Much of the talk after the massive march for free speech in Paris this weekend was the absence of President Barack Obama with other world leaders. It was an embarrassment for our country and slap in the face to the French. Instead, the Administration sent Jane Hartley, one of its bundlers turned diplomats who were given a major appointment for raising money for the President. Even though Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris that very day, he did not even stick around to march with other leaders. The Administration is now admitting that it blew it but there is a mystifying lack of basic competence and foresight at the White House at such moments. Rather than attend the rally, Obama stated in town for a photo op with the San Antonio Spurs. It was a shameful image to leave with French. This was not the only such controversy over who was present and who was not.
In what is an astonishing was the outburst from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the appearance of Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu. The French had asked Netanyahu not to attend but he insisted that he would be there. The French then arranged for Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to attend as well. Erdogan however, lashed out at Netanyahu for “daring” to attend an anti-terror solidarity march as a leader of “state terrorism” against the Palestinians. He demanded that Netanyahu “give an account for the children, women you massacred.”
Many civil libertarians could ask for the same account from Erdogan who has rolled back on civil liberties, particularly free speech and free press rights in Turkey. For Erdogan to attend a free speech rally is like seeing former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad march at a gay rights rally.
Erdogan’s appearance only deepens the question of what the French are marching for in a country that has led the effort to regulate and curtail speech, including years of threats directed against the victims of these acts.
ebungalow,
My money would be on Abbas.
Perhaps Netanyahu was sent by Obama.
So Obama was actually honoring the will of American conservatism? Well that’s an interesting angle; again lacking reason but interesting nonetheless.
Conservatives despise the French so much that they changed “French Fries” to “Freedom Fries”! I doubt the French privately wish a country that hates everything for which they stand to now stand in solidarity with them. Let’s not be hypocritical.
“Where was Raul? Where was Putin? Where was the head of the UN? Where was the Pope? Where was JT?”
Barkindog,
You forgot President Bush. Anyway, I’m an American so I have expectations for OUR leader; not those of other sovereigns.
Olly Where was Raul? Where was Putin? Where was the head of the UN? Where was the Pope? Where was JT?” Okay where we’re they. Let’s put Obama into that group where he maybe belongs.
Obama had not duty to fly thousands of miles to Paris to hold hands with a bunch of Europeans! Why fall for this media (Fox was first) bashing on a really dumb issue? Where was Raul? Where was Putin? Where was the head of the UN? Where was the Pope? Where was JT?
There is a huge movement, CIA included, to get America into war in Yemen and elsewhere. The big need all along here has been for some allies. We have been basically going it alone in Afghanistan with token help from our so called NATO friends. Conspiracy theorists will have me listening to them when they claim that the CIA was involved in the Charlie Hedgehog killings. Now we have allies. At least France. Germany does not want to be in the forefront because of future Holocaust accusations.
With that in mind, why am I offended that the news media and JT are offended because President Obama (there I used the word President before his name- unlike others) did not fly to France to hold hands with these schmucks in solidarity? JT if you have any children you are obligated to get them to sign up for duty in the U.S. military and then go off to war for us. The stock market will rally even more when we go to war. Var is Hell. The Germans spell War just as we do but they pronounce it like its a V. Join in hand in hand for the War in Yemen. Coming to a theatre near you.
FogDog, that was awesome; completely disconnected from reason, but a tremendous effort. Well done indeed!
The lack of an administration official at the march caused a lot of consternation among the Europeans.
The President quietly boycotted this march. It shows his arrogance and lack of empathy for the occasion. Even Turkey sent its foreign minister. Despite its various criticisms it chose to at least show a measure of goodwill toward the French people. Our president, nothing. It is an embarrassment especially since President Obama’s chief sin eater Eric Holder was in Paris and could have simply attended. But he did not.
Nearly three million ordinary people chose to participate in this memorial march. But our president could not summon the courage to do so himself or at least send a representative in high office. Contemptuous.
Ross,
You may have a point, but to be sure; please cite the meeting(s) so we can put your statement into context and then compare that with this story. Then we’ll be able to determine which is worse.
It was sufficient for the US Ambassador to attend and NOT the president, vice president or a cabinet member. This made the leaders who attended appear to stand stronger which is needed in this situation. If such a march were held on US, Canadian or Mexican soil, I doubt those other leaders would attend. It was okay and those who are grousing should quit already.
Obama would have dropped what he was doing and gone to France in a jiffy if it included a golf outing and fund raiser event.
On n’apprend pas aux vieux singes à faire des grimaces.:
This is literally translated as “You cannot teach old monkeys to make faces,” and is similar in meaning to the English phrase “You cannot teach old dogs new tricks.”
This is the Optics-in-chief President; six years in, the imagery is exactly what he wanted it to be. The security of our nation is this man’s primary job. He had an option to fly to Paris to demonstrate America’s commitment by standing with her allies against Islamic extremism or meet with the Spurs and he chose the Spurs. That’s not a screw up; that’s a message!
I think the President needs a Common Sense Czar.
And France, indeed the world, understood.
“Message received.“
This was no PR gaffe.
it was entirely intentional.
Unfortunately, there have been any number of PR gaffes in the Obama administration. You would think there has to be some deputy in charge of making sure that dumb things (or things that **appear** to be dumb) don’t happen …. But I guess not. Somehow or other, the Republicans are masters of the art of always making the correct visual statement.
When bored George W. Bush used to just get up and walk out, right in the middle of an international conference offending world leaders. Not sure what is worse!
Remember, Obama said, “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.
He meant it, every word.
Obama skipped because he’s for the other side.
Will the Turkish president also be going after the Saudis who terrorize their own people by be headings and public lashings of “blasphemers”.
Apologies from Obama are not enough. Holder couldn’t go to the march. It might have offended a Muslim and it would have required sone courage!