US News
Clinton urges Bush to boycott Olympics; protests start (Roundup)
Apr 7, 2008, 19:21 GMT
Washington/San Francisco - Senator Hillary Clinton on Monday called on President George W Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies in Beijing in August because of China's crackdown in Tibet and other human rights abuses.
'At this time, and in light of recent events, I believe President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government,' said Clinton, who is locked in a tight race with Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Clinton's statement came as protests began in San Francisco in anticipation of Wednesday's arrival of the Olympic torch, whose journey through the streets of Paris on Monday was marred by clashes between protestors and police.
Three protestors climbed San Francisco's famous Golden Gate Bridge and unfurled a Tibetan flag and banners proclaiming 'One World One Dream' and 'Free Tibet.'
Police had arrested four people on the bridge who appeared to be the support team for the cable climbers.
The carrying of the torch has been plagued by several protests, including when it was initially lit in Greece.
Clinton faulted the Chinese for the violent clashes in Tibet and for 'the failure of the Chinese government to use its full leverage with Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur.' She said Bush had been 'wrong to downplay human rights in its policy towards China.'
Bush has said he intends to participate in the opening ceremonies but will continue to press China on its human rights record and to open dialogue with Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
'We have a great deal of concern about human rights in China ... and we have never been afraid to express those views either directly by the president or the president's senior advisers when they travel to China, and publicly,' said Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman.
San Francisco police were readying for major protests along the only US stop for the Olympic torch relay. The route along the waterfront is designed to minimize potential disruptions by numerous protest groups, some of whom have been spurred on by a declarations from the city's board of supervisors calling on the city to greet the Olympic torch with 'alarm and protest.'
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the agency stands ready to assist San Francisco and California state authorities with any security needs.
'Clearly there's been a lot of emotion surrounding this issue worldwide. We've seen that,' McCormack said.
'People have the right to freely express themselves around the world,' he added. 'If they have differences with the Chinese government on any variety of issues, they should have the ability to express themselves in a peaceful way.'
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Older Talkback
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Looks like SP4 is up from his nap! Bushie probably doesn't even know there is going to be an olympics.
...perhaps we can just send one of Clintons minions with an empty briefcase for China to fill again...heck, it'll be just like 1995!...and sell more influence!
No wonder the world likes democrats more!
Any evidence except your firm belief for that SP4 ?You never even come forward with anything at all,how much are YOU paid for your smear ?
Penn was a paid lobbyist for the Colombian government. It's public knowledge.
Penn worked for Hirrary. This is not a contested fact.
Penn admitted went to the Colombian Ambassador to push a free trade pact, that Hirrary is against. He's on the record saying so.
This is why he resigned...remember????
Hillary Clinton is financially beholden to Mr. Penn. He's loaned her campaign money. What will she pay it back with????
Now, Tonny, this should not be hard, even for you: What reason does a guy, who's company already has a lobbying contract with Columbia, need to go to the Ambassador for and pimp a free trade deal, which he is not authorized to offer in any way, whilst he works for a Presidential Candidate who is on record OPPOSING said agreements????
Perhaps he WAS authorized to offer something? Can you say 'influence peddling'?????????
When I run into something like this, and it involves the Clintons, I just use the extensive history of their shenanigans to hold up as a guide:
Sandy Berg(l)ar did this for them in the 1990's with AMOCO in the former USSR. They took chinese campaign funds before they got China MFN status!
Then, there is the rest, of course...Clintons foundation as a front for influence selling, Mr. Hsu, Mr. Chung, Catholic land deals...god, the list is endless.
Ya gotta admit, it looks pretty damn bad. If this guys name was Cheney, we'd be hearing howling from one end of the nation to the other!
brainwashing is rearing it's ugly head!
Again Senator Clinton takes the lead on the campaign trail and addresses current events. She continues to be an advocate for Human Rights in China and all over the world. What is Senator Obama's and Senator McCain's position on this? If like everything else, Senator Obama will repeat what Hillary says. Look at his answers in the debates as well as his policies. They look so much like Hillary's because they are.
She's trailing, dickhead. She's dodging the Nafta issue by flushing Penn.
If she were so reticent about China and Tibet, she wouldn't have taken campaign money from them for her husband, a decade ago, and then granted them Most Favored Nation trading status.
So go ask Hillary, once a board member of Walmart, what she really thinks. To me, Mr. Penn has made that perfectly clear.
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SP4: Bush ask's Clinton to Boycott Columbia!Apr 7th, 2008 - 20:22:06
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