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'Fatuous' Obama Does US No Favors: Krauthammer

Big talk yields little help from European allies

By Katherine Thompson,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 10, 2009 10:28 AM CDT

(Newser) – President Obama is out in the world, "acting the philosopher-king who hovers above the fray" and badmouthing past American actions, and to what end? Charles Krauthammer, writing in the New York Times, doesn't see any satisfactory answers. "I'm not against gift-giving in international relations," he writes. "But it would be nice to see some reciprocity."

The aftermath of the North Korean missile launch and renewal of missile-defense talks with Russia highlight Obama's ineffectuality, Krauthammer contends."He wanted more stimulus spending from Europe. He got nothing From Russia, he got no help on Iran. From China, he got the blocking of any action on North Korea." And as for Guantanamo, "When Austria is mocking you, you're having a bad week."

The President of the United States, Barack Obama, right, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev look on during their meeting ahead of the G20 summit in London, Wednesday, April 1, 2009.
The President of the United States, Barack Obama, right, and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev look on during their meeting ahead of the G20 summit in London, Wednesday, April 1, 2009.   (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)
Tens of thousands North Koreans attend a mass rally at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, April 10, 2009 to celebrate the re-election of Kim Jong Il.
Tens of thousands North Koreans attend a mass rally at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Friday, April 10, 2009 to celebrate the re-election of Kim Jong Il.   (AP Photo/APTN)
President Barack Obama answers a question from a reporter about North Korea during his meeting with Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission in Prague.
President Barack Obama answers a question from a reporter about North Korea during his meeting with Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission in Prague.   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
woodyTX
Apr 11, 2009 2:05 AM CDT
ouch !
muleskinner
Apr 11, 2009 1:59 AM CDT
kraut is an asshole---he was a physiologist before he started to be a jerk pundit---with either occupation, he is still a jerk, and his smirk is worse then the chimp's.
woodyTX
Apr 10, 2009 10:01 AM CDT
It was Obama's first international foray. You have to establish a relationship and mutual trust/respect before you can influence people, particularly after the Bush blunders. That's diplomacy 101. To Krauthammer and his neocon buds, US foreign policy is a hammer and everything is a nail. Chucky's views are worth laughing at certainly. No person is a joke.

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