Associated Press
Mitt Romney's unpleasant trip to the U.K. last week quickly became the stuff of legend. No one can even remember the last time a prominent American politician traveled abroad, visited with officials from a close ally, and bungled an excursion this badly.
Perhaps the Republican presidential hopeful would have more luck in Israel? Not really.
Initially, Romney's team said it would bar U.S. reporters from covering an Israeli fundraiser, but in the face of criticism, the campaign reversed course. Worse, Romney's top foreign policy aide, Dan Senor, suggested to reporters that Romney is prepared to support a unilateral Israeli military strike on Iran, and the campaign spent the next few hours scrambling, trying to carefully "clarify" Senor's comments, without actually rejecting his underlying point.
Perhaps the most notable embarrassment came shortly before Romney arrived. The Republican has spent months boasting about his close, personal friendship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, only to have Vanity Fair publish this item over the weekend:
"I remember him for sure, but I don't think we had any particular connections," [Netanyahu] tells me. "I knew him and he knew me, I suppose."
Making matters slightly worse, Romney scheduled a meeting with the leaders of Israel's Labor Party, only to make a "last-minute cancellation."
This was supposed to be Romney's first real audition on the international stage, intended to prove that he can command respect and admiration. The U.S. reputation around the globe, Romney argued, would improve under his bold leadership.
That, at least, was the thinking a week ago. Now, every fear that Romney was not quite ready to sit at the big kids' table has been confirmed, and his foreign excursion is increasingly looking like a fiasco. Jamelle Bouie noted yesterday, "If Mitt Romney were a Democrat, his behavior on this foreign trip would all but disqualify him from the presidency."
Agreed. The question at this point is whether the former one-term governor, the least experienced major-party nominee in more than 70 years, who apparently can't even make brief foreign visits to allies without embarrassing himself, is actually prepared to lead.
Incidentally, Romney's speech in Jerusalem was problematic, in and of itself. Zack Beauchamp flagged an interesting excerpt:
"We cannot stand silent as those who seek to undermine Israel voice their criticisms. And we certainly should not join in that criticism. Diplomatic distance in our public between our nations emboldens Israel's adversaries."
It certainly seems as if Romney is making the case that the United States shouldn't disagree in public with Israel -- ever.
Romney really would have hated Ronald Reagan.
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I think we know how the right would take it if a Democrat "nominee" was going around the world debating our foriegn policy while a republican sat in office.
Not only is Mitt exposing them to his ignorance but he is undermining the Presidents authority.
And that is what the teapubs always do. They don't undermine the President as much as they undermine the US and any and all deals we have with other countries to make the US look like the hated idiots we become when the teapubs get into office and start wars for profit for their rich friends.
regarding that cancelled meeting; the liberal isreali publication haaretz has details the cnn article steve links to left out....
------------
Romney went into a meeting with Netanyahu at the Prime Minister's Bureau in Jerusalem. Minutes before the meeting, the candidate's staff contacted Herzog [a member of the opposition party] to inform him that their scheduled meeting with him had regrettably been cancelled, “for reasons of protocol.”
Herzog was dumbfounded to hear of the cancellation on two hours' notice.
Herzog and Yacimovich have no doubts: Netanyahu, or his people, didn't approve of the Yacimovich meeting and pressured Romney to cancel it – and succeeded.
full story
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/minutes-before-netanyahu-meeting-romney-cancels-on-yacimovich-1.454425
Doing what the leaders of other countries tell him to do. Yep. He's real leadership material for the US.
To give some context on this - the opposition in Israel is fragmented and weak, but Yechimovitch (hard to transliterate... leader of the Labour Party) was actually starting to look good in polls. She is a long-time activist in social matters, but lacks national security gravitas in the eyes of the public, and this is a very macho and militaristic country, so women in general are by default not considered strong on security.
As she was having some political momentum, and since elections could be called in the next few months, giving her foreign policy credibility would be a political disaster for Netanyahu, obviously he wouldn't allow that. Netanyahu is not known for the subtlety of his political moves, which are as clumsy as an ox in a china shop. Then again, Romney is hardly a paragon of finesse either.
"Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3) - bible quote seemed appropriate here...
The Bolton Gang advising Romney is inept. It has always been inept. It will always be inept. You can't expect them to handle any substantive foreign policy assignment with any level of competence. As a group they are unable to organize a 2 car parade. They are ideologoical dunderheads who think America is all powerful. Real foreign policy is beyond them. The Neo-Cons led us into an unnecessary war with Iraq. They hunger to lead us into an equally unnecessary war with Iran.
Romney is disqualified by virtue of his connection with Dan Senor, John Bolton and the rest of the Neo-Con twits. I think it is time we voted all of them off the foreign policy island.
Is the MSM disqualified for deliberately misquoting Senor? AP, Bloomberg, and Reuters all got it wrong. On purpose. As did CBS and NBC. "Respecting" a decision wasn't helpful to Obama so they thought they'd change it to "back" a decision, possibly including our participation.
Apparently journalists no longer need to reproduce real quotes. They'll just make up stuff to impugn Republicans and ignore actual words from Obama. It seems honesty can't be expected from the MSM.
Well Romney uses Obama's 'real words' but snips and cuts and edits so they say the opposite of what he actually said. This your kind of 'literalism'?
Blanks, you had to twist yourself into a verbal pretzel for that really lame response. You should work for Robme's campaign. Really.
Shooter, let's face it - your candidate is a dud, period! And the corporate owned lamestream media will print whatever propaganda that keeps them employed. Come please, join the real world, see that you've been duped by people that really don't have your best (our the nations) economic interests at heart.
Well, whattaya know, Pooper242 did show up to give us our daily demonstration of just how damn dumb a wingnut moron is. Thanks Pooper, always good to remember just how moronically stupid one has to be to flunk the IQ test low enough to be one of you goose-stepping droolers.
Remember this when dealing with Shooter 242.
(h/t OnceARepublican)
Comment from shooter242 on how to troll:
Was there something in there you think is offensive? Or do you believe contrary voices shouldn't be allowed? That's mighty authoritarian of you.
Shooter, I for one am not opposed to contrary voices if they stay on topic and say something intelligent. What ya got?
The trolls constantly pretend that their malicious misinformation is an "honest opinion", etc.
MsJoanne,
http://moelane.com/2012/06/09/troll-hunting-101/
By the way, Moe has the right idea about how to treat trolls.
Here's another one:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2012/07/17/the_nuances_surrounding_outsourcing_284980.html
Shooter (but I have to admit I like the term "Blanks" for you too!),
You admit to being a troll, and THEN WHINE when you are caught at it - go figure!! "Contrary voices" my arse!!!
At least he didn't bow and scrape.
Yes, but one does wonder if Rmoney will ask to visit Auschwitz while he's there..
Come on, Shooter. You know as well as anyone that Republicans have also followed that kind of diplomatic protocol - Poppy Bush, Nixon and Reagan, to name a few. Mitt went above and beyond, apparently prostrating himself to the neocon powers that be.
In wingnut Coocooland, giving Netanyahu's shoes a tongue-shine doesn't qualify as "bowing and scraping." Good to know.
Oh that's right Obama hasn't been to Israel as president has he....
@David - Obama's $70 million worth of aid has been to Israel. I'm sure it was a most welcome guest.
And Robme sure as hell ain't President is he...
So why not visit to a friendly state in the region?
Donna J Edmond
Nope but it's only 99 more days :D
Obama: 281 Electoral College Votes
Robme: 181 Electoral College Votes
Keep dreamin, troll, keep dreamin. :D
@David, on a serious note, I would wager that given the long and ongoing negotiations with Iran, it would not be helpful for the POTUS to do a high-profile visit to the same country whose leaders are currently beating the drums for a pre-emptive strike on Iran.
That is the problem june. The right wants another war.
RWNJ are so childish... What are they 2 years old? (Pres. Obama didn't come to my country, so we don't like him)... It doesn't matter that this admin. been more pro-activities than his predecessors in standing and defending Israel... Pres. Obama admin. save their butt numerous times from diplomatic disaster from their neighbors and international world... But the brain dead want the Pres. to come to Israel and whole their hands... GROW THE HELL UP..
