White House does not rule out Bush missing Olympics opening

[maddezmom]

Source: AFP

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The White House did not rule out Tuesday President George W. Bush missing the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, noting that it had never said he would attend the event.

Asked by reporters if Bush would be attending the opening ceremony, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said: "We haven't provided any schedule on the president's trip."

The White House has insisted that Bush would attend the Olympics, but pressed on whether his decision to go to Beijing was irreversible, Perino said: "The president can always make a change."

"But the president has been clear that this is a sporting event for the athletes and that pressuring China before, during and after the Olympics is the best way for us to try to help people across the board in China, not just the Tibetans," she said.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080408/pl_afp/chinaunresttibetrightsoly2008bush;_ylt=AmxmaWzBdth6F5hBU58ePZes0NUE

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Bush: Politics not a factor in Olympics
Source: AP

WASHINGTON - The White House says China's crackdown in Tibet is not cause for President Bush to cancel his attendance at the Beijing Olympics.

Presidential spokeswoman Dana Perino said Thursday that Bush's position is that "this should be about the athletes and not necessarily about politics."

She said Bush, in accepting the invitation last year from Chinese President Hu Jintao to attend the Olympics, told him that the games would "shine a spotlight on all things Chinese." Perino said "that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Bush agreed to go to the Olympics during a meeting with Hu in Australia last September during the Asia Pacific Economic Council meeting. A White House spokesman said at the time that Bush was going to the games for the sports and not for any political statement.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3235542

[Mags]

1. I guess even the evil Bush can see how wise Hillary Clinton is.

[Demeter]

2. Bush Doesn't Translate Well (both meanings of the word)

and since Poppy threw up on the Japanese prime minister, the East has not wanted to meet the West even halfway.

[Sonnenschein]

3. Chomsky says

Just imagine how the US and Israel would react if Palestinians .. were to burn down a bank and Jewish stores, attack Jews, etc., as in Tibet We can then compare the actual reactions. In the case of US-backed Israeli violence and illegal actions in the OT, overwhelming support for embattled Israel. In the case of Chinese violence in Tibet, much grandstanding, as when Nancy Pelosi — an enthusiastic supporter of Israeli violence — declares passionately that if we don’t stand up for Tibet we will lose our “moral authority” (she didn’t explain on what that authority rests).

One can proceed — that is, if one is interested in truth and justice and immune to shrieks of horror and a deluge of brickbats.
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2008/03/29/chomsky-replies-regarding-palestine-and-tibet/

[AlphaCentauri]

15. her “moral authority” must be to play def

let the war continue while we discussed in congress.

[tabasco]

4. That'll show 'em.

We'll start seeing crackdowns all over the place just to keep idiot Bush from visiting.

[Sonnenschein]

5. Bush knows China more than Democrats, since Bush Sr. has lived in China.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsoc4-QnplY&eurl

[SpiralHawk]

10. Yeah, well my old man was at Pearl Harbor, so that makes me more of a war hero

than the average schmuck on the street.

What kind of logic are you employing? Republi-koolaidism?

[Sonnenschein]

13. It's true. China is one of the few countries Bush actually visited

as teenager when his dad lived in China as embassador.

[Solly Mack]

6. Bother. It's not as if Bush doesn't condone human rights abuses.

He not only condones....he encourages it...defends it...implements it as policy

Yet America keeps pretending...

[Sonnenschein]

7. It's the tibetian terrorists who were abusing other civilians human rights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xsoc4-QnplY&eurl

[Elspeth]

8. Great. Now can we prevent him from showing up at the G-8?

This idiot makes a fool of himself everywhere he goes.

[canis_lupus]

9. Oh course Bush will go the China.

He avoided Viet Nam, so he figures a trip to China will give him a chance to meet some hot Asian chicks and see if they really say "Me love you long time."
:sarcasm:

[Frank Cannon]

11. Ha. He'll go. China OWNs his sorry ass.

It's the least he could do to honor the great nation that's poisoning his own country's middle-class with their toxic toys and other shit.

[matcom]

12. Rediculous. China is the Bank of America and Bush holds their credit card

and guess what. since he changed the Bankruptcy laws he can't file to get out of debt. He'll go and french kiss anyone who demands it.

[tinymontgomery]

14. The real reason is

that he is a coward and would not be allowed to do what ever he wanted. Plus it's not a hand picked crowd.