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Stories From the Near Future
May 16, 2008 11:56 AM
FROM GUEST-BLOGGER RICK KLEIN, OF ABC'S THE NOTE
In a week where Sen. John McCain time-traveled four years to look back on his first term as president, maybe this feat from the current occupant of the White House isn't quite so impressive.
This morning, the White House issued a "fact sheet" about President Bush's meeting with King Abdallah of Saudi Arabia, detailing a series of agreements reached between the United States and the Saudi government.
From the fact sheet: "Today, President Bush met with King Abdallah to commemorate the 75th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia."
That's interesting, because -- as ABC's Martha Raddatz points out -- the fact sheet was distributed to reporters a full two hours BEFORE President Bush even LANDED in Saudi Arabia, from his previous stop on his Middle East agenda, in Israel.
Apparently, though, the phantom meeting helped accomplish "four critical agreements" between the Americans and the Saudis -- wonderful news in a time of record gas prices, right?
You ready?
"1. Saudi Arabia will join the 70 partner nations of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism."
"2. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will also join more than 85 states participating in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)."
"3. The U.S. will help the Saudis develop both human and infrastructure resources in accordance with International Atomic Energy Agency guidance and standards."
"4. The U.S. and Saudi Arabia will sign a Memorandum of Understanding in the area of peaceful civil nuclear energy cooperation."
Wow -- a memorandum of understanding! That plus $75 will fill up my Jeep.
Clearly, I jest; equally clearly, someone at the White House erred in putting this memo out before the meeting, or in not adjusting verb tenses before it went out.
I'm not naive enough to think that visits between heads of state are actually where the hard work of diplomacy is conducted. It's not like they need that meeting to get things done, of course.
But this is interesting to think about in light of the big news so far out of the president's Mideast trip -- his attack before the Israeli Parliament on the kind of foreign policy that just happens to fit with the GOP talking-points version of what Sen. Barack Obama espouses.
Not to minimize the importance of these other American priorities, but with the president in the Middle East (where so much of the oil that's so expensive is resting), we now have a blatantly political attack on a presidential candidate, in addition to a "global initiative," a "proliferation security initiative," a vow of "human and infrastructure resources" to help the IAEA, and a "Memorandum of Understanding" on "nuclear energy cooperation."
Martha Raddatz notes that the president has not scheduled any press conferences for his trip.
The meetings are going well though, we hear.
UPDATE: Per Bloomberg News: "Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, rebuffed a call by U.S. President George W. Bush to pump more crude for a second time this year, saying it would only boost supplies to meet customer needs."
-- Rick Klein
May 16, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (23)
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Mmm Nadar and the libertarian sound good in November.
NEVER OBAMA!
Posted by: HP Boston | May 19, 2008 9:25:23 AM
IMPEACH Bush and Cheney it is way past time!
They both belong in jail, Git-mo sound about right.
Posted by: HP Boston | May 17, 2008 11:17:43 AM
I thought dirty political in election has never happened in US.
It happened in other countries.
The other countries have been watching our election. Don't think they don't know what is going on here.
All over the world can access to internet.
What a shame.
DNC screw up.
Posted by: catleya | May 17, 2008 1:28:24 AM
Wag, wag... wag the dog.
The Administration apparently has given Kreskin a job. I see a meeting with a Saudi. I see the President sitting down and trying to look like he knows wtf he is doing in this land with these people who wear different clothes and speak a different language and have lots and lots of oil.
Posted by: LL Barra | May 16, 2008 8:05:40 PM
lend an ear,
I like that!! Vote for McCain the patriotic mench!!! Great T-shirt!!! Get it copyrighted, quick!!
Posted by: countallthevotes | May 16, 2008 7:22:29 PM
Beth,
The criticism of the Repubs is that the Dems are worried that Obama will loose in the GE once these video clips are exposed, not that their nominee is a racist. Actually, good point!!
Posted by: countallthevotes | May 16, 2008 6:28:19 PM
Beth,
I have also seen the same thing. Repubs have video clips of Michelle Obama damning "whitey." If this is true, it will be a disaster for the Dems if he is the nominee!!
Posted by: countallthevotes | May 16, 2008 6:23:17 PM
Mary,
You are exactly right!! Obama was 20 points behind in the MI polls. He and Edwards decided to withdraw their names as they were both far behind and they both sought to curry favor with the early primary states to preserve their early preference in the primaries. Further, both Obama and Edwards actively campaigned in MI by having their surrogates tell people to vote "uncommitted." That was a direct violation of the pledge that they signed which explicitely prohibited campaigning. Their campaign for the uncommitted votes is well documented on radio, on local politicians websites, via telephone calls etc. Obama and Edwards choose to withdraw their names and both actively campaigned for the "uncommitted" votes.
