Obama Unites France and China
02 April 2009 10:39 pm by Taylor Marsh
At the end of this day, President Barack Obama will have some serious points on the board. The House passed his budget, give or take a billion or two, with the Senate likely to pass it later tonight. On top of that was a G-20 summit that was not so notable for the $1 trillion pledged and what the leaders accomplished, but for a private moment that is now getting a lot of attention.
President Obama played mediator at a moment where Sarkozy of France and Jintao of China were heading the G-20 into turbulence. Obama stepped in.
According to sources inside the room, President Obama just played peacemaker in a spat between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Hu Jintao, President of the People’s Republic of China.
In the finaly plenary session among the G-20 leaders, Sarkozy and Hu were having a heated disagreement about tax havens. [...]
The back and forth orchestrated by Obama after a spat between two leaders over tax shelters first began with Sarkozy, with a note being passed to China’s Jintao, who Obama then talked to privately as well, with the help of translators. But the end result says a lot about our President, who was able to keep a rift from souring, even derailing the unity of a meeting that only has one day to get anything done.
It reminds me of what Obama said he was about back in May 2006, something I refer to often, which is especially appropriate today.
“I think that I have the capacity to get people to recognize themselves in each other. I think that I have the ability to make people get beyond some of the divisions that plague our society and to focus on common sense and reason and that’s been in short supply over the last several years. I’m not an ideologue, never have been. Even during my younger days when I was tempted by, you know, sort of more radical or left wing politics, there was a part of me that always was a little bit conservative in that sense; that believes that you make progress by sitting down listening to people, recognizing everybody’s concerns, seeing other people’s points of views and then making decisions.”- Barack Obama (on ABC’s “This Week”)
Read Tapper’s account and what went down. You won’t hear Germany or France grumbling, as was first expected. Something happened at the G-20 for Mr. Obama, who already has the attention of the citizenry, but now has a new relationship with world leaders.
“Well, if it’s just Roosevelt and Churchill sitting in a room with a brandy, you know, that’s an easier negotiation. But that’s not the world we live in. And it shouldn’t be the world that we live in.” – President Barack Obama
It’s been a very good day for the American President.
What a President…I really am proud to be an American.
There will be some who quibble about Obama not being on the side of Merkel and Sarkozy on regulations, but what they’re expecting is unrealistic. Also, on the tax havens, some will wonder why he’s trying to bring together the Big Bad Nations. But that misses the forest for the trees.
The quote about Roosevelt and Churchill is the quote of the day.
The G20 communique itself may be mostly symbolic but the process and the precedent has been set for future interaction and cooperation with these other countries that should pay dividends in the future when globally critical issues are on the table.
I have to agree with you Taylor. I just don’t see a global regulatory body being palatable to the American public. Geithner said tonight that that idea is not on the table, that in a global market regulation remains a sovereign prerogative. That’s a debate that will continue.
This is certainly an improvement over groping chancellors and having discussions with prime ministers with a mouth full of potatoes.
It remains to be seen whether that agreement comes to anything, but at least they could get past that and on to something else.
ha-
first Palin now Sanford…all bluster, predictable:
Sanford gives in on stimulus, will seek funds for S.C.
WASHINGTON — Gov. Mark Sanford will comply with a midnight Friday stimulus deadline and become the last governor in the nation to seek millions of dollars in federal economic-recovery funds for his state, aides said late Thursday.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/65407.html
GeoT says:
02 April 2009 at 11:39 pm
Another brilliant move by the WH this week, saying that the legislature could not force Sanford to take the money. By taking away Sanfords ability to say, ‘no thanks, but the state legislature can force me to take it’.
This way he was forced to put his money where his mouth was. Either he had to take the money or face the wrath of the people in SC. I could just see people picketing the Governor’s mansion. Evidently, he could too.
Another brilliant move by the WH this week, saying that the legislature could not force Sanford to take the money.
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As soon as I saw that from the White House, I knew what they were up to …
If someone must dig a grave, it must as well be the governors themselves …
Classic game of CHICKEN !
hc4bo says:
03 April 2009 at 12:19 am
LOL. Yep, Obama out-gamed them once again. All week Faux News has been touting this as a win for Sanford, wonder what they will be saying tomorrow. Nevermind, they will just make some more shit up.
The Obamas have made their mark in this world. Both the President and the First Lady have succeeded in showing that the United States DOES have intelligent and good people as leaders. I am very proud to be an American. First we have the First Couple visiting the Queen and the Queen telling Michelle to keep in touch. And we have the President being the peace maker between two country’s leaders. And yes Taylor, the quote of the day was really great. And Michelle going to the girls school and showing just a little of her own emotion because she IS so dedicated to educating all children.
“Obama Unites France and China”
Maybe this guy CAN walk on water!!
sec – I don’t know if Obama can walk on water but one thing is obvious he understands that creating an atmosphere for dialoge is important if we want to eliminate the hostilities and aggression that was featured in the past 8 years. Blessed are the peacemakers. I believe he has that ability and I hope he keeps using it. We need peace in this world. Let’s see what happens with N. Korea now.
