Bush Tries Hand at Repairing Europe Ties

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- Over the span of a week in Europe in February, President Bush will try to convince skeptical allied leaders that he means to work with them -- up to a point.

It will be a charm offensive by a president who shows no sign of giving ground in making foreign policy decisions on the basis of what he considers best for America, and only hopefully, in tandem with the Europeans.

But the trip also could produce results.

Secretary of State Colin Powell is hoping for an improvement in U.S.-French relations.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-bush-europe,0,1557168.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[acmavm]

1. And I'm sure that all of the leaders of Europe are dumb enough

to fall for it. Like they did the WMD lie.

<sarcasm off>

[rooboy]

2. I wish the media would stop calling them 'charm offensives'. n/t

[luaneryder]

3. Offensive charm, more like

[MatrixEscape]

4. Is this one of those "mistakes" he

has made? Shhhhh!

Yeah, the Shrubster has been quite the diplomat for the US.

"Who wants in on Fortress America! Going cheap! We are selling off the whole load. We will include the hoardes of poverty-striken serfs who are growing like mold on old bread here!"

I wonder if this attempt has anything to do with the dollar, World currencies, and trade deficits. I think that Europe, and other countries, know who and what they are dealing with ... far more than the mass-media enveloped citizens here do.

[donco6]

16. On the nose.

Especially the part about "poverty-striken serfs".

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. I hope he's greeted by thousands of protestors

who have never been taken in by the 'charms' of this fake cowboy.

[LynnTheDem]

6. ROTFLMAO!!! GOOD LUCK!

Poor bush; he keeps forgetting two things;

1. The rest of the world KNOWS the FACTS coz they are, unlike bush & the bushbots, REALITY-BASED.

2. They DESPISE and LOATHE bush & his Cartel.

[Massachusetts]

7. UNDERSTATEMENTS revisited

"The public cannot be to curious concerning the characters of public men." - Samuel Adams:beer:

[no_hypocrisy]

8. OPERATION CHARM will be tolerated but not embraced.

The entire world is not *'s inner-circle that automatically answers "yes" to whatever he says.

[Mandate My Ass]

9. HAHAHAHAHA...yeah that'll work

It'll be just like his speech after Kerry's concession:

"I'm willin' to reach across the pond and work with you people of Old Yurrup who agree with me 100% and the rest of you can FUCK OFF."

Of course when he says "work with" he means he'll tell them what to do and they'll be expected to to it without hesitation or question. I have no doubt the Europeans will be bowled over by such charm. :eyes:

[fshrink]

10. Ohhh.. There's one sure way of repairing that, almost

instantly, and everyone knows what I'm talking about. Bet he does too.

[Sideways]

11. I Read That As Repairing Europe Tires

I like my version better.

[JPace]

12. Canadians in the know said that they were looking for signs of

some humility when * visited, but there just was not anything
there even close to it.

Only the Christian right and big business sees * as charming,
everyone else sees him as an arrogant, bullying, manipulative
spoiled, insensitive, cowardly, twit. :thumbsdown:

There....that felt better!

[neweurope]

14. The European leaders are not dumb. But the USA are the biggest

bully on the block. I wish to God we'd all get out of NATO and completely show the USA the cold shoulder in all respects but unfortunately that is not possible.

And, yes, I do think he will be greated by a large crowd. It shall be interesting for me to find out how the Brussels police behaves... because I shall have to go there. One more reason to hate THE LEADER. Never had any curiosity whatsoever to see Brussels.

Read what Fox wrote about that visit by the way and I'm still seething. Feel downright sullied (that's the word? I mean dirty?)

[takumi]

13. "But the trip also could produce results. "

I hope so (i.e., fertile opportunities for protesters)!

[neweurope]

15. Don't think so. The Bushistas shall probably demand that the protesters

are cordoned off a mile from where * is. And there'll probably be many arrests.

*sigh*

[borlis]

17. I hope they spit in his face.

He needs a good spanking too. With the world watching. His cowboy charm doesn't work over there. :spank::spank:

[hatrack]

18. Lotsa luck, Chimp Ass

We'll be watching and enjoying the demonstrations as we await the fruits of your "charm offensive" (and never has that phrase been more appropriate).

[Supersedeas]

19. offensive---errr---yep.