- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Obama Defends Columbia's Ahmadinejad Invite
Email
ShareSeptember 24, 2007 1:07 PM
ABC News' Jonathan Greenberger Reports: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., defended the right of his alma mater, Columbia University, to invite Iranian President Ahmadinejad to speak, but he also said that if were president of the university, he would not have made the same decision.
"One of the values that we believe in is the value of academic freedom. They have the right to invite people to speak," Obama said during an on-camera press conference Monday. "It's not a choice I would have made, but we don't need to be fearful of the rantings of somebody like Ahmadinejad. All we need to do is just to know what our values and ideals are and be clear about what America stands for."
Obama said he would have denied Ahmadinejad the opportunity to speak at Columbia because the Iranian president has "other forums" available to him in New York, including his speech at the United Nations.
Still, Obama continued to insist that as president, he would be willing to meet one-on-one with Ahmadinejad.
"Nothing's changed with respect to my belief that strong countries and strong presidents talk to their enemies and talk to their adversaries," he said. “Listening to the views, even of those who we violently disagree with, that sends a signal to the world that we are going to turn the page on the failed diplomacy that the Bush administration has practiced for so long."
Obama's comments came at a press conference in New York where he was endorsed by the New York corrections officers union.
September 24, 2007 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (27)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
In response to "R"'s comments: "You all do realize, I hope, that "freedom of speech," is given not to "guests," but to citizens, those of us who support the constitution and love our country. "
Was Bollinger talking to you when he said ""You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated"?
So, what? According to your interpretation of the constitution, in the "land of freedom", foreigners are not allowed to speak freely? Should they be praising Amerrrrica the beautiful, the perfect, the promised land, 24/7 with a big smile on their face, instead of saying what they truly believe?
Posted by: Pete | Sep 25, 2007 6:28:35 AM
Obama got my vote...
Enough is enough!! If the world had engage itself to more dialogues among foes and friends, this world could have been a better place for everyone. On the other hand anyone who is against any dialogue with someone that they don't like is a fool because of fear thinking that its going to make you less of a person "Aucontraire mon frere" is quite the oposite.
Bottom line is, we have to learn on how to respect first ourself, then other people and their ideas, and beliefs. Then and only then, we will find a common groung to better understand one another. Its a small world people, we're going to have to learn one-way another on how to better understand one another.
If my statement make sense, please!! let us vote for a new change and for hope in our goverment. Let us put aside our ignorance and let us bring unity in 08 elction.
Make the right choice and that is Obama!!
Thank you all!!
Posted by: Wesner, Miami Beach, Fl | Sep 25, 2007 8:50:46 AM
Remmeber keep your friends close and your enemies closer!!!! Good job Obama!
Posted by: GETITSTRAIGHT | Sep 26, 2007 4:27:54 PM
I listened to Ahmedinejad's speech.It was brilliant.He talked about God, values,friendship,peace,love,brotherhood.He also talked about honesty, kindness.
It is sad that Lee Bollinger treated him rudely.It is also most unfortunate that the media is distorting what Ahmedinejad said.There is alot of small thinking in America.This is tragic!
Posted by: Collins Ayoo | Sep 27, 2007 2:09:37 AM
It doesn't matter what Ahmadinejad believes about Israel, Lee Bollinger acted like a fool. You don't invite someone to speak at your university and insult them in your opening remarks. He embarrassed himself, his academic institution and America. Politics are one thing, but if you are going to invite someone to have an intelligent conversation about the issues, you treat them with courtesy. If he wanted to insult Ahmadinejad, he shouldn't have invited him at all. If you want to debate the facts, do so in a mature and respectful manner. It's ironic that Bollinger was the one using the word "petty."
Posted by: J.D.P | Oct 16, 2007 10:56:48 PM
What does Obama think he can get Ahmadinejad to do by talking to him? Change his mind?
This is absurd. And someone as smart as Obama will have to learn it is.
Posted by: Shalom Freedman | Feb 24, 2008 5:00:35 AM
R, you clearly don't know much about the Constitution -- when it says "Congress shall make no law abridging freedom of speech," it has no parenthetical saying, "except abridging the freedom of non-citizens' speech, that's quite all right for Congress to do." The Founders wrote in absolutes.
Posted by: PG | Mar 5, 2008 1:47:03 PM
Post a comment
