Hatch: The World Is Just ‘Jealous’ ‘Because We’re So Powerful And Strong’

Today on Fox News, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) denied that the America’s standing in the world has fallen under President Bush. He insisted that world opinion of the United States is as strong as ever, though he admitted that other countries “naturally” experience “jealousy” of America:

HATCH: There’s a lot of jealousy of the United States, especially in Europe, and France in particular and some of the other nations as well. So naturally they’re constantly poking holes at the United States. … Yeah there’s some irritation with the United States but mainly it’s because we’re so powerful and strong militarily and economically and otherwise.

Watch it:

Other countries aren’t jealous; they’re fed up with the cowboy presidency of George Bush. A 2007 Pew study found that “[d]istrust of the United States has intensified across the world,” with anti-Americanism deepening since 2002, especially “among America’s European allies.” In a 2008 Readers Digest poll of residents of 16 countries, only five reported higher percentages of those calling themselves “pro-American government” than those “anti-American government.”

Just five days ago, European newspapers and researchers published a study clearly documenting how damaging the Bush presidency has been to the world’s opinion of the United States:

Hatch seems oblivious to how Bush’s policies have dramatically weakened the U.S. military and helped cause the financial collapse of America’s economy.