What is it that Romney, Adelson (who is also there for a Romney fundraiser) want from the U.S.? President Obama has said that we will back Israel and we support Israel and has taken the lead in the way numereous sanctions against Iran trying to get a peaceful resolution. Is it that Romney, Republican, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Adelson want the United States to attack Iran for Israel?
Why doesn't Adelson build Casinos in Isreal, Palestine and Iran than buy their Governments and he can sit around and play war with all three of them, but stay the fudge out of our government.
Other than doing exactly what Nitwityahoo wanted him to do in the field of Israeli politics, regardless of what it did to America's ability to remain in good communication with all parties. That certainly qualifies as something you droolers would be up in arms about if a Democrat had done it, Pooper.
David: so nice to see you aren't so stupid you can't follow Pooper242's directions perfectly, just like a good little goose-stepper.
I guess Shooter would prefer that Romney perhaps hold hands and kiss foreign dignitaries, like Bu$h and a certain Saudi sheik?
"... And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Jerusalem to pander?"
(Yeats, newly discovered early draft of The Second Coming, coinciding with Romney's visit to Israel)
It continues to be quite difficult for Mitt to have a face to face with top allies since his head remains up his ass. Why is it always Shooter 242 who feels he needs to be the one to clean the sh-t off of Mitt? Let Mitt actually do his own speaking.
My comment from another thread:
NPR also had a blip about this during morning edition, but I can't find a readable link, the audio of the show will have it.
Copy paste: freerepublic.com/focus/news/2912316/posts?page=4
Romney opened his mouth and inserted his foot. He needs to understand that you can't broker peace with the Palenstinians if this is the mentality:
Way to go, Mitt.
"A more advanced culture" - there is a recurrent theme, here. First it was a "shared Anglo-Saxon heritage", now this business. Since "America is the Greatest Nation on Earth", more American = more advanced, no?
Next thing you know, he'll be visiting Asia and quoting Kipling's poem "The White Man'd Burden" (to bring, through Empire and colonialism, civilisation to the supposedly benighted savages of the world.)
@Knobson - thanks for pointing us to that, but since it will be a cold day in hell before I give that website any hits, I've posted a link to the Guardian's coverage:
Mitt Romney: Israel's economic success over Palestinians 'due to providence':
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/30/mitt-romney-israel-economic-success
After reading this, I don't think the Brits went too far in dubbing Romney, "the American Borat."
Thanks for the guardian link.
I had a devil of a time tracking that link down, trying to ask the search engine a question about a blip on NPR I heard this morning.
No prob! :)
Here is a link to the story: http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/ap/news/nation_world/20120730_ap_romneycommentsatfundraiseroutragepalestinians.html?c=r about the comments RoMoney made about Palestinians.
oops! Didn't see the link to the Guardian.
He can't help himself, he really sees the world this way: hierarchized by race, ethnicity, religion and above all wealth.
It is a strange doctrine of several variants of Christian doctrine, that wealth in this world is proof of God's favour. Strange, I call it, since the New Testament is quite vehemently opposed to the accumulation of wealth in this world, claiming that it imperils one's prospects in the Afterlife.
"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24) - but this odd doctrine is particularly entrenched in American christianity, so it's hardly a surprise.
To call Mormonism a variant is generous very generous .
It is a cult and a business . That's all
http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon410.htm
Tax exempt too - what a deal
Bush molesting Merkel immediately comes to mind, and my memory's not even that good.
A little less hyperbole, please.
You do seem to have a pretty good imagination though. Typical EDD & Maddow Zombie mentallity. No pun intended.
Construing a criticism of Benen's writing as a Bush dig requires considerably more imagination than making the criticism itself.
When does Rmoney go to Africa? That should be extraordinary! Oh wait, he's just a click away isn't he.. Get ready..
May any and all deities in earshot preserve Africa from that fate!
