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Monday, August 22, 2011

2012 Republican Candidates Refuse to Praise President Obama's Leadership in Libya

Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Aug 22, 2011 at 1:23 PM

The Republican presidential candidates were totally against American involvement in Libya, remember? They said President Obama was making a grave mistake. So now that Ghadafi looks like he's on the way out, are they willing to applaud President Obama for continuing his streak of strong foreign policy choices?

The Wall Street Journal says, "Ha ha ha of course not are you kidding?"

“The crumbling of Muammar Ghadafi’s reign, a violent, repressive dictatorship with a history of terrorism, is cause for cautious celebration,” Mr. Perry said in a statement. “The lasting impact of events in Libya will depend on ensuring rebel factions form a unified, civil government that guarantees personal freedoms, and builds a new relationship with the West where we are allies instead of adversaries.”

Mr. Romney, meanwhile, also hailed the developments in Libya. “It is my hope that Libya will now move toward a representative form of government that supports freedom, human rights, and the rule of law”...Mr. Santorum stuck to his original criticism of Mr. Obama. ”Ridding the world of the likes of Gadhafi is a good thing, but this indecisive President had little to do with this triumph,” he said in a statement. ”As we have seen in Egypt, the euphoria of toppling a dictator does not always result in more security for us and our allies in the region.”

Way to look ungracious, guys. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; Republicans are always weak on foreign policy.

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Comments (15) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

Three cheers for unconstitutional executive branch adventurism! The Republican hypocrisy on this is no different - and certainly no more ridiculous - than yours.

Posted by Podvodnimoz on August 22, 2011 at 1:37 PM

This is really surprising. You would think that people looking to remove a man from office would have really nice things to say about his job performance.

Posted by MacCrocodile

on August 22, 2011 at 1:38 PM

Obama could deliver Satan's head on a platter and those jackoffs would still find some way to criticize it.

Posted by markvz on August 22, 2011 at 2:02 PM

If it had gone badly, we all know what kind of scathing remarks they would have had for his policy. But this goes to the heart of what these so-called leaders are really made of themselves. They simply cannot be trusted to speak the truth even when it's not what they want to hear.

Posted by Vince on August 22, 2011 at 2:06 PM

@3 - "President Obama has, by unilaterally invading Hell, violated the War Powers Act and the Separation of Church and State. Next thing you know, he'll kill God and make you all gay marry."

Posted by MacCrocodile

on August 22, 2011 at 2:06 PM

As I recall, the Republican candidates mostly took a cautious response to Libya: on the one had calling for Gadhafi to leave and supporting NATO; and on the other had complaining that Obama did not get Congressional approval. So to say that "they were totally against" is more than a disingenuous generalization, it is rewriting history.

Posted by raindrop on August 22, 2011 at 2:09 PM

@6, but it worked so we won't talk about the entire "illegal" part of it.

Posted by Last of the Time Lords on August 22, 2011 at 2:30 PM

@3 God himself could manifest in all the skies of all the world all at once, speak to each man, woman and child in his native tongue, and say,

"I am the Lord God of Abraham, who created heaven and Earth. Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, is a native-born American, a patriot, whose policies have bettered his people and lands, and should have your votes for President of the United States of America in 2012. As proof I am God, I will now raise all the dead of the past year, end all current war, cure all current disease to give all living humans perfect health and the bodies of professional athletes, extend the lifespan of all humans to 200, and give everyone an Xbox 360."

...and I guarantee you that Palin will accuse Obama that night on Fox News of being part of the lamestream resurrections and Santorum will accuse God of being a false God for raising the gays from the dead, and somehow pin it all on Obama as a negative. Mitt Romney will just accuse Obama of being anti-business because people didn't have to actually buy all the Xboxes.

Posted by Joe Szilagyi

on August 22, 2011 at 2:50 PM

And remember how neither side ever talked about the violent repression going on in The United Arab Emirates? We don't mess with the home of the 5th fleet.

Posted by OuterCow on August 22, 2011 at 2:52 PM

@8 - The strain those resurrections would put on Social Security would get God branded a terrorist, and "pallin' around with terrorists" would become a thing again.

Posted by MacCrocodile

on August 22, 2011 at 2:58 PM

@10 A loving and merciful Christian God: the ultimate anti-American Jihadist, in the world view of the modern American conservative. The USA is well and truly fucked.

Posted by Joe Szilagyi

on August 22, 2011 at 3:00 PM

I'm still waiting for the point where Republican lies are so ridiculous that they make me laugh. I'm not laughing yet.

Posted by Chris in Vancouver WA on August 22, 2011 at 3:32 PM

Way too early, lets wait until free elections start up before we praise anybody.

Posted by Kinison

on August 22, 2011 at 3:57 PM

They tried to give Bush the credit for bagging Osama. Are you surprised at this newest bullshit?

Posted by venomlash on August 22, 2011 at 4:41 PM

@13 I agree. Not quite sure why partisan cheerleaders are ebullient just like the Republicans were in the first few weeks of our invasion/occupation, especially when this war was/is illegal.

Posted by dirac on August 23, 2011 at 8:15 AM