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Obama Camp Disputes Some Perceptions Abroad

November 08, 2008 5:40 PM

According to the Web site of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, in a conversation yesterday between him, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and President-elect Barack Obama, the newly-elected American president said "that the anti-missile shield project will be continued."
 
Obama also "expressed hope that the political and military cooperation between the two countries will be continued," the Polish President's Web site says, per Bloomberg News.
 
Obama disputes this characterization.
 
Senior foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough in a statement said, "President-elect had a good conversation with the Polish President and the Polish Prime Minister about the important U.S.-Poland alliance. President Kaczynski raised missile defense but President-elect Obama made no commitment on it. His position is as it was throughout the campaign, that he supports deploying a missile defense system when the technology is proved to be workable."
 
In August, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the Polish government signed an agreement for Poland to host 10 interceptor missiles, but Obama has not been a forceful advocate of this program and Polish leaders are concerned that Obama may ultimately end the project.
 
"The American administration has changed. Whether the Americans' decisions will change, we don't know,'' Tusk told the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper. "If the Americans decide to stop or suspend the project, for example because of financial reasons, we will just accept this information. We can't build it ourselves.''
 
Russia opposes such a system, and almost immediately after Obama was elected Russia President Dmitry Medvedev announced plans to put missiles in an area between Poland and Lithuania to "neutralize'' the missile defense system.
 
Meanwhile, Hamas strongman Mahmoud Zahar told The Associated Press on Friday that he has hopes for President-elect Obama.
 
"We hope, we hope, that Obama opens a new page with the world, including the Muslim world," Zahar said.
 
But the message from the Obama camp: Not so fast, Hamas.
 
Obama senior foreign policy adviser Denis McDonough said in a statement: "President-elect Obama said throughout the campaign that he will only talk with Hamas if it renounces terrorism, recognizes Israel's right to exist, and agrees to abide by past agreements
 
-- jpt

November 8, 2008 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | Share | User Comments (77)

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As long Obama bad mouths America the other counties loved him.

Posted by: Anita Yova | Nov 9, 2008 12:05:08 PM

Does Obama think he can Play other nations leaders, as he did the American people?

They do not think he is God and does no wrong, they have watch all the wrong he did across America, They witnessed the lies, and the Rhetoric. They witnessed him going behind his countries back to other nations and playing games on the people.

They will not tolerate it. The American People should stop tolerating the double standard. Of how Obama disrespects his own Country and the American People with NAFTA.

He can not brainwash the entire world.

Posted by: seah | Nov 9, 2008 11:41:12 AM

Jake: The world is having one big Kumbaya party and you decide to stop on by and pop one of the balloons.

Just because you are doing your job as a journalist is no real excuse. When are you ever going to learn to fall into line?

For shame on you, Jake Tapper. For shame!!!


(wink)

Posted by: OBAMANATION [uh-bom-uh-NEY-shuhn] | Nov 9, 2008 11:39:15 AM

There was nothing wrong with Senator Obama press conference. It went well. The language like mutt like me is a joke on himself and signals that he is going to be free discussing about race. And we all should be free discussing about race. Secondly, the joke about Nancy Reagan was not out of taste but felt so only because Nancy Reagan never really engaged in seances but Hillary Clinton did. Thirdly, Ronald Reagan is not alive and it may just bring memories back. The question was stupid in the first place.

Posted by: vuzous | Nov 9, 2008 10:51:52 AM

Here, have a look at it one more time . .. it will help you understand the situation the country now faces . . ..

Here's how the Republicans ran the government.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNMENT
$421 Billion OVER BUDGET (2002)
$555 Billion OVER BUDGET (2003)
$596 Billion OVER BUDGET (2004)
$554 Billion OVER BUDGET (2005)
$574 Billion OVER BUDGET (2006)

This includes RECORD overspending.

Where did the Republicans think this money was going to come from? The moon?

From 7/11 and Macdonalds workers?

Posted by: pefros | Nov 8, 2008 8:50:48 PM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Why didn't you show 2007 with the democrats in congress in charge? 2008 was also a democrats year...hum, with the bail out...those democrats didn't do any thing wrong..Fannie Mae and Freddi Mac???? Wait until you see 2009 with Ogona at the helm with his demo congress...then come back and report.


Posted by: Lilly | Nov 9, 2008 10:40:49 AM

I was rather disappointed at president-elect Obama's first news conference. Although president elect Obama is good at making prepared speeches, he still not good at crispy, impromptu exchanges that’s a must for a President of the United States. We all know he made great acceptance speech, which he abruptly ended, for some reason─ breaking the excellent rhythm he kept. I think his first news conference was a near disaster. And his self-deprecating comment about “Mutt like me” was in very poor taste and completely inappropriate for the dignity of the office he now holds. I was shocked at that statement. And besides he made a snide remark about Nancy Reagan’s “Séances” for which he had to call her and apologize! I still think that Sen. Hillary Clinton would have done a much better job as the President of the United States─ from the get go!

Posted by: elytis | Nov 9, 2008 10:30:10 AM

I was rather disappointed at president-elect Obama's first news conference. Although president elect Obama is good at making prepared speeches, he still not good at crispy, impromptu exchanges that’s a must for a President of the United States. We all know he made great acceptance speech, which he abruptly ended, for some reason, breaking the excellent rhythm he kept. But we awere all very excited for him for his victory. But our newly elected president's first news conference was a near disaster. And his self-deprecating comment about “Mutt like me” is in poor taste and completely inappropriate for the dignity of the office he holds. I was shocked at that statement. And besides he made a snide remark about Nancy Reagan and about “Séances” for which he had to call her and apologize! I still think that Sen. Hillary Clinton would have done a much better job as the President of the United States in her first news conference!

