Applesauce » Bush says glad-handing dictators is bad

Bush says glad-handing dictators is bad

March 1st, 2008 at 11:21am Pat Cunningham

Let’s introduce this photo gallery with the words of Mike Allen at Politico:

President Bush attacked a key foreign policy stance of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), contending heatedly at a news conference Thursday morning that talking to dictators without preconditions can be dangerous and counterproductive.

Obama’s argument that the president “should never fear to negotiate” with America’s enemies — including Cuba’s new leader, Raul Castro — is one of his clearest differences with his rival for the presidential nomination, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

At a news conference where Bush showed unusual passion for a president in his waning months, he said “now is not the time” to talk with Castro.

“What’s lost … by embracing a tyrant who puts his people in prison because of their political beliefs?” he said. “What’s lost is, it’ll send the wrong message. It’ll send a discouraging message to those who wonder whether America will continue to work for the freedom of prisoners. It’ll give great status to those … who have suppressed human rights and human dignity.

“The idea of embracing a leader who’s done this, without any attempt on his part to … release prisoners and free their society, would be counterproductive and send the wrong signal.”

Warming to the subject, Bush continued: “Sitting down at the table, having your picture taken with a tyrant such as Raul Castro, for example, lends the status of the office and the status of our country to him. He gains a lot from it by saying, ‘Look at me. I’m now recognized by the president of the United States.’”

Now, with a tip of the Applesauce hat to Cogitamusblog.com for the photos, let’s check out how President Bush invariably shuns dictators, tyrants and tramplers of human rights: