...I'm okay with being REALITY-based.




Wednesday, September 03, 2003
      ( 1:15 PM )
 
We Don't Find You Amusing Anymore, Mr. President

In another stunning feat of diplomacy, Richard Boucher, State Department spokesman, derided US allies as "chocolate makers" because of their idea to create a separate European Military Command, separate from NATO. I'm not kidding:

In unusually blunt language that drew surprised gasps from
reporters, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher
scoffed at Belgium, France, Germany and Luxembourg for
continuing to support the proposal that they first introduced
at a mini-summit in April.

He described the April meeting as one between "four countries
that got together and had a little bitty summit" and then
referred to them collectively as "the chocolate makers."

This is not a funny crack. This is a systemic problem this administration has - it's not just a few bad apples or misstatements from spokespeople. This is an attitude that is digging us deeper and deeper into a hole of isolation from the world and vulnerability to attack. And it is what is keeping our soldiers from getting the help they need to keep from getting killed on a daily basis.

Luckily, nowadays we have someone who has the kahunas to take Bush and his idiot administration on:

Howard Dean issued the following statement this morning
regarding the Bush administration's labeling of several European
countries as "chocolate makers": "The role of America in the world
today is at a crossroads. As we hear disturbing reports that more
American soldiers have been killed in Iraq, the Taliban has teamed
up again with al-Qaeda, and North Korea is threatening to test
nuclear weapons, one can only witness this Administration's conduct
of foreign policy with increasing dismay.

"Rather than reaching out to our long-standing allies in NATO--the
force best situated to help us stabilize Iraq--this Administration
continues to practice a foreign policy based on petulance, this time
referring derisively to Belgium, France, Germany, and Luxembourg as
'chocolate makers.'

"This President needs to understand that the reason the world
followed the United States in the past is because we exerted strong,
moral leadership that was a beacon to nations throughout the world.
We did not achieve that position by berating and brow-beating our
own allies--we achieved that by working respectfully and cooperatively
with them. When I am President, I will restore the honor, dignity and
respect that we once enjoyed but that this President has so recklessly
discarded."

I'm feeling more and more confident every day that this will not be a two-term administration. They are not fit to lead or serve this country and they should be gone in ...oh, just little over a year from now.

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