Obama Takes Issue With Bush Foreign Policy Speech

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Obama Takes Issue With Bush Foreign Policy Speech

May 15, 2008 9:57 AM

ABC News' Ed O'Keefe Reports: The Obama campaign is taking issue with a comment President Bush made while speaking to the Knesset on the 60th anniversary of Israel's statehood.

"Some seem to believe we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals, as if some ingenious argument will persuade them they have been wrong all along," the President said to the country's legislative body, "We have heard this foolish delusion before. As Nazi tanks crossed into Poland in 1939, an American senator declared: 'Lord, if only I could have talked to Hitler, all of this might have been avoided.' We have an obligation to call this what it is –- the false comfort of appeasement, which has been repeatedly discredited by history."

Watch video of Bush's comments on terror HERE.

In a statement, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., shot across the bow: "It is sad that President Bush would use a speech to the Knesset on the 6Oth anniversary of Israel's independence to launch a false political attack. It is time to turn the page on eight years of policies that have strengthened Iran and failed to secure America or our ally Israel. Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power -- including tough, principled, and direct diplomacy - to pressure countries like Iran and Syria. George Bush knows that I have never supported engagement with terrorists, and the President's extraordinary politicization of foreign policy and the politics of fear do nothing to secure the American people or our stalwart ally Israel."

ABC News' White House troops point out that the President has made similar statements in the past and Bush did not specifically cite Obama by name, though he did reference Sen. William Borah's immortal reaction upon hearing that Hitler had invaded Poland and begun World War II, something he has not highlighted in the past.

"(The President) has said similar things before," a White House official told ABC News' Martha Raddatz. "But it is in reference to a number of people, think Carter, others who have engaged in this or suggested it."

White House spokesperson Dana Perino was asked if Bush's line was a slam against Obama and she insisted, "It is not."

"I understand that when you are running for office sometimes you think the world revolves around you. That is not always true and it is not true in this case," Perino added, though the White House is keenly aware of how such statements might play during a heated political season and has steadfastly avoided commenting on the 2008 race.

Late Thursday that notion seemed to be confirmed.

"Did we know this could be construed as being about Obama? Yes, of course," a White House source told ABC News. "But was this about just Obama? No, it was about Pelosi, Carter, Biden, Obama, etc. When the line went in the speech, we made sure that it was the same as everything (Bush) has said in the past. This was not about just Obama."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Cali., did not take kindly to the remarks calling Bush's statement "beneath the dignity of the office of the president" in her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill.

Pelosi alluded that presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., should distance himself from Bush's assertions in Israel, repeatedly saying "any sensible person" would.

In an ABC News interview with the President in April, Bush told Raddatz, "I've said the president's job is to solve these issues diplomatically first and foremost. But, of course options need to stay on the table."

Vice President Dick Cheney has been more direct in criticizing the 2008 Democratic candidates, although still not by name.

"The idea that we can walk away from Iraq is, I think, terribly damaging on its face, and to say that, 'well that's the only way we can get the Iraqis to take on responsibility,' I don't believe that's the case," Cheney said in a March interview with ABC News.

Without addressing the Democratic candidates specifically, the vice president said those who want to pull out of Iraq are "seriously misguided," adding that the presidential candidates would be risking an attack on the homeland if U.S. forces withdrew, and arguing that terrorists would find safe havens in other countries.

Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., both have said they'd withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq if elected president. Sen. McCain has advocated a continued U.S. presence in Iraq until security and political situations improve.

When asked if he was talking about any candidate in particular, Cheney said, "I am talking about any candidate for high office who believes the solution for our problem in that part of the world is to walk away from the commitments that we've made in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere."

ABC News' Ann Compton, Jon Garcia, Sunlen Miller, and Martha Raddatz contributed to this report.

May 15, 2008 in Bush, George W., Hunter, Duncan, Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom, Thompson, Fred | Permalink | User Comments (1259)

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Right, because Bush's policy of shoot now, talk later has worked beautifully. Btw, how are those House elections coming along, President?

Posted by: Ryno | May 15, 2008 10:10:27 AM

Obama scares the hell out of me. I listened to his speech in Michigan last night, and he cannot possibly expect to deliver what he is promising. He'd bankrupt this country. Of course, we'll be destroyed by then anyway, so who cares? McCain is no conservative, but at least he will keep my family relatively safe at home, and that is what matters.

