[Peace-discuss] Thank You, President Obama, for Shaking Hands with President Chavez

[Robert Naiman]

The whole world was watching when President Obama shook hands with
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Most Americans, along with most
people around the world, want the U.S. to try to get along with other
countries, treat their leaders with respect, address disagreements through
dialogue and negotiation, and look for areas of potential cooperation
with countries with which we have disagreements on other issues.

But Republican Senator John Ensign wasn't happy: "I think it was
irresponsible for the president to be seen kind of laughing and joking
with Hugo Chavez," said Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich complained that by shaking Chavez' hand while
smiling Obama had helped cause Eduardo Galeano's "Open Veins of Latin
America" - the book Chavez gave Obama - to soar on best-seller lists.

The basic fact that the Right won't acknowledge is this: we just had
an election a few months ago, and Americans voted for the guy who
wanted to talk, not the guy who wanted to keep pounding the table.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/thank-you-president-obama_b_188895.html

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/4/20/93144/4027

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Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org