In a closed-door meeting with Jewish donors on Saturday night, former President George W. Bush delivered his harshest public criticisms to date against his successor on foreign policy, saying that President Barack Obama is being naïve about Iran and the pending nuclear deal and losing the war against the Islamic State.
One attendee at the Republican Jewish Coalition session, held at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas with owner Sheldon Adelson in attendance, transcribed large portions of Bush’s remarks. The former president, who rarely ever criticizes Obama in public, at first remarked that the idea of re-entering the political arena was something he didn’t want to do. He then proceeded to explain why Obama, in his view, was placing the U.S. in “retreat” around the world. He also said Obama was misreading Iran’s intentions while relaxing sanctions on Tehran too easily.
According to the attendee’s transcription, Bush noted that Iran has a new president, Hassan Rouhani. “He’s smooth,” Bush said. “And you’ve got to ask yourself, is there a new policy or did they just change the spokesman?”
Bush said that Obama’s plan to lift sanctions on Iran with a promise that they could snap back in place at any time was not plausible. He also said the deal would be bad for American national security in the long term: “You think the Middle East is chaotic now? Imagine what it looks like for our grandchildren. That’s how Americans should view the deal.”
Gotta love the Bloomberg headline. Bush’s comments seemed pretty restrained especially given the way Obama has blamed him for just about everything including stuff that he himself screwed up. It looks like the author of the Bloomberg article is trying to stir up some crap.
@another vet –
Agreed that what W’s criticism was restrained. He could’ve gone through it point-by-point in a devastating manner. Much of the problems we are seeing, both internationally and domestically, are of Obama’s making. Part of it is naiveté, the other part is deliberate action from his personal ideology. He would rather have unrest than finding solutions that would matter.
@David:
Sad but true. That’s why he was a community agitator. The scary part is that he still has the support of over 40% of the American people. It doesn’t say much for the future of the country if this is going to be the new standard.
The GOP hasn’t invited their last successful presidential candidate to their last two national conventions. I’m guessing next year will make it three in a row. It isn’t Obama who keeps crossing him off the guest list.