January 13, 2015
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In addition to ordinary citizens from Paris and from remote sections of France and throughout Europe, world leaders joined in solidarity with the French for the unity rally. They included Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, as well as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov — all setting aside their differences for a demonstration that French President Francois Hollande said turned the city into “the capital of the world.” The only problem is, President Obama was a no-show.
For reasons still unknown, the president failed to join other world leaders at the rally. Not only that, but he also failed to send Vice-President Biden, the First Lady or any high ranking representative of the U.S. in his absence. Now, the White House has its tail between its legs by having to admit it was a huge oversight to inadvertently snub America’s oldest ally by not being present for the huge anti-terror march that produced some of the most memorable scenes on the streets of Paris since World War II.
U.S. ambassador Jane Hartley, a virtual unknown, was the top American official at Sunday’s events, forcing White House spokesman Josh Earnest to acknowledge “we should have sent someone with a higher profile.” Interestingly, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris at the time for a prior commitment, but also did not attend.
As expected, Republican detractors wasted no time in piling up on Mr. Obama for the horrendous international blunder.
“The absence is symbolic of the lack of American leadership on the world stage and it is dangerous. Our President should have been there,” Sen. Ted Cruz wrote in an op-ed on Time.com.
Even the media ganged up on the president. “You let the world down,” printed the New York Daily News. CNN anchor Jake Tapper said he was “ashamed” at the lack of U.S. representation.
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However, French President Francois Hollande tried to provide cover for Mr. Obama’s embarrassing blunder, praising the U.S. president for his strong words since the deadly rampage.
“Obama has been very present from the start and made an exceptional visit to the French embassy in Washington,” Hollande said.
In a visit to Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” former President Jimmy Carter defended Mr. Obama, reminding the public of the enormous security measures required in advance for any President of the United States to travel at short notice, particularly when he is surrounded by a crowd of 3.7 million people.
Was President Obama’s failed attendance in Paris for good reason? Should he have at least sent a top White House official? Or was this an incredible international blunder that he will not soon live down?
I saw Jimmy Carter on the Daily Show and he was right about security being a issue for Obama to go. But bad perception is what's making this look like a big problem since everybody else was there. If anything Obama should have told Eric Holder to go since he was already over there. I love our president but he dropped the ball on this one.