Powell kept waiting to meet Spain's Zapatero

[Robbien]

By Leslie Crawford and Christopher Adams

MADRID, Spain - Colin Powell was fuming. The U.S. Secretary of State had been kept waiting for more than 30 minutes for his turn to meet José Luis Rodrguez Zapatero, Spain's prime minister elect. Across the hallway in the Spanish Cortes, or parliament, Mr. Zapatero was having an intimate tête-à-tête with Jacques Chirac, the president of France. French diplomats accompanying the president were beaming. The two leaders, they said, were discussing how to work together "to forge an ambitious vision of the construction of Europe".

<snip>

For a nation obsessed with protocol and symbolic manifestations of power, Mr. Zapatero's decision to meet the French president before the US secretary of state was accorded great significance. In the event, Mr. Zapatero's meeting with Mr. Chirac was cut short as Mr.Powell threatened to cancel his appointment. The meeting between Mr. Zapatero and the US envoy lasted less than 15 minutes. According to US officials traveling with Mr. Powell, both sides stated their positions on Iraq and "agreed to keep the dialogue open".

Gerhard Schröder, the German chancellor, was the next in line to greet Mr. Zapatero. They know each other well from Mr. Schröder's summer sojourns in Mallorca. They may soon have a lot more in common.

<snip to closing paragraph>

In spite of the flurry of diplomacy, Mr. Powell and Mr. Blair left Madrid no wiser as to what would persuade Spain's new prime minister to support the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq.

http://msnbc.msn.com/ID/4590619/

[Fridays Child]

1. I see that the bushista humility bug has bitten Colin.

/sarcasm

[mbperrin]

2. Hmmm...definitely time to reprint

The Ugly American.

[Gloria]

3. I love Jose!

Good for him!! He's getting his ducks in a row....and Colin is last in line!!

Smackdown!

[IndianaGreen]

4. This is truly delicious!

Zapatero showing Powell who is boss.

Perhaps someone ought to remind Powell that in terms of protocol a Prime Minister, even one just elected, has a higher rank than one of Bush's bananas at the State Department.

Precious!

[Robbien]

6. Spain lost 200 of their citizens

So we send Powell while Bush & Cheney are off fund raising.

Spain showed the same respect to Powell that the US afforded Spain. That's the correct protocol.

Got that Bush&Co? You get what you give.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

36. That's what I thought

when I heard that Powell would be attending the service. The leaders of Europe were there for us after 9/11. The bombing in Madrid was a direct result of Spain's support for the US. It's abominally rude of Bush to send a representative for himself.

[David Zephyr]

12. Delicious, Indeed.

Hooo Haaa!

[TahitiNut]

5. A nation's Head of State outranks a mere Secretary.

There is no violation of protocol whatsoever. Colin can shove it where the sun don't shine. The arrogance and elitism of these people is appalling.

[LiberalTexan]

8. My sentiments exactly

Leaders of countries coming to pay a visit and Bush can't do the same. I'd let Powell sit and wait, too. Send THAT message back to your non-traveling-faux-isolationist president!

[TahitiNut]

17. Bush merely showed 'em our colon. (err... Colin).

Hardly any honor to a "valued ally." :eyes: While this is (sadly) a frequent habit with US administrations, the pomposity of shoving hisself to the head of the line bespeaks an arrogance on Coloin's part that indicates an intention to further alienate Spain.

Notice that the Bushlinis didn't send Cheney, either? At least Clinton would've sent Gore. But I suppose Cheney couldn't extricate his forearm from the sock puppet's lower intestine (Junior's thinking apparatus) long enough to reach out that same hand in faux friendship.

[Karenina]

34. BWHAHAHAHAHA!!!

:spank:

[sal]

32. Indeed

You are right.

Incidentally, China kept Ambassador Bush waiting when he came to introduce himself to the Premier. I may have forgotten whether they made him come back several times. The experience has not seemed to dull the family affection for their counterparts in Bejing.

At least they didn't ask Colon if he was with the caterers.

[Lisa]

7. Secretary Powell isn't a head of state or a head of government ...

In matters of international etiquette, I thought that both President Chirac and Chancellor Schroder outranked him. This type of situation came up at the Queen Mother's funeral, regarding who got seated first ... no matter how big or powerful the country, there is still an established "pecking order", and diplomats have to get used to this! Note that the German Chancellor could have pulled rank on him, but didn't.

Fussing because he didn't get to jump to the head of the line only shows a degree of hastiness and arrogance that is unbecoming, in someone representing the American people. Even if sticking to established protocol was done as an insult -- by reacting like that, he looks like a novice.

p.s. On edit: TahitiNut said it better than I did ...

[PROGRESSIVE1]

9. Colin better know the HONOR that he has to meet such a great....

man as Zapatero.

Powell should have to wait to meet him!

[tabasco]

10. Boohoohoo - poor wittle poopypants Baby Coley !

Go run home to Bossman Bush and tell him they didn't treat you like the king of the world. Boohoohoo !!!! Poor wittle baby!!

