Jackson Diehl moderated a panel on the administration’s human-rights policy. A human-rights activist from Burma (Win Min), Michele Dunne from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Amb. Michael Kozak from the State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, politely discussed the Obama administration’s dismal record. The crowd, filled with human-rights activists and scholars, reacted with restraint and even sympathy to Kozak’s plight: he was there to defend the indefensible and to take arrows for the administration. He is a well-traveled and respected foreign-policy figure and emerged with his reputation intact. The administration’s reputation is another matter.
Kozak stated the case: the administration cares deeply about human rights. Obama talked about it at the UN, is actively discussing democracy promotion in Egypt, and has joined the UN Human Rights Council to “speak truth” and engage on human rights. His fellow panelists were cordial but, to put it mildly, skeptical. The crowd sat in stony silence.
Win Min spoke with optimism about the recent release of Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi from house arrest but explained this was an effort to “deflect criticism” from the recent elections, which the U.S. and the West have roundly condemned. He urged the administration to step up sanctions, not relax them.
Dunne was quite tough on the administration. She reminded the audience that the Bush administration had made considerable progress on democracy in Egypt, but the perception now is that Egypt has been dropped or severely downgraded by the Obama team. She wryly noted that, after all, we have given the Mubarak government $1.5 billion in aid without any improvement, and indeed some deterioration, of human rights in that country. In the Q&A, Dunne was even more blunt. She accused the Obama team of coming into office with an “anything-but-Bush” mentality that derided the Bush freedom agenda. She explained that only now is the administration beginning to treat democracy promotion with seriousness, but having frittered away nearly two years, the administration is “behind zero.”
What could Kozak say? Well, he tried his best. We really are talking to Egypt about democracy, and although Hillary Clinton didn’t mention human rights or democracy promotion last week in her news conference with the foreign minister, we have to understand there are lots of issues on the table. On Iran, where was the administration with respect to the Green Revolution? Well, there was a concern that it would be like Hungary in 1956 — we’d encourage people to take to the streets but not be able to help them. (But weren’t they already in the streets?)
The problem with the administration’s human-rights policy lies not with the dedicated professionals charged with carrying it out. The problem is the president — who occasionally talks a good game but, when the chips are down, relegates human rights to the bottom of the list. Until there is a new president, Kozak’s job won’t get any easier.
After the session, I asked Kozak if the administration was conducting any evaluation of its decision to participate in the UN Human Rights Council. Weren’t we doing more harm than good by legitimizing the thugocracies? He smiled. He paused. No, there wasn’t any talk like that. But we had taken away the argument that the UNHRC is dysfunctional because we weren’t there! (Umm, so now it’s dysfunction with us there?) We’re going to see if we can make it better. One suspected that even he didn’t buy that answer.
When Commentary denounces campaign smears, that falls Somewhere between irony and outrageous chutzpah. After all, Commentary is the venue that introduced the Ayers™ tactic, which failed, the Khalidi™ tactic, which backfired, the Socialist™ tactic, which made McCain seem even more out of touch, etc.
Get a taste of your own medicine, then get some more when Republicans are wiped out on Tuesday. Senate 60, House 260, Electoral 311.
McCain is leading over Obama. I guess that’s what’s Obamatons grasping thinly before that Obama is leading on poll. Barack could not seal the deal.
I guess convincing voters to open their wallet was not convincing enough after all.
In the words of a great man, “God Helps Those Who Help Themselves.”
Make some calls for McCain-Palin. It is easy, not as hard to make cold calls as I thought. They give you script and it is easy to do. Make 5, 10, 15, as many as you want. Choose your battleground (I did Pennsylvania and it was a lot of fun).
http://www.johnmccain.com/PhoneBank/?guid=0A517F03-C3ED-4A24-A14A-3BD9D5F32F2F
I made calls and it is rewarding. More rewarding than stocking chicken feed, ammo, rice and beans for the coming bad times. You can pick your battle ground and do some good.
Eight years ago when McCain was throwing punches at Republicans who associated with the likes of Pat Robertson and Bob Jones, he was effusively praised by liberals like Joe Klein and others for his decency and honor.
Now, when he throws punches at Democrats for associating with the likes of Ayers and other radicals, he suddenly becomes a mean-spirited nasty campaigner.
Politics is a strange occupation, granted; but its strangeness still marvels me.
“PRINCETON, NJ — Barack Obama leads John McCain in Gallup Poll Daily tracking interviewing conducted Wednesday through Friday by an identical 52% to 42% margin among both traditional likely voters and expanded likely voters. Obama leads by a similar 52% to 41% margin among all registered voters.”
Translation for neocons in denial:
Gallup traditional LV; Obama 52, McCain 42
Gallup expanded LV: Obama 52, McCain 42
Gallup registered voters: Obama 52, McCain 41.
Les jeux sont faits, as they used to say in New Orleans, before Bush let that city drown.
There’s only one true syllable in the chuzpadik tag. Still, rather than trying to “breach the mainstream media’s protective mote” (which is actually at least a beam), shouldn’t we be working to drain the moat, crocodiles be damned? (No matter how racist that comment may be.)
#5: One had thought Jim Crow references were forbidden.
Reading the front page of the NY Times this morning, one would not know that there was an election on Tuesday. Just one small puff piece on how Obama’s supporters fear that he will lose.
Nothing about McCain’s recent surge. Not even a heart-warming description of how Obama went trick-or-treating with his daughter. Curious.