Posted by: elytis | Nov 9, 2008 10:26:29 AM

Obama already planning first steps in the White House. Compiled at least 200 executive orders made by Bush that he will change.

Posted by: MM | Nov 9, 2008 1:26:50 AM
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ogona will probably downsize the CIA and FBI and not let them speak to each other and share info. That seems to be the way of the Democrats. Remember Clinton? I feel so much safer...hum.

Posted by: Lilly | Nov 9, 2008 10:22:44 AM

He needs Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State not Kerry or Richardson.

No other person will bring the heft and weight into that negotiating position.

Hillary Clinton needs to be in sec of state and Gates needs to be sec of defense.

Richardson or Hagel national security advisor

Posted by: dl | Nov 9, 2008 10:01:51 AM

Two Sides, One Mouth. Get used to it.

Posted by: Thank God for Karma | Nov 9, 2008 9:33:56 AM

Now I believe Obama will make a great President. That missile shield in Poland made no sense to me then and it still doesn't but Obama should insist that Poland and Czech should be allowed into NATO. I also support Obama focussing on the Economy fisrt,then withdrawing our troops from Iraq as responsible as possible, rebuild our defence and then focus on Afghanistan. Israel should be the next step after all theses. I like his message to Iran. A nuclear Iran is unacceptable. If he can carefully navigate all thses, he will be one of the greatest Presidents ever. He should never budge to Russia and at the same time, he sould not make them our enemies. We need Russia to pressure Iran and I think he understands this.

Posted by: vuzous | Nov 9, 2008 8:44:30 AM

Obama had time to talk to 15 tin-pot countries but is yet to talk to China and India. I can see his foreign policy inexperience oozing...

Posted by: vick | Nov 9, 2008 8:12:27 AM

Republicans just need to chill out

for say 50 make it 100 years...

you guys could not run the country

and you could not run your

election campaign... So why

so kick back and let the work you

could not do for the Past eight years

get completed .... thank you...

Posted by: Anita Yova | Nov 9, 2008 3:31:21 AM

and 1 more thang:
Republicans read this.... then.....
shut the hell up and quit yer bit*hin'...

'the Bush administration/campaign and the Republican party declared Bush's 2004 election victory a popular mandate to enact his radical agenda:

* Private investments accounts for Social Security
* A new tax system to reward savings and investment
* Reducing the costs to business of lawsuits and regulations
* Appointing more conservative judges
* Rallying the nation behind a pre-emptive, interventionist foreign policy, overlaid with a moral imperative to spread American-style democracy

On election night 2004, House Majority Leader Tom Delay declared, "The Republican Party is a permanent majority for the future of this country. . . . We are going to be able to lead this country in the direction we've been dreaming of for years."

At a news conference two days later, Bush declared that his election was evidence that Americans supported his plans to reform Social Security, simplify the tax code, limit lawsuits and fight the war on terror. He pledged bipartisan cooperation with "everyone who shares our goals." "I earned capital in this campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it," Bush said. "It is my style."

'When you win, there is ... a feeling that the people have spoken and embraced your point of view. And that's what I intend to tell Congress, that I made it clear what I intend to do as the president; now let's work.'

Posted by: Blue | Nov 9, 2008 2:21:02 AM

HH
re: 'I don't believe community organizing covered those issues and he will be in over his head.'

well, 'that one', you know the skinny community organizer, beat the whole republican party and is the next president of the U.S.

Maybe, you should wait and see what he does before you get any crazier in your wild assessments of his abilities.

Posted by: Blue | Nov 9, 2008 1:41:48 AM

I notice that some here say that Obama, Reid & Pelosi are going to ruin the country because they are 'extreme left' liberals.

What's amazing is that it seems these same folks think that things are great in America now, after the 8 years of 'far-right', Republican/neo-Con fundamentalist dogma and policy.

Everything is peachy keen right now in America...... right?

Since the 'far right' has brought the country to this moment, maybe, just maybe, it will take the 'extreme left' to fix it.

Posted by: Blue | Nov 9, 2008 1:29:35 AM

Obama already planning first steps in the White House. Compiled at least 200 executive orders made by Bush that he will change.

Posted by: MM | Nov 9, 2008 1:26:50 AM

Still voting "present", I see.

Posted by: John | Nov 9, 2008 12:28:26 AM

HH:

If it was so important to regulate the mortgage and loan industries - and if the Republicans were so committed to it - why didn't the Republicans do it when they had control of the White House, the Congress and the Senate for SIX YEARS?

Posted by: pefros | Nov 8, 2008 11:58:18 PM

Obama didn't campaign for universal health care. His only mandate is for children. That means if you have children, you will be required to get them coverage as well as pay for all those without children via that mandated coverage you will be forced to buy. He and Hillary debated that aspect of his health care plan a number of times, and he admitted that hers was a better plan if universal coverage of everyone was the goal. Gosh, didn't you even pay attention to your own candidate?

Posted by: Kitty | Nov 8, 2008 11:16:57 PM

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