Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
Joe Conason: What the China Crisis (and His Gay Crisis) Revealed About Mitt
from truthdig:
What the China Crisis (and His Gay Crisis) Revealed About Mitt
Posted on May 10, 2012
By Joe Conason
Just as aspiring judges ought to possess the quality known as judicial temperament, a would-be president should have certain obvious attributes of mind and character. Two incidents tested Mitt Romney this weekand both times, his ambition overwhelmed his judgment.
On Thursday morning, as Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton conducted tense negotiations with the Chinese government over the fate of Chen Guangcheng, the blind dissident who had sought refuge in the U.S. embassy in Beijing, Romney seized on rumors of American capitulation to launch a political salvo: If these reports are true, this is a dark day for freedom and its a day of shame for the Obama administration, he said at a rally in Virginia. We are a place of freedom here and around the world, and we should stand up and defend freedom wherever it is under attack.
Clearly, Romney had no knowledge or experience with which to judge the situation unfolding in Beijing, which concluded much differently than his harsh remarks suggested. In fact, both the Chinese and the Americans were seeking a face-saving solution that was achieved when New York University (whose president John Sexton happens to be a close friend of Secretary Clinton and is well-connected in Beijing, as well) offered a fellowship to Chen, which the government had agreed he could accept.
The result, of course, was that Romney looked either foolish or very foolish, depending on whether the assessment came from Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol or from Abby Huntsman Livingston, the daughter of former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, who lived in the Beijing embassy when her father served as U.S. ambassador to the Peoples Republic. ..............(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/what_the_china_crisis_and_his_gay_crisis_revealed_about_mitt_20120510/?ln
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
3 replies, 1286 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (9)
ReplyReply to this post
3 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Joe Conason: What the China Crisis (and His Gay Crisis) Revealed About Mitt (Original Post)
marmar
May 2012
OP
safeinOhio
(32,744 posts)1. Thanks. I've wondered why
we haven't heard more about Mitt running his mouth about Chen Guangcheng and then being mum about the results of the diplomacy success of Obama and Clinton.
bloomington-lib
(946 posts)2. This is a nice paragraph:
Meanwhile, his longtime critics on the far right are laughing at Romney. Bryan Fischer, right-wing extremist and leader of the American Family Association, openly gloated: Let me ask you this question, people have raised this question, he said Friday on his radio show. If Mitt Romney can be pushed around, intimidated, coerced, co-opted by a conservative radio talk show host in Middle America, then how is he going to stand up to the Chinese? How is he going to stand up to Putin? How is he going to stand up to North Korea if he can be pushed around by a yokel like me?
tk2kewl
(18,133 posts)3. I'm surprised he hasn't taken credit for the Chen deal yet.