President Barack Hussein Obama was in Strasbourg France today, on the second part of what is being advertised as his "listening tour." (Yes, it's OK now to use his middle name, especially since he does. And yes, this is now officially a tour.)
While the mainstream media seemed to focus on the number of Americans called on by the president to ask questions at his French town hall meeting today, the larger reality of what was being said by the president seemed to glide right past their notice or care of noticing or reporting for that matter.
President Obama first admonished the Americans present in the crowd to stand down and allow his German and French and European friends to ask the questions.
"Now, I know there are some other Americans in the crowd, but do me a favor, Americans: Wait till we get back home, and I'll do a town hall there, because I I want to hear from my French and German and European friends."
But the real story in my opinion were the presidential apologies tendered as if his own personal mea culpa for what he perceived as the failures of his country and his predecessor. President Obama alternately apologized for Guantanamo and for what he portrayed as the arrogance of America toward Europe. After which he made these remarks as he attempted to solicit more European support for the war in Afghanistan:
"It is important for Europe to understand that even though I'm now president and George Bush is no longer president, al-Qaida is still a threat, and that we cannot pretend somehow that because Barack Hussein Obama got elected as president, suddenly everything is going to be OK," he said. "This is a joint problem. And it requires a joint effort."
Now that he has determined what is important for Europe to understand, perhaps it is time to address what is important for the current president of the United States to understand. And the first point to be made in his understanding, is that you don't go about apologizing or denagrating your country on foreign soil Mr. President.
That's something we (Americans) just don't do. The Dixie Chicks learned that lesson and I believe that it is about time that our president did also.
President Obama has spent the last year alternately campaigning as a president rock star of the world and now I suppose he feels an obligation to be apologetic and cozy with the Vichy socialists of Europe who helped finance his election (rock tour).
But when he gets back home from this "European listening tour", he is going to learn that regardless of the fact that he has taken delight in reminding us all of his having won the election, there still remains a significant number of Americans who did not vote for him. And they do not take kindly to his dismissive apologies for this country in front of non Americans. There are things that you may get away with in front of the home folks Mr. president, but there are things that you had better be mindful of when you are representing Americans in front of other segments of the world.
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