Obama: World Leaders Don’t Understand The American Right’s Hitler References
President Obama spoke last night to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual dinner, and he discussed an amusing moment with an unnamed world leader at the G-20: “One of the leaders — I won’t mention who it was — he comes up to me. We take the picture, we go behind. He says, ‘Barack, explain to me this health care debate.’ He says, ‘We don’t understand it. You’re trying to make sure everybody has health care and they’re putting a Hitler mustache on you — I don’t — that doesn’t make sense to me. Explain that to me.'”
Bill Clinton: Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy Not As Strong, “But It’s As Virulent As It Was” In the 1990’s
Appearing on Meet The Press, former President Bill Clinton said that the “vast right-wing conspiracy” of the 1990’s is still there: “It’s not as strong as it was, because America’s changed demographically, but it’s as virulent as it was. I mean, they’re saying things about him–you know, it’s like when they accused me of murder and all that stuff they did. He–but it’s not really good for the Republicans and the country, what’s going on now. I mean, they may be hurting President Obama. They can take his numbers down, they can run his opposition up. But fundamentally, he and his team have a positive agenda for America. Their agenda seems to be wanting him to fail, and that’s not a prescription for a good America.”
Hillary Clinton: If Iran Doesn’t Change, We Will Move Towards Sanctions
Appearing on Face The Nation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton indicated that new international sanctions against Iran are a real possibility: “If we don’t get the answers that we are expecting and the changes in behavior that we’re looking for, then we will work with our partners to move towards sanctions.”
Gates: “Success In Afghanistan Looks A Great Deal Like Success In Iraq”
Appearing on This Week, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that a decision on Afghanistan troops levels will come in a “few weeks.” Gates said that the strategy in Afghanistan will be a lot like Iraq: ” I think that success in Afghanistan looks a great deal like success in Iraq, in this respect, that the Afghan national security forces increasingly take the lead in protecting their own territory and going after the insurgents and protecting their own people. We withdraw to an over watch situation and then we withdraw altogether.”
McCain: Obama Will “Make the Right Decision,” Send More Troops To Afghanistan
Appearing on This Week, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) predicted that President Obama will ultimately send more troops to Afghanistan: “I think the president — as I said, I think he has a very difficult decision. The base of his party, Americans are weary. Understandably they’re weary. And it’s a very difficult decision for him. But I — I believe he’ll make the right decision.”
Kyl Calls For Regime Change In Iran
Appearing on Meet The Press, Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) called for regime change in Iran — in his words, to bring about a new group that is “more representative of the Iranian people,” as opposed to “the current leadership, and especially with the elected President”: “What we’re trying to do here eventually is to get a regime change with a group of people in there that are more representative of the Iranian people — who we really can talk with in a way that might end up with a good result. I think it’s very difficult to do that with the current leadership, and especially with the elected President.”
Bayh: The Iranians Are “Contemptuous of Weakness”
Appearing on State of the Union, Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) called for a tough line against Iran. “We’ve tried a variety of inducements to the Iranians over the years,” Bayh told King, “Frankly, none of that has worked. What they respect more than anything is strength. They’re contemptuous of weakness . . . So I think it needs to be mainly stiff economic and financial sanctions, with the possibility of other options lurking in the background if they don’t change their behavior.
McDonnell Denies That Thesis Was A “Radical Agenda”
Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Virginia Republican gubernatorial nominee Bob McDonnell denied that his grad-school thesis — which criticized working women, child-care tax credits, and the legalization of birth control — represented a radical agenda. “No. I think those are a couple of quotes out of a 100-page document, Chris [Wallace],” said McDonnell, “and what the whole purpose of the — of the thesis was to say, Look, families are the bedrock of society. And I think there’s broad agreement on that, and that government programs should not undermine the family, because that will lead to more government spending for problems that occur when the family’s not intact.”
