Press warns Bush to tread carefully

[struggle4progress]

Bush will have to tread carefully, lest he turn his visit into a demonstration of worldwide hostility. In Normandy, he will not fail to cite the West's need to remain united, but he should not place too much emphasis on the comparison between the intervention in Iraq and the liberation of Europe... Paris wants to accelerate a reconciliation, but without having to place too many laurels on the US president's head.
France's Liberation
<snip>

The flags will be at half-mast in Rome, despite George Bush's high-level visit... Italy is busy mourning the cook Antonio Amato slaughtered in Saudi Arabia last week... And another disastrous attack on the Italians stationed in Iraq would be unbearable... Italy's support for the Americans in Iraq is hanging by a thread.
Paul Badde in Die Welt
<snip>

Disagreement over Iraq will cast a shadow over all the meetings during the month of June... Wisdom should inspire George Bush to keep as low a profile as possible this Sunday in Normandy.
Claire Trean in France's Le Monde
<snip>

Bush is going to use his European tour to achieve election goals. He would like to clearly refute the statements by his Democratic opponent John Kerry that the policy of current US administration has led to the United States' political isolation and caused quarrels with its European allies.
Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3776191.stm

A nice handful of one-paragraph quotes.

[amber dog democrat]

1. He can't do anything right at this point.

Its like watching an unfolding tradgedy. His character or lack of it will determine the outcome. Like a weak minded and foolish emperor leading his armies into a catastrophe....

[yellowcanine]

2. Condi has already compared * to Roosevelt and Churchill - it will be hard

for Chimpy not to compare the "cakewalk" to the D-Day landings. Besides the fact that the European press are warning him not to do it almost guarantees that he will.

[saigon68]

12. He's more like an Infant

With a pacifier in his mouth

[jean]

3. Italy has its flags at half-staff mourning the deaths of its troops?

"The flags will be at half-mast in Rome, despite George Bush's high-level visit... Italy is busy mourning the cook Antonio Amato slaughtered in Saudi Arabia last week"

Why don't we?

[daa]

11. They do in Kaleefornya

Every death of a Californian the flag is flown half mast per order of Gov. Schwarzenegger.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. The difference is that WWII was a great success for us and...

the Iraq War is the GREATEST BLUNDER SINCE VIETNAM!

[pacifictiger]

13. the difference was

an estimated 60 million dead from WWII - just under 300,000 americans. There is absolutely no comparison on scope of victims and numbers of soldiers involved. Bush is just trying to hitch himself to the coat-tails of real heros and statesmen.

[DinahMoeHum]

14. The problem is, we as a country keep trying to relive WW II

and apply it to this war in Iraq. But the circumstances are completely different.


:bounce:

[Dhalgren]

22. Right, we are more in the role of the Nazis

this time around!

[al bupp]

17. right on

[donco6]

19. Oh, and the fact that Hitler invaded Poland, . . .

. . . took over Austia with a fascist-controlled straw poll, ran Panzers through neutral Holland to avoid the French Maginot line, bombed the beejeezus out of Britain

And Saddam did . . . well, he was a really bad guy.

[yellowcanine]

21. Other difference - We only attacked countries that attacked us or declared

war on us. The equivalent to Bush attacking Iraq in response to 9-11 would have been Roosevelt attacking Mexico in response to Pearl Harbor.

[Just Me]

5. Be careful about warning him,...he'll think you're an enemy,...

,...and do something scary and/or radical.

Besides, he does not give a damn about others' thoughts/feelings/sensitivities/etc. He is an instrument of God and therefore can do whatever the hell he pleases.

He scares the living crap out of normal people!!!! :scared:

[jpgray]

6. But he needs that for his 'base' at home--what will he do, I wonder? (nt)

[rumguy]

7. everyone despises the boy monster at this point

He may be the single most hated man on the planet.

It must suck to be him.

The only thing propping him up at this point are right-wing lies. In other words, pure unadulterated evil is the only thing keeping him afloat.

[Beetwasher]

8. This Sort of Warning Is Exactly The Type Of Thing To Set Him Off

Like a child, you tell him NOT to do it, and then he desperately MUST do it.

I predict he will tie Iraq to France's liberation somehow, in spite of the warning.

[salin]

15. Didn't Chirac offer a warning about that

as well? I wondered the same thing (if it wouldn't provoke petulant childpresident to do the thing he is warned against.)

Now reading this, knowing bush isn't much more popular with the Euro press than he is with the Euro public... almost have to wonder if that isn't a secondary point to the warnings (to provoke Bush to say something that stupid.)

[KoKo]

24. Exactly...like waving that red flag in front of a bull. Maybe these

warnings will bring out the worst in him, and he will be encouraged to make more of an ass of himself than he does here at home. Embarrassing us over there might be what the rest of the world is hoping for.

It doesn't take much to provoke him...as you said like telling a little kid "No" it just causes further bad behavior...Ugh...what a disgusting representative for the American People.

[MGKrebs]

9. When has * EVER tread carefully!!

He does not have the capability. No tools. He sees things as black and white, no gray. And he knows what is right, and if it's right, he feels absolutely no reservation about saying it.

That is my amateur analysis!

[dbt]

10. And notice how it's NOT the US Press!

The whole fucking world has Freedom of the Press. We get Fochs Noose.

:grr:
dbt

[kskiska]

16. He's always at his worst when traveling, too

Even though he brings his own pillow, he suffers from jet lag and gets really cranky. Look for some fun episodes on this trip.

[cliss]

18. heh heh you're right, KS

(rubs hands together). Let's hope he's extra deranged this time. He seems to whacked out yesterday when he announced the ouster of George Tenet. On Air America Radio, they couldn't believe the stammering and stuttering and long lapses of silence.

This should be good!

Go get 'em George. See how many you can manage to piss off this time. Don't forget to let your thugs trample the Vatican and large segments of Rome. Tempers are already flaring, and I know you can add some more fuel to the fire.

[stevedeshazer]

20. Haven't seen a "Pilly" reference lately

Nice.

[KoKo]

25. Remember Poppy's problem with "Halcion" the drug he took for sleeping?

Caused him to speak incoherently (runs in the family) and throw up on Japanese Prime Minister?

All the flap over that at the time hurt him before the election. I guess we can hope his "spawn" will be run so ragged this weekend that the same stress will cause an embarrassment or two.

It's terrible to wish such ill will on someone..but we have to find hope where we can get it..since we aren't getting much help from anywhere else. :-(

[Bandit]

23. "Wisdom should inspire George Bush "

ROTFLMAO