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

[Jenifer Cartwright]

I especially loved that this flap served to emphasize that this was a meeting of DEMOCRACIES... and, tho' Cuba wasn't permitted to attend under those guidelines,  Venezuela was, because Venezuela IS a democracy!! And yes, soooo great that the detracters are moving the title up on Best Sellers' lists! Gosh, an informed electorate, what next?? Keep talking, Newt... 
What a great start to the week eh??
 --Jenifer


--- On Mon, 4/20/09, Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com> wrote:


From: Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com>
Subject: [Peace-discuss] Thank You, President Obama, for Shaking Hands with President Chavez
To: "Peace-discuss List" <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
Date: Monday, April 20, 2009, 8:44 AM


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

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