Obama says he wouldn't attend Olympics opening ceremony

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: USA Today/AP

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Democrat Barack Obama took issue Monday with President Bush's decision to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, saying he would go to Beijing only if he saw progress between the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama.

"In the absence of some sense of progress, in the absence of some sense from the Dalai Lama that there was progress, I would not have gone," the presidential candidate told reporters at a news conference. Obama previously has called on the Republican president to boycott the ceremonies.

Bush said last week that he will attend opening ceremonies for the games in Beijing next month. Some world leaders plan to boycott the event because of China's human rights record and its handling of unrest in Tibet....

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Obama's Republican rival, John McCain, said in April that if he were president, he would only attend the opening ceremonies if China improves its record on human rights and other issues.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-07-07-obama-olympics_N.htm

[Benhurst]

1. Good for both Obama and McCain.

[Spouting Horn]

5. I'm sure McCain's people are telling the

Chinese that this is just election-year rhetoric.

[truthisfreedom]

2. Good for Obama. F*ck McLame. He got it right by guessing.

[LuckyLib]

3. Chimpy and American opinion will be the least of the Chinese government's worries.

Wait until they realize they can't control the world press. Ordinary Chinese people will be talking up a storm, and NO ONE be able to keep a lid on.

[steven88]

4. FINALLY, SOMETHING OBAMA TAKES A PRINCIPLED STAND ON.

Too bad it's meaningless.

[jakem]

6. who are you supporting exactly...?!

welcome to the board?

[Dave From Canada]

7. So he'll meet with Ahmadinejad and others without pre-conditions (but with preparations, whatever

the differences are) but he can't get himself to attend the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Whatever dude.

[HuffleClaw]

8. laughable

he won't be ABLE to attend, he'll be too busy campaigning

but a cute parroting of mccain in any case