Posted by: Dave C | May 15, 2008 10:10:51 AM

But Obama DID say he wanted to negotiate with terrorists. Launching an attack on Bush does not change that fact.

Posted by: Darryl | May 15, 2008 10:12:27 AM

I love this theme that Obama will talk to our enemy. But yet he won't go on Fox News. What a brave man.

Posted by: Jon | May 15, 2008 10:12:28 AM

It seems now that all our leaders have to swear allegiance to a foreign country before they can have any legitimacy in the US. When are our leaders going to wake up to the fact that Israel's interests are not = to US interests? Probably never.

Perhaps the solution is to throw them all out and let the president, congress, etc take permanent residence in the Knesset.

Posted by: Madrid | May 15, 2008 10:12:28 AM

Obama knows he blundered when saying he'd negotiate with Iran, as if it would make them like us or something. Message for Barack: Iran hates us. Force is the only thing they understand.

Posted by: Rick | May 15, 2008 10:15:47 AM

What a mature way to deal with people who threaten you. Instead of speaking to them as peers, you point guns at them. Then you duck and scream when they point guns back at you. Foreign policy should not be conducted the same way as high school politics.

Posted by: Doug | May 15, 2008 10:16:34 AM

By the way, how many of you Americans have been attacked at home since 9/11? Must be because the terrorist aren't trying. Wake up you losers.

Posted by: Kevin | May 15, 2008 10:16:46 AM

I voted for Bush twice and I am proud of it

Posted by: mary | May 15, 2008 10:17:14 AM

Talking is okay as a first resort. It just has to be backed up with some stones, clearly, which Obama does not possess.

Posted by: Schratboy | May 15, 2008 10:17:42 AM

Dave I'm not sure you have been paying attention. The country is bankrupt. Your boy has borrowed anouther 4 trillion dollars. I would rather go bankrupt giving health care to americans than giving cash and blood to our enemies.

Posted by: BKL | May 15, 2008 10:17:59 AM

Obama is so clueless it's staggering!

Posted by: davenp35 | May 15, 2008 10:18:46 AM

So when the President of the United States is giving a speech somewhere, he is actually speaking in code to Obama? I don’t which is more dangerous, Obama’s arrogance, or his paranoia.

Posted by: Jerry Johnson | May 15, 2008 10:19:04 AM

Carter tried to talk to Middle East Terrorist and it never got our hostages released. He even tried it recently talking to Hamas, maybe the Pres speech was directed at Both Obama and Carter? Either way Islamic terrorist have plainly said join Islam or Die and Die if you are a Jew so how is talking to them going to change their minds on that?

Posted by: col.smeag | May 15, 2008 10:19:29 AM

Scoreboard:
Magic number needed to win 2025

Obama's state wins 32 lost 17, Delegate count 1890 +/-.

Clinton's state wins 17 lost 32,
Delegate count 1713 +/-.

Posted by: Lookup | May 15, 2008 10:19:37 AM

Hey Jon,
Obama was on Fox News Sunday on April 27.
Thanks for joining us.

Posted by: OMG!WTF? | May 15, 2008 10:19:55 AM

OTE: JOHN MCCAIN, the only sane vote for true Americans. A true war hero, patriot in the Oval Office.
Amen! justme2see

Posted by: mary | May 15, 2008 10:20:34 AM

I like the comment from WH spokesperson, Perino: " I know when you are running for office you think the whole world revolves around you......". For some reason the old Carly Simon song comes to mind - "You're So Vain".

Posted by: Steve | May 15, 2008 10:20:36 AM

How much foreign policy experience does Obama have? Oh yeah, ZERO! As a matter of fact, He hasn't really done anything, ever. NOTHING. But he can give a good speech though, right? Wise up folks, you're letting your hatred of Bush cloud your judgement.

Posted by: Drilling | May 15, 2008 10:21:02 AM

Yeah Tina, Bush is right. If we refuse to use dipolmacy, invade carelessly, squander our treasure on corrupt officials we place as head of foriegn governments and change our way of life, liberty and laws, then we'll have defeated terrorism. Vote republican, vote more of the same.

Posted by: JR | May 15, 2008 10:21:08 AM

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