The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank has a piece out today where he accuses “conservatives” of hypocrisy over their anger at Pres Obama (or any other administration official) skipping the 3.7 million-strong unity march in Paris on Sunday:
Conservatives go from Freedom Fries to complaining that Obama and Kerry aren't devoted enough Francophiles. http://t.co/5t8jiiXhJD
— Dana Milbank (@Milbank) January 12, 2015
An excerpt:
There is a certain je ne sais quoi in conservatives’ criticism of the Obama administration over last week’s terrorist attack in France.
A decade ago, Republicans in Congress were renaming French fries “freedom fries” and French toast “freedom toast” because of that country’s refusal to support the Iraq war. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld belittled the “old Europe” French, President George W. Bush mocked an American reporter for speaking French to the French president, and conservative critics called the French “weasels,” “appeasers” and worse. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, was ridiculed by the Bush administration for being “too French” and looking French, and his fluency in French was a liability in the campaign.
For starters, Sen. Marco Rubio, who is pictured in the tweet and in the article, didn’t even become a Senator until 2011 and was not one of the “Republicans in Congress” responsible for renaming French-linked foods.
But more importantly, it’s not just conservatives who think Pres. Obama made a mistake.
There’s CNN’s Jake Tapper:
@Milbank jake tapper is conservative?
— Steven (@MaVASteve) January 12, 2015
Do you agree? @jaketapper says he was ashamed by the lack of U.S. leaders in Paris' march: http://t.co/qk9G9j0DBn pic.twitter.com/wCfoCQ2CFP
— CNN (@CNN) January 12, 2015
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Or what about “Ready for Hillary‘s” Lanny Davis, who publicly criticized Obama for missing the march? He’s most certainly not a conservative.
Geroge Condon Jr. at National Journal has a good piece up on the president’s continuing problem with optics and why his missing the march looks bad:
Obama's optics problem on display with Paris no-show http://t.co/QGe7vpGUAt pic.twitter.com/hv2Qx4FybD
— National Journal (@nationaljournal) January 12, 2015
Even White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest admitted not sending someone to the march was a mistake:
'UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR’: Josh Earnest makes admission about Paris rally http://t.co/VBZWqAtVPL
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) January 12, 2015
National Review Jonah Goldberg noticed Milbank’s flawed argument, too:
Obama screwed up but Republicans are hypocrites for saying so. Dana Milbank is on it! http://t.co/Car8DhUaUW
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) January 13, 2015
Basic problem with Milbank column is the assumption that criticism of Obama's Paris no-show is a rightwing thing. It ain't.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) January 13, 2015
And…
@JonahNRO mostly it is, Jonah. Don't be daft.
— … (@planning_ahead) January 13, 2015
@planning_ahead 1. No it's not. 2. If criticism is valid for the NYT, WP, NYDN, it's not invalid from the right. 3. I'll be daft if I want
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) January 13, 2015
Milbank did respond, referencing this old Goldberg column on the French from 1999:
@JonahNRO I hereby retract my opinion, because I'm a cheese-eating surrender monkey.
— Dana Milbank (@Milbank) January 13, 2015
Actually, the term “cheese eating surrender monkeys” to describe the French originates with “The Simpsons,” who unlike Team Obama, did participate in Sunday’s rally with this awesome cartoon of Maggie Simpson holding a “Je Suis Charlie” sign:
But, hey … as we reported, Pres. Obama did have a busy day on Monday. Maybe this is why he missed the march:
Breaking down the San Antonio Spurs visit to the White house. #BTHype http://t.co/4jdc6CPkZ5 pic.twitter.com/aXR3xwscQm
— Benyam Kidané (@BenyamKidane) January 13, 2015
Exit question: Does standing next to Tony Parker count as solidarity with the French?
Frenchman Tony Parker standing right behind Obama at WH ceremony for Spurs: http://t.co/6ReWJOSFN7
— David Nakamura (@DavidNakamura) January 12, 2015
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Related:
Greg Gutfeld finds silver lining in President Obama’s absence from Paris today
President Obama isn’t in Paris, but he will be in D.C. tomorrow honoring the San Antonio Spurs
‘Does she REALLY want to go there?’ Squirmy Marie Harf beclowns herself bigtime
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