Betsy says:
03 April 2009 at 12:38 am
Michelle going to the girls school and showing just a little of her own emotion because she IS so dedicated to educating all children.
I am very proud to be an American.
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So am I Betsy.
I like what djjl wrote in another post: “It was nice of Michelle to invite her husband along” The First Lady did us all proud.
I was always proud to be an American; not the flag waving type of American but one who was proud of the document that the Founding Fathers had given us to form a government, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that guaranteed our freedoms. Our beliefs and values as a free and democratic society. I always believed that the Constitution must be followed and to deviate from it could create chaos and anarchy. I was taught that no one is above the law, not even the POTUS. Then under the Bush/Cheney administration I saw a complete and flagrant disregard not only for the Constitution but international law as well. It was hard to be proud when what I saw was a usurping of the law like no administration in my lifetime had ever accomplished. At some point I believed that we might be headed for a dictatorship and tyrannical rule.
Jane Austen says:
03 April 2009 at 7:50 am
I was always proud to be an American; not the flag waving type of American but one who was proud of the document that the Founding Fathers had given us to form a government, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that guaranteed our freedoms.
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I think we should re-emphasis this in our schools from early on. Exactly what’s in these founding documents and why they were put there. In a way we need to leapfrog BACK past the distortions of recent years to the original, unambiguous basics that we were founded on.
GeoT says:
03 April 2009 at 8:33 am
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GeoT – I couldn’t agree more. One of the things that disturbs me terribly is that so many of our young people think that history, especially why we became who and what we are today, is not important. I had history and civics drilled into me. I was taugh two things – those who don’t know history are bound to repeat it and ignorance of the law is no excuse. Though I’m no Constitutional scholar I had enough of a foundation to understand when the Constitution was being mangled which under Bush/Cheney it was.
Anyone watching Obama’s townhall in Europe? He asked that any Americans in the crowd wait till he got back home and he’d do a townhall for them but he wanted to give Europeans an opportunity to ask questions.
Good morning all
Yesterday tunred out to be the great day I had planned on it being yesterday morning. A nod to GeoT
, btw.
secularhumanizinevoluter says:
03 April 2009 at 5:05 am
“Obama Unites France and China”
Maybe this guy CAN walk on water!!
Sec, sec, sec – NO – he can’t walk on water.
But he’s one hell of a swimmer.
And knows how to tread water when it’s needed.
Oh happy days……
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMmJVw470t4&feature=channel_page
Jane Austen and GeoT
One of the things that I think a lot of people miss, is we have opportunities to instill into our kids the fundamental reasoning of the American “experiment.” They need to understand why this is a republican democracy, etc.
For me, my view of politics as largely formed by my Catholic faith, and everything else was built on up. It is a far more complex world than many try to portray. It’s just easier for them to sell a simplistic message than tell the complicated truth.
Just can’t say enough about how nice it is to have a real President. Someone who can stand up and talk to the world like an adult. When was the last time we had a President who held a town hall meeting with people of the world? These are great days for America on the world theater, and the start of even better days.
angels81
Totally agree
djjl says:
03 April 2009 at 9:39 am
angels81
Totally agree
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me three.
djjl says:
03 April 2009 at 9:05 am
Good morning all
Yesterday tunred out to be the great day I had planned on it being yesterday morning. A nod to GeoT
, btw.
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someone turned in my dog… it’s a frame up I tell ya
she’s the sweetest dog on earth. The Animal Control officer came in and met Moose and gave her the official seal of approval… she’s still got a clean record
but apparently one of my new neighbors doesn’t like her.
All neighbors are nice. Maybe that’s your new mission – turn the neighbor into a nice neighbor.
djjl says:
03 April 2009 at 9:45 am
All neighbors are nice. Maybe that’s your new mission – turn the neighbor into a nice neighbor.
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ALL neighbors are nice? I wish that were true. I have no idea who it is, but I always make a point of introducing myself to the neighbors when I move to a new house and start off on a good foot so I’ve done my part. If someone doesn’t have the decency to come to me first about a problem, that’s their problem. Besides, like I said, Moose is a sweetheart, it was a bum rap.
this issue is growing in importance, Taylor had it up yesterday:
Women in Afghanistan
New Afghan law worries Nato chief
The law has been described as “oppressive” for women
Nato’s head says it could be difficult to persuade European countries to contribute more troops to Afghanistan because of controversial new laws.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7981340.stm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/
Iowas Supreme Court rules same sex marriage ban violates rights of gays and lesbians.
GeoT
My mistake – should have prof read – all neighbors AREN’T nice.
Good news from Iowa, now all we need is Ca to overturn that piece of crap they passed.
angels81 says:
03 April 2009 at 9:59 am
Good news from Iowa, now all we need is Ca to overturn that piece of crap they passed.
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Our State AG, Jerry Brown, has reversed his stance and is backing the challenge to Prop 8. I think there is a good chance the courts will throw the original Proposition out as unconstitutional.
djjl says:
03 April 2009 at 9:55 am
GeoT
My mistake – should have prof read – all neighbors AREN’T nice.
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that’s what I figured. I mean you’re cheery but not THAT cheery