Posted by: countallthevotes | May 16, 2008 6:21:18 PM
This would be dynamite -- There's talk on Democratic sites that supposedly senior Republicans have video of Michelle Obama ranting and railing against "whitey," while at the Rev. Wright's church. Here's a link to one of the stories.
Posted by: Beth | May 16, 2008 3:12:46 PM
Obama's name was on the Michigan ballot until he removed it. Seems he was 20 points behind Clinton in the polls at the time. And it was Obama's supporters who blocked another vote in Michigan after the Clinton campaign had reach an agreement for another election. He is just another member of the Chicago Combine dirty political machine, fixing the election, it seems. And more news about the Rezko/Obama connection is coming out every day. Interesting stuff. He and Rezko are from the same fiber.
Posted by: Mary | May 16, 2008 2:47:36 PM
HRC: 16,691,639
BHO: 16,648,060
Those numbers are real. This is what the Democrats face in the General Election. The difference will be a groundswell of women defecting to show the DNC that they simply will no longer be taken for granted or subjected to the harassment of the nutjobs at MSNBC, ABC, and CNN.
Lysistrata 2008.
Posted by: len | May 16, 2008 2:24:57 PM
The DNC is fully screwed up. It is inconceivable how these idiots came up with these rules and stick their gun to it, including double counting and fundamentally un-democratic caucusing. But, that really is a separate issue.
Given whatever these rules, do not hide and brush away votes from FL and MI. You can perfectly argue that the total votes do not count, according to your rules, but you cannot diminish the fact that, at least as it is now, HRC has more votes than BHO.
Posted by: Olbermn3 | May 16, 2008 2:24:22 PM
Olbermn3 :
HRC: 16,691,639
BHO: 16,648,060
This DNC finds it perfectly acceptable to count all the misvotes begotten in their fracas-caucuses.... most notably, in Texas.
The media is happy to hide errors..like the double counting of over 30,000 votes in B O's favor in North Caraolina.
It didn't matter here... but what if this also happened elsewhere? (like in Indiana.....)
The DNC also permits their delegates to SELL their/our votes to the highest bidder.
Give me Hillary..... or I'll take Mccain; at least he's a patriotic mench!
The DNC
Posted by: lend an ear | May 16, 2008 1:58:16 PM
Even though I strongly support Hillary Clinton, I agree that Michigan's votes should not count, because Obama was not on the ballot. HOWEVER, Michigan should have a re-vote with the CURRENT candidates, and every vote should count! If BHO wins, so be it, but disenfranchising ANY state is just plain wrong.
Posted by: Rhys | May 16, 2008 1:21:45 PM
Instead of trying to sweet-talk King Abdullah into selling us more oil (and making us MORE dependent on the Muslims), why don't we tell the enviros to shut up and let's drill our OWN oil!
Posted by: Rhys | May 16, 2008 1:13:18 PM
Hey ABC News. Why don't you cover the McCain corruption? McCain was paid off by lobbist to push their goals. What about covering the keating five when you talk about Obama vs McCain and each having ethics?
Posted by: Hill | May 16, 2008 12:49:09 PM
Owen.. Why on earth would the Saudis sell off all of their oil at discounted prices while we horde ours?
Posted by: flyover | May 16, 2008 12:31:27 PM
An error perhaps. It does point out the importance of negotiations being compleated before the Heads of state meet.
Most CEO types are careful of not letting others in talks control the agenda. Picture the horrific press releases after the "No pre-condition talks" Obama speaks of are done
I would rather the professionals at State lay the ground work
Posted by: flyover | May 16, 2008 12:28:52 PM
dl,
To add, those numbers are without the votes of IA, NV, ME, WA.
Lets not forget this is a delegate race, that's why we have the magic number of 2025.
Obama is now within 120.5 delegates from capturing the nomination.
And a Clinton SD from MD will be switching to the Obama camp.
Posted by: Vanessa | May 16, 2008 12:19:59 PM
There is no more value left in this Dems Party but only number and delegates....
People need to put their country first and vote for the best one to lead us...
Posted by: True Truth | May 16, 2008 12:17:36 PM
Even the Saudis see the President as an empty suit and a wind bag. He can't get them to increase oil production to ease the pain of high cost of gas to ordinary Americans.
Posted by: Owen | May 16, 2008 12:16:57 PM
Olbrman3
enoguh those numbers are fake... they include an election where Obama's name was not on the ballot and another where he didn't campaign so they voted for the candidate thatwas their first lady for 8 years...where the numbers ended up similar to every state before they campaigned.
as far as this post...
McCain and the Republicans are done ...they have to be. No more lies.
Posted by: dl | May 16, 2008 12:07:23 PM
HRC: 16,691,639
BHO: 16,648,060
I don't care who you choose based on your phony rules, but a true Jeffersonian democracy counts votes, by the rule of one person one vote.
Posted by: Olbermn3 | May 16, 2008 11:59:38 AM
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