Hollande at the White House May 18
Francois Hollande is expected at the White House on May 18, where he will meet with Barack Obama before rushing off to Camp David in Maryland in the afternoon (prepare the motorcade …), where the G-8 summit will be held beginning Friday night.
The Frenchman is one of two “new guys” in the G-8 (the other being Vladimir Putin,* who should also be eligible for a handshake at the White House).
The Spokesman’s Briefing
In his first remarks on the French election during his daily briefing Monday, Jay Carney, Barack Obama’s spokesman — whose role is to be as uninformative as possible — did not fail in his mission.
On the economy, he reiterated that Barack Obama supports a “balanced approach” between stimulus measures and debt reduction. Job creation for the short term, austerity for the medium and long terms.
“Stability in Europe is important. It is certainly important for America’s economic growth,” he indicated.
On Afghanistan, the other subject on the agenda for the day, he would not comment on the view that Francois Hollande’s intention to withdraw troops by the end of the year complicates the situation for Obama, at least in terms of display at the NATO summit, which takes place after the G-8 in Chicago.
He did not even confirm that the word “Afghanistan” was spoken during the first Obama-Hollande phone call on Sunday evening, merely saying that “security issues” were among the list of topics discussed.
A Potentially More Personal Question?
We know that Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama knew each other well, that they had forged ties even before being elected to their respective positions. That Sarkozy had seemed to see them as having common destinies (“We will win together,” he said in their most recent video-conference). … Knowing all that, what must the White House, which is campaigning for the presidential election on Nov. 6, think of Sarkozy’s defeat?
Jay Carney did not take the bait: “I don’t think I’ll analyze another country’s politics. I would simply say that our alliance with France is enduring and will continue to be a vital part of our national security future.”
Speaking of the campaign, what about the notion that it will be difficult for Barack Obama to show too much proximity to a European socialist, knowing that that term is almost an insult in Republican circles?
The answer was frank and cordial:
“Look, we have issues with France that we will work on regardless of who’s president or which government — which party is in power. … So there have been very close relations between France and the United States, regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican is in power here, or regardless of which party is in power in France. And I expect that to continue.”
In the words of the everyday spokesman, “Thank you for coming to your daily briefing. …”
*Editor’s Note: Since the original publication of this article, Vladimir Putin has bowed out of attending the G-8 summit.
The Frenchman is one of two “new guys” in the G-8 (the other being Vladimir Putin,* who should also be eligible for a handshake at the White House).
The Spokesman’s Briefing
In his first remarks on the French election during his daily briefing Monday, Jay Carney, Barack Obama’s spokesman — whose role is to be as uninformative as possible — did not fail in his mission.
On the economy, he reiterated that Barack Obama supports a “balanced approach” between stimulus measures and debt reduction. Job creation for the short term, austerity for the medium and long terms.
“Stability in Europe is important. It is certainly important for America’s economic growth,” he indicated.
On Afghanistan, the other subject on the agenda for the day, he would not comment on the view that Francois Hollande’s intention to withdraw troops by the end of the year complicates the situation for Obama, at least in terms of display at the NATO summit, which takes place after the G-8 in Chicago.
He did not even confirm that the word “Afghanistan” was spoken during the first Obama-Hollande phone call on Sunday evening, merely saying that “security issues” were among the list of topics discussed.
A Potentially More Personal Question?
We know that Nicolas Sarkozy and Barack Obama knew each other well, that they had forged ties even before being elected to their respective positions. That Sarkozy had seemed to see them as having common destinies (“We will win together,” he said in their most recent video-conference). … Knowing all that, what must the White House, which is campaigning for the presidential election on Nov. 6, think of Sarkozy’s defeat?
Jay Carney did not take the bait: “I don’t think I’ll analyze another country’s politics. I would simply say that our alliance with France is enduring and will continue to be a vital part of our national security future.”
Speaking of the campaign, what about the notion that it will be difficult for Barack Obama to show too much proximity to a European socialist, knowing that that term is almost an insult in Republican circles?
The answer was frank and cordial:
“Look, we have issues with France that we will work on regardless of who’s president or which government — which party is in power. … So there have been very close relations between France and the United States, regardless of whether a Democrat or a Republican is in power here, or regardless of which party is in power in France. And I expect that to continue.”
In the words of the everyday spokesman, “Thank you for coming to your daily briefing. …”
*Editor’s Note: Since the original publication of this article, Vladimir Putin has bowed out of attending the G-8 summit.
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