A couple inexperienced and dufus mistakes come to mind. Like when Michelle arrogantly tapped the Queen on the "back" and Obama made a fool of himself saluting to the Queen while the Royale band was playing. This was a horrible embarassment to the USA. The world was lauhing at us. Remember ?
Nah, the world was charmed. You only heard the right-wing here in America chortling peevishly amongst themselves. They've never stopped hating Obama for being a better candidate, with better ideas, than any Republican in the past thirty years. Now, Romney overseas? THAT'S what it sounds like when the world is laughing at us.
Nobody minds the odd beginner's mistake. It's when they are coupled with the arrogant assumption that the speaker knows better how to manage your country/projects than you could possibly do, and will graciously condescend to permit you the benefit of his vast(!) experience and wisdom, that people get annoyed. Even our own royal family know better than to be that condescending to any individual in this country. Goodness knows it would be all over the tabloid press if they were! And in Romney's case, of course, it had the added factor of being delivered in a self-serving and boastful manner. ('Oh yes, I met with the Prime Minister and head of MI5: that's just how important I am, don't you know.') Twit.
One more for the road. I'm proud that Romney didnt declare himself as a citizen of the world as Obama did while campaigning in Germany.
@Thereugoagain - I'll take our guy's "citizen of the world" any day over your guy coming home from abroad having been branded, "Mitt the Twit," "Romneyshambles" and a "racist."
Thanks much for the daily celebration of wingnut ignorance. It's always helpful to realize just how stupid you people have to be to be one of you.
American nationalism has become virulent and ugly.
Ah, now, don't forget 'wazzock', June. That was great! While it does mean daft or stupid, as discussed previously, I don't think it's full, dismissive beauty has been understood across the pond. It indicates a stupid person who is no problem, no reason for anxiety or concern. More like a village idiot: someone who probably needs to be looked after a bit, because he can't manage sensibly for himself. You don't expect much of a wazzock, you just have to be forbearing because they can't help it.
Mitt Romney: "You Jews sure are good money-makers." Jews: "And we had no idea Mormons are so fond of bombing." #romneyshambles #mittzvah
Hmm - Mitt's coming out party to the world as his Bar-Mittzvah, not bad.
"The question at this point is whether the former one-term governor, the least experienced major-party nominee in more than 70 years, who apparently can't even make brief foreign visits to allies without embarrassing himself, is actually prepared to lead." [for some reason I am unable to "quote" this!]
Question? Remove the "whether" from the statement!
What experience did Obama have. ?
Hillary needs to pull this fool's passport quick - before he does any more damage to US prestige!
I assume Hillary has arranged her schedule to make followup appointments in each country shortly after Mitt leaves, in order to repair the damage and tell them "Pay no attention to that man behind the expensive suit!"...or maybe "Forgive him for he knows not what he does." Guess that one wouldn't work so well in Israel.
I was thinking that Obama would have to go on an apology tour after Willard comes back just so Willard could say: "See! All he does is apologize to these countries!"
Sorry to be a stickler to facts but in this segment Rachel and the Maddow show made a BIG mistake.
She said israel has a health care of regulated private insurance ...
BIG MISTAKE , Israel is a single payer system , as an Israeli cancer survivor I should know, private insurance is only to augment the regular HMO , you can get better options above regular like choosing where to do elective surgery ( like my mothers cataract surgery ) but regular health care is paid for by the goverment , u actualy pay a health tax from yor salery and there is no way a basic health care need will not be provided for.
This strengthens your point even more about Romney praising a socialist system , but it was still an error . The goverment charges u a dedicated tax (86 NIS per month or 3.8 % up to half the avg salery or 4.8 % for the rest of us ) to pay for the basic ( and quite extensive ) health care which u then can augment with private insurance which can not cover the basic care but only the extra services or other costs ( like the taxis too and back from chemo etc ).
It is single payer , as befiting a socialist country ( we were fonded by the socielist parties hence the Labor party ... )
see total costs :
http://middleeast.about.com/b/2010/03/20/health-care-in-israel-better-cheaper-fairer.htm
JIK
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