I just wonder how many mothers his children have.


  19. Shayne Says:

    nanlichi, and by “foreign” I assume you’re referring to his underwear.


  20. lokidog Says:

    How exactly do these Governors think they have so much more foreign policy experience than a senator.

    Don’t know about all governors, but GW passed out drunk and woke up in Mexico once. Probably twice or more, but that’s what he used for his “foreign policy experience”, I believe.


  21. MCMetal Says:

    Intelligence is a “foreign policy” to the entire GOP……..


  22. nanlichi Says:

    The belief that one day a man will have his own earth to populate and rule over as a God, in every sense of the word is pretty damn foreign.

    The belief that a dark person’s skin will turn “white and wholesome” after converting to Mormonism is pretty foreign.

    But I am not the expert, all belief systems are foreign to me.


  23. JMOHR Says:

    Look, we need to push back and push back hard on this. This is where Obama needs to utilize surrogates. There ought to be ads run in key areas with the following message:

    1. The Republicans attack Obama on meeting with foreign leaders simply to create an issue.

    2. Bush implied that Obama was an appeaser in his Knesset speech even though no one has suggested appeasement and it is fairly clear that the Republican failures in foreign policy come from exactly this failure to know or understand history.

    3. McCain suggests that Obama should not speak with Hamas even though McCain also suggested such a course.

    4. Prior Reagan foreign policy experts such as Baker (who negotiated with Syria 16 times in order to make a break through) says that we need to speak to our enemy.

    5. Gates says that we need to talk to Iran.

    6. Romney says that no president should meet with the leader of Iran during his first year in office. He said that it would be just as bad an idea as a President meeting with Putin during his first year in office. You know, just like President Reagan was stupid when he met with Putin during his first year in office.

    There are only two conclusions possible: The Republicans are totally incompetent in foreign policy and without any knowledge of what their own party has done. Or - the Republicans will just lie to make an attack against Obama.

    Have you been satisfied with US foreign policy? No -well then why would you want a third McBush term.


  24. Nettles Says:

    The people on this board who would freely use the word “retard” and who have made snide remarks about Romney’s religion (I count 3 of them ) are no better than the racist scum the they claim to despise.


  25. galmud Says:

    Romneys complete ignorance on foreign policy is actually worse than McCains

    He just bunches people he doesnt like (that is anti-US in one way or another), dictators along with democratically elected leaders and labels them “Worlds worst actors”. People the US shouldnt talk to unless they can be bullied to accept every American demand


  26. MCMetal Says:

    Nettles Says:
    ——————————————————————————–

    The people on this board who would freely use the word “retard” and who have made snide remarks about Romney’s religion (I count 3 of them ) are no better than the racist scum the they claim to despise.

    May 20th, 2008 at 6:04 pm

    Based upon what ?

    The ramblings of a GOP backing d-bag like yourself , RETARD ?

    Those with special needs are indeed that : Special Needs individuals. And they are truly special.

    Those like yourself , who are imbeciles who vote constantly against your own and the country’s best interests , are indeed RETARDS ……………


  27. MCMetal Says:

    BTW “Nettles”

    Moromonism is not a religion ; it is more like a cult , similar to Scientology , because each was started/invented by a con man ………………


  28. nanlichi Says:

    Nettles,

    I apologize for my anti-Mormon comments. To mock the beliefs of one religion seems to imply that there is a better one.


  29. nanlichi Says:

    But Bush is still retarded POS, no disrespect for P’sOS by the comparison.


  30. dbadass Says:

    People can believe any silly shit they want. Just don’t try to sell me on it or profess it to be the “truth”. Still codifying child molestation and racism into your dogma, does strike me as a tad odd but so does a lot of other weird nonsense. I don’t make fun of Mitt’s religion, I prefer to make fun of his lame ass “waspiness”.


  31. Leftside Annie Says:

    I don’t make fun of anyone’s religion either - but I’m godd*amned sick and effing tired of all these hyperreligious zealots trying to shove their stupid beliefs down my agnostic-strict-separation-of-church-and-state throat.


  32. Red Pill Says:

    Are you expecting reason from Mitt Romney? The idiot thinks John Adams wrote the Constitution, for Christ’s sake!


  33. RUCerious Says:

    What’s a Romney, is that like an artificial leg joint?


  34. republicans hate facts Says:

    MCMetal Says:
    BTW “Nettles”
    Moromonism is not a religion ; it is more like a cult , similar to Scientology , because each was started/invented by a con man ………………

    ALL religions ARE CULTS, as is the cult of Hopium unfortunately… When Obama adopts a more progressive platform, maybe it’ll be easier for us to believe he’s not a phony…


  35. dbadass Says:

    This sure as hell is a stretch. So I am guessing Hillary is in no way a phony nor here minions the followers of any “cult”


  36. lopburijohn Says:

    Who the hell is Mutt Romney?
    Doh! Now I remember…
    1) his father was boss of American Motors
    2) he’s the guy couldn’t even pass the repub sniff test


  37. IceNine Says:

    Please, please, please put Mittens on the ticket. And he has SO much to contribute. I’m sure the entire Colbert Nation pines for you. Mittens come back to us. We all miss you so


  38. Marie Says:

    Unfortunately, the general public, and all repugs, have very convenient memories. Repugs like Romney, MCain, Huckleberry, et al carelessly criticize any democrat for anything the repugs deem an infraction, totally dismissing that their guys may have done, and are doing the same actions. No one will remind them that they are wrong, and their words of today will be assented to by the viewing public, and the reporters, the pundits and the general media will all let their errors go without challenge.


  39. dbadass Says:

    Is it just me or would having a name like Mitt and being the male version of that Reese Witherspoon character have not been more than sufficient to earn daily beatings at your high school too?


  40. Max-1 Says:

    .

    HOW DOES ONE “FIX” A FACT?

    THEY DISTORT(R) AND LIE(R).

    What Romney is talking about are facts(R), NOT to be confused with facts, because facts live in reality and not in the (R)epublican Party.

    .


  41. Max-1 Says:

    The hair needs re-plugging.


  42. thirdparty Says:

    Isn’t this a cheap shot, considering that the Putin of 2001 is different than the Putin of now?

    Although, I guess Bush has meet with Putin more recently anyway, which would still be a rebuttal to Romney’s point.


  43. Pernell Says:

    From the Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler on C-span:

    http://www.btcnews.com/btcnews/1752

    [A]t his very first meeting with Putin, Putin told [Bush] a story about a cross that he had blessed in Israel that used to belong to his grandmother. People that are aware of this conversation at the State Department feel that the President got played by Putin. There is no cross. There was just some KGB story that he made up. But it had a real impact on President Bush. That’s when he walked out and said, ‘I looked into his soul and decided this is the guy I can work with.’ And for the longest time in the first term, if you talked to then National Security Adviser Rice, she always painted the relationship with Russia in very rosy terms. …”


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