IBD-TIPP: Obama’s still hanging around 47/48% with McCain at 43/44% and almost 9% still “undecided.” Those numbers have changed remarkably little in three weeks. Obviously a lot of voters don’t want to spill the beans. I Wonder if they want to spread the wealth.
Here at the end, the press sees the handwriting on the wall and all of them are putting out, finally, meager attempts to make it seem like they are journalists who actually report news. Too little too late. The MSM thinks middle America are morons, and have no ability to research the issues for ourselves. It is they themselves who have proven their ignorance.
I even heard Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather talking on a public show this is how the conversation went something like this.
What is Obama’s position on China.
I don’t know what his position is.
I really don’t know much about Obama except what I read in his books.
UNBELIEVABLE.
They have had what, 2 years to vet their golden boy? Yet they have time to send dozens of lawyers and reporters to Alaska to “vet” Sarah. They have time to find out how much the RNC spent on her wardrobe after recruiting her to represent them. Do they know how much Obama spends on his suits? Do they find out how he ended up with a million and a half dollar home because of his dealings with Tony Rezco, a convicted felon? Everytime information comes out and largely by the foreign press, they ignore it, excuse it or cover it up. News organizations? I think not. Propaganda promoters…absolutely.
From the primaries, Obama has totally contradicted himself to try to appeal to middle America, yet nobody has questioned these contradictions. Which is it Obama? You can’t have it both ways. You are either a radical leftists or a centrist. You can’t have it both ways. It goes on and on and on.
Now we see pieces here and there actually that seem somewhat journalistic which is more telling than anything. They are waking up to the fact that they have totally failed their obligation to the American people to deliver objective, well researched news. Too late now. NYT downgraded to junk stock and junk science and junk news.
They are waking up to the fact that they have totally failed their obligation to the American people to deliver objective, well researched news.
They were dazzled by Obama’s impressive resume and brilliant campaigning.
As to substance, especially internationally, they completely failed us.
Obama says, for example, that we can’t afford to stay in Iraq, that we’re overextended. And yet he wants to go into (?) Pakistan. Or, be more aggressive there.
Or something.
Iraq is too expensive. But spending over a $100 billion more on the Global Poverty Act (sponsored by Obama) is okay.
Hmm.
Obama says that the realism and pragmatism of the Bush ’41 Administration is appealing.
And yet he says he wants to “repair the world” and “knock down the barriers of the world”.
Realism? Liberal internationalist? More foreign spending? Less?
Who knows.
Obama has used the race card to delegitimize criticism of liabilities which would have sunk any white politician. He has stretched his skin over his radical Chicago roots, his 20 years friendship with the black nationalist and conspiracy theorist friend, Jeremiah Wright, his association with the Chicago real estate crook Rezko, his lack of experience and achievement. He has made shameful references to his shameful side.
Moreover, it is Obama himself who has kept in circulation the false and foolish claims that he is a Muslim and has a funny name. He keeps rattling those slanders to to intimidate and suppress perfectly legitimate faultfinding.
PC will be electing this president.
Auntie is an illegal alien and volunteer resident health advocate? An illegal alien can stay in a public housing?
How many illegal aliens do we have? No wonder welfare is getting more and more expensive.
Abe, I don’t think you have to worry too much about Obama being upset with the results.
Steve MG says: “They were dazzled by Obama’s impressive resume and brilliant campaigning.” Actually they were dazzled by his media buy. Buys are all done now and so a little truth is allowed to seep out above the sewer lines.
Actually they were dazzled by his media buy.
Sorry, I disagree (mostly). That Obama, a largely unknown first-term Senator from Illinois, was able to defeat the Clinton machine was remarkable.
Actually they were dazzled by his media buy. Buys are all done now and so a little truth is allowed to seep out above the sewer lines.
Actually, not. McJerk squirrelled some away from a finale, and of course Obama has made new buys in Georgia, North Dakota, and Arizona. I really like that Obama ad with Bush in the rear-view mirror. It reminds me a little bit of the airplane stalking scene in North By Northwest
McJerk squirreled away some FOR a finale …
It is not a smear when you are simply quoting in context the words of the candidate himself. Listen to the words of Obama in 2007 (hear them yourself at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpzHQ_PC1uI).
“I’ve got to give a special shoutout to
• my pastor
• the guy who puts up with me
• counsels me
• listens to my wife complain about me.
• He’s a friend, and
• A great leader (not just in Chicago but all across the country).”
But who is Jeremiah Wright?
• Pastor of Trinty United Church of Christ, the church that gave a lifetime membership to the racist, anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan, who has said that “Hitler was a great man” and ”White people are potential humans; they haven’t evolved yet.
• A man who encourages blacks not to say “God bless America” but rather “God damn America.”
• A man who INSPIRED Barack Obama TO TEARS (according to Obama’s own book) with an epiphany at the first sermon of Wright that Obama heard. In this sermon Obama spoke that Wright spoke of “white folks’ greed runs a world in need.” Clearly Obama (despite his disingenuous disclaimer) was fully aware of Wright’s anti-white rants from the FIRST SERMON HE HEARD.
Can America really afford a President, who is so enthralled with a man who “counsels” him, is a personal “friend” and a “great leader.” Yet he was fully aware of the fact that the man he praised so was actually a vehement racist.
Jeremy, no one cares. Really.
Oh, come on, Abe! “Protective mote?” A “mote” is a speck. As in “the mote in your neighbor’s eye.” MOAT! You guys have to stop relying on your spell-checkers.