"Our submissive president has done it again. You will remember that last April at the G-20 meeting, Obama performed a deep bow before King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, igniting a firestorm of criticism. This weekend, demonstrating that he is a slow learner, Obama did it again – bowing at the waist to greet Japan’s Emperor Akihito.
The White House immediately claimed Obama was merely following protocol. Wrong. You can go to this video and see dozens of other heads of state greeting Akihito without bowing. U.S. presidents should never bow.
Reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. My friend Bill Bennett said a photo of the encounter was “ugly.” He added, “We don’t defer to emperors. We don’t defer to kings…” Bill Kristol observed that he doubts Sarah Palin would have bowed or even curtseyed. (Please, Bill, don’t give Obama any ideas – I’d hate to see him curtsey!)
The bow hit such a nerve because Americans increasingly are concluding that our whole foreign policy under President Obama has become one big bow and apology. When he has a chance to remind the world of our defense of liberty, by going to Berlin to mark the anniversary of the fall of wall, for example, Obama refuses to go. But he never misses an opportunity to go to a forum and pronounce his own country guilty of imagined sins and offenses.
Rush Limbaugh sarcastically suggested today that Obama bows to royalty because he is jealous and hopes that someday he will be bowed to also. Not going to happen!"
The White House immediately claimed Obama was merely following protocol. Wrong. You can go to this video and see dozens of other heads of state greeting Akihito without bowing. U.S. presidents should never bow.
Reaction has been overwhelmingly negative. My friend Bill Bennett said a photo of the encounter was “ugly.” He added, “We don’t defer to emperors. We don’t defer to kings…” Bill Kristol observed that he doubts Sarah Palin would have bowed or even curtseyed. (Please, Bill, don’t give Obama any ideas – I’d hate to see him curtsey!)
The bow hit such a nerve because Americans increasingly are concluding that our whole foreign policy under President Obama has become one big bow and apology. When he has a chance to remind the world of our defense of liberty, by going to Berlin to mark the anniversary of the fall of wall, for example, Obama refuses to go. But he never misses an opportunity to go to a forum and pronounce his own country guilty of imagined sins and offenses.
Rush Limbaugh sarcastically suggested today that Obama bows to royalty because he is jealous and hopes that someday he will be bowed to also. Not going to happen!"
Gary Bauer
Campaign for Working Families
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