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Home Front: Politix

Bambi to duck G20 summit

2008-11-12

No sense soiling his hands til he has to ...

Barack Obama will keep his distance from this weekend's G20 summit and will not meet with any of the world leaders attending the event, it emerged yesterday.

John Podesta, part of the troika overseeing Obama's transition to the White House, told reporters the president-elect would meet none of the leaders coming to the summit in Washington. "It is not appropriate for two people to show up at this meeting," he said. "The president-elect will respect the fact that we have one president at a time."

Oh he will, will he ...

The Obama camp cast his decision to stay away from the summit as a sign of respect for George Bush's authority as president. It could also be politically convenient for Bush to maintain sole ownership of the crisis and the increasingly controversial $700bn (£445bn) rescue package for the banking insurance and mortgage industries.

Obama's spokesman, Dan Pfeiffer, said he would send no observers to the event. "It's the president's meeting," Pfeiffer said. Obama's advisers would meet visiting leaders, but the president-elect planned to remain in Chicago while the summit takes place.

Posted by:Steve White

#26 Frank G -- I agree ---

But - Bambi isn't ducking the summit......

The transition office also announced that Mr. Obama will be represented at the global economic summit this weekend by former Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and by former Republican congressman Jim Leach, of Iowa.

Posted by: Sherry 2008-11-12 23:09

#25 Bob, you sound suspiciously like our Trailing Wife.

Posted by: Frank G 2008-11-12 21:37

#24 Mocking our elected officials is a long-standing American tradition, Zebulon Spase1139 dear. The only one we all ever treated with respect was President George Washington. I agree that we don't want to appear ravening maniacs to others, but I promise solemnly to keep an eye on them, and prescribe chamomile tea as necessary. ;-) We aren't anywhere near as uptight as we were on Election Day. It is very kind of you to be concerned, truly; I hope we will continue to inspire such friendship over the next four years.

Posted by: Bob Phavise6306 2008-11-12 20:38

#23 As snarky as we wanna be - thank God for the 1st Amendment (while we still have it - & same goes for the 2nd which is the only one that really ensures the others). BTW - as no one here (that I know of) is an elected official - it really doesn't matter what we say - as if our clowning on Obama is going to move some voter left or right.

Posted by: Broadhead6 2008-11-12 17:41

#22 Hmm. And here I thought the real problem was that no teleprompters would be present.

Posted by: Ptah 2008-11-12 16:00

#21 The Obama camp cast his decision to stay away from the summit as a sign of respect for George Bush's authority as president. It could also be politically convenient for Bush to maintain sole ownership of the crisis and the increasingly controversial $700bn (£445bn) rescue package for the banking insurance and mortgage industries.

I'd say the 'blame my predecessor gambit' is the more likely reason.

Posted by: Pappy 2008-11-12 14:44

#20 Is that called 'jumping the snark'?

Posted by: Muggsy Glink 2008-11-12 14:30

#19 The opposition to Obama has learned its lesson and takes its tone from 8 years of glorious setting of example by previous opposition to W. Set snark phasers to maximum. Use flux capacitors if necessary.

Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2008-11-12 14:29

#18 I only drop by for the snark!

Posted by: Classer 2008-11-12 14:19

#17 It sounds like Obama and his team have not yet figured out how they want to approach this problem and don't want to be put on the spot.

I think its a good move. The other 19 participants are either going to make proposals and want commitments from the U.S., or just bitch about the U.S. Bush will not be in a position to make any promises, and Obama will not be there.

Posted by: DoDo 2008-11-12 12:08

#16 Hellfish: how about voting 'absent'?

And snark is what this site is *for*, Zeb. Pay attention!

Posted by: Mitch H. 2008-11-12 10:40

#15 OK, what was the turnout? pewcenteronthestates puts the elegable voter turnout at just over 30%. To say that the Rebulicans hold the minority in Federal Government is true. To say that represents the overall feeling of Americans is erroneous.

Doesn't mean there isn't going to be an after-hours party; that is if someone were to look at his record of meeting foreign officials even before the election was held or the bullcrap leaking of the private conversation with President Bush.

Posted by: swksvolFF 2008-11-12 10:35

#14 It could also be politically convenient for Bush to maintain sole ownership of the crisis and the increasingly controversial $700bn (£445bn) rescue package for the banking insurance and mortgage industries.

The one 90% of democrats, including THE ZERO, voted for?

Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2008-11-12 09:59

#13 Perhaps, perhaps one of the reasons is that he fears having to talk to his good freidn Zapatero and that Fox News brought this little photo

Posted by: JFM 2008-11-12 09:34

#12 Zeb S - Actually we don't have to "think" too much about what is the best way to bring Obama voters to our "side". One of the beauties of the founders is they did a lot of that thinking long ago, and rather convincingly decided that 4 years of observation is a simply fabulous way to convince voters.

That, and the whole checks and balances thing, various sections of the Bill of Rights, the impeachment clause, and so forth.

Snark on!

Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2008-11-12 09:29

#11 I am not a donk, i am not even an American. Anyway you can only be effective if you can attack with full power when he makes leftist moves. If you set up your side to atack everytime, you loose efficiency and clear message.
You are in minority so you must think what is the best way to bring to your side those that voted Obama.

Posted by: Zebulon Spase1139 2008-11-12 08:47

#10 Is there a need to be snarky everytime that Obama shows?

We snarked Rummy (R), George (R), John (R), et al. Why the hell should the 'One' be exempted? It's called equal opportunity [or are those hollow words just used to manipulate the gullible into blind submission?] Here's some advice from another Donk - If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Harry S. Truman (D)

Posted by: Procopius2k 2008-11-12 08:37

#9 the troika overseeing Obama's transition
Great way to describe it, Guardian.
Actually the reason he's not there is that he's here, moving into an office across the street from me (in Chicago).

Posted by: Spot 2008-11-12 08:17

#8 Isn't this the same as voting present?

Posted by: Hellfish 2008-11-12 08:12

#7 Is there a need to be snarky everytime that Obama shows?

He showed up somewhere?

Posted by: gorb 2008-11-12 07:54

#6 The only thing "derranged" are the Jim Jones 'Lite' throngs of feckless, leftest, entitlement seekers who voted for him.

Posted by: Besoeker 2008-11-12 07:41

#5 Anyone seen liberalhawk recently? Or anyone know if he has a blog of his own or such? I miss his POV.

Posted by: Ar.Katsaris 2008-11-12 07:41

#4 STFU zebulon. Snark is the price of success without qualification or vetting or achievement. We can and will expose each and every cheap move he makes and there's not a goddamn thing you or his minions can do about it. Get over it. We had to, right?

Posted by: Frank G 2008-11-12 07:31

#3 Is there a need to be snarky everytime that Obama shows? Obama Derrangement Syndrom anyone?

Let's be harsh when he deserves.

Posted by: Zebulon Spase1139 2008-11-12 07:15

#2 Looks like he's learned to vote something other than "Present".

Posted by: gorb 2008-11-12 03:29

#1 "Twenty? There's twenty? Holy crap."

Posted by: mojo 2008-11-12 00:33

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