[Sequoia]

13. Yeah, what he said!

He was acting like a wuss wasn't he? No manners at all Colin, go stand in a corner.

[NeoConsSuck]

11. Zapatero should have handed Colon a mop

and told him to make himself useful while he's waiting.

[Sanity]

14. Well he still met with PM Blair, didn't he?

That's protocol.

[daleo]

15. Powell should just lie and say he wasn't snubbed

He can just pretend it never happened. Then Congress can pass a resolution agreeing with him. Then the media can print it. Why let the truth get in the way of a good story.

[JoFerret]

16. How appropriate

- afetr all - Zapetero is an elected Prime Minister. Powell is a lying discredited lapdog.

[Malva Zebrina]

18. and in spite of that all, Powell in his very deep reflective mind

will never come to ask himself why.

I have a suspicion that his son Michael is at the bottom of all the insults Powell takes willingly.

He knows soon he will be out of it and will be writing a book on all the good things he did while the Scy of state for the corrupt Bush Administration. HE is hanging on by his fingernails, knowing that once over, he can rest and retire in luxury.

He is as corrupt a liar as the rest of them and needs to be cited for war crimes as much as the rest of them

[BootinUp]

19. Sad that our country

Is treated like this because of the boy king. I was laughing at first but its getting not funny now.

[amber dog democrat]

20. So how does it feel to be marginalized?

This is richly deserved. Powell is less relevant the more he has to front for this lying and arrogant crowd of thugs.

[Manix]

21. ......arrogant bastard!!

[BabsSong]

22. hahahahahahahahaha.................

hahahaha............priceless.

[Rex]

23. Hey Mr. Powell, youre only the Sec of State! Chirac is a President!

Pompous asshole! Sitdown an' shutup! I swear Powell gets more and more evil with every passing day!

[Lisa]

24. it's bizarre to think of a Secretary of State being at a loose end ...

If a person similar to, say, Bill Clinton were in that position, he would be thinking, "I'm here to pay a condolence call on a newly-elected leader whose country has suffered a tremendous loss. Why would I want to 'hurry up' his schedule? I will clear the rest of my day, hang out wherever my hosts ask me to wait, and try to create a good impression. Schmooze mode! But not in a tacky way, of course."

[Robbien]

28. Right! He was supposed to be there to convey all of our condolences

What does it matter that he had to wait, Spain is in mourning for her sons and daughters.

[Jim Sagle]

25. Typical white-guy arrogance from Colin.

[Hotler]

26. He's such a cry bag.

So much for being a gentleman and showing some class.

[democrank]

27. What`s the big deal?

Powell has kept me waiting for three years....waiting for him to locate his integrity and quit the Bush administration.

[Supormom]

29. Yes, we've all been waiting for that.

But will he write a tell-all book when he leaves?

[ConcernedCanuk]

30. "Mr.Powell threatened to cancel his appointment" - shoulda LET him

.
.
.

"Mr. Zapatero's meeting with Mr. Chirac was cut short as Mr.Powell threatened to cancel his appointment. The meeting between Mr. Zapatero and the US envoy lasted less than 15 minutes.

And don't think France doesn't remember Powell's arrogance, - heck - Powell is a minion of the BFEE, Chirac is Zapatero's NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR.

If Powell went over there to convince France and Spain that the American arrogance and inconsideration knows no bounds, he was a roaring success.

It looks like the tempers in the Administration are a wee bit "strung" ?

. . :shrug: . .

[susu369]

31. Fuming, testy, short-tempered

we are seeing a lot of Irritable Colon Bowel Syndrome lately...

:-)

[Auntie Bush]

33. Zapatero should have let Powell take his

ball/balls and gone home!

[cliss]

35. A sign of things to come?

Looks like the illustrious Mr. Powell was third in line to meet with Senor Zapatero. "We'll see you, Mr. Powell, right after Mr. Zapatero gets to talk with Mr. Chirac and Mr. Schröeder". "After all, we are all part of Old Europe".

I just spent the last few nights reading about Spain as a World Power in the 1500's through the 1700's. It was an amazing story about how Spain was the undisputed ruler of the Pacific Ocean, enjoying a monopoly on trade between the Philippines and Mexico. Spain owned Mexico and was busy extracting gold and silver from the fabulous mines, in the meantime trashing and killing the people who were doing the mining.

It looks like the Spaniards did a bit of their own "pre-emptive warfare" and moved in and took over a country. It even says in the records that the Spaniards "wanted to protect the Mexicans" although it was common knowledge that they wanted their gold and silver.

Over the centuries, though, Spain's fortunes dwindled and for a while it was one of the poorest in Europe.

Sound familiar, Powell?

[BrotherBuzz]

37. Another delicious scenario is running through my head

'After a heated half hour wait, Powell watched the door open and Kerry exited. Waving to Powell he chortled, "Hasta la vista, Baby", winked and departed.'