This is from today’s briefing at the US State Department.
As a partisan this video is hilarious, but as an American it’s quite painful.
Barack Obama’s comment, that Egypt is neither an ally nor an enemy, is causing the administration’s political and professional staff no end of problems. It will cause the United States broad problems for a long time to come. It was just dumb.
Egypt has been, as the reporter notes in the video to correct the State Dept spokeswoman, a non-NATO ally of the United States for decades now. Circumstances on the ground have changed quite a bit since Hosni Mubarak was deposed, but behind all of that, the US and Egyptian militaries still communicate and still work together. We still hold Egypt accountable for its peace treaty with Israel. The US has just pledged even more aid to that country, and there is a good argument to be made on both sides of whether that aid is wise or should continue. But until there is a formal declaration of some kind noting a change in the relationship, the United States and Egypt are allies.
Until Barack Obama shot first, aimed later, and cast doubt on the entire relationship.
If Barack Obama was, say, the assistant secretary for somethingorother in the State Department and said what he said about Egypt in that press interview, he would probably be fired. Especially if he said it after several years on the job. A seasoned hand in international relations knows not to cross lines and make news, unless he really intends to. Questioning the US-Egyptian alliance was worse than a rookie mistake.
Barack Obama blundered into this one, and as the president, there is no one available to fire him until November.
How much more damage can he do between now and then?
– reporters didn’t coordinate “gotcha” questions?
nice try, but Romney’s blunder yesterday can’t be quid pro quo’d.
The people who keep referring to Romney’s blunder amaze me. Sticking up for America IS NOT A BLUNDER. The vast majority of Americans understand this, even those who have attended public schools.
Come back and tray again after you graduate from junior high.
Oh, and wipe the excrement off your nose and mouth.
This is about the president of the United States. Those who are too childish or unethical to accept that keep saying some version of the “yes-but-what-about-romney” bit. Pathetic and sick.
The white house has to parse and further parse and reparse foreign policy. In other words, there is no foreign policy, only a president who parses in reaction to polls and presumed criticism. Oh. Well I guess there IS the existential threat posed by obesity.
Hate to say this, but The One was right on this point: Egypt is not our ally. From the reporter’s question, I get the impression he thinks “ally” means just “someone we like”. It doesn’t.
From the reporter’s question, I get the impression he thinks “ally” means just “someone we like”.
…
Nope. Wasn’t the reporter’s context at all.
“Non-NATO ally” is a very specific term with a specific historical meaning. Its roots are back in the Cold War. In Egypt’s case, that nation was once a Soviet ally, but later came over to our side.
Preston’s phrase is precisely at the heart of the current situation: “Circumstances on the ground have changed quite a bit since Hosni Mubarak was deposed, but behind all of that, the US and Egyptian militaries still communicate and still work together.”
“… and the privileges which that entails?”
“Yes.”
…
In other words, she (quietly) flipped off the President.
“Egypt has been, as the reporter notes in the video to correct the State Dept spokeswoman…”
Perhaps you’re privy to some earlier comments. In this video clip she twice affirmed Egypt as a non-Nato ally. It was when the reporter confounded the issue with references to Israel, Japan, Pakistan and India that she deferred to the White House.
No need to dump on her for the dumps of others.
Mitt Romney was the only visible Patriot in this FUBAR! Keep the pressure on this failed Administration and it’s worthless POS DOS and we may see the Pantsuit go under the bus before October and the Mush Mouth President go down in flames in Nov…..