Rice pledges support to Russian activists

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told Russian human rights activists on Saturday she wanted to help them build institutions to protect people from the 'arbitrary power of the state'.

The meeting could irk the Kremlin, which is sensitive to Western accusations it is rolling back democratic freedoms and suspects foreign governments of trying to influence the outcome of next year's presidential election.

Rice told eight human rights leaders she wanted to hear about their efforts to protect freedoms in Russia.

"I am quite confident that your goal is to build institutions that are indigenous to Russia -- that are Russian institutions -- but that are also respectful of what we all know to be universal values," said Rice.

She said these were: "The rights of individuals to liberty and freedom, the right to worship as you please, and the right to assembly, the right to not have to deal with the arbitrary power of the state."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071013/ts_nm/russia_usa_rights_dc

[fasttense]

1. And she ignores the rights of individuals to liberty and freedom, the right to worship

as you please, and the right to assembly, the right to not have to deal with the arbitrary power of the state in the US. There has got to be a better word then hypocrite for here selective human rights support.

[kurth]

2. She wants to protect people from the 'arbitrary power of the state'

What a lying bitch.

[Captain Hilts]

3. Speaking of moral relativism...she should not be speaking out on stuff like this right now. nt

[madrchsod]

4. no matter where they go

they leave a big pile of shit in the living room.

[0007]

5. Every country in the world today knows that Condoleezza Rice

is a shit disturber.

:rofl:

Rice has never been heard discussing the individuals rights and liberty and freedoms of the American people, huh?

Ya just can't make this kind of stuff up;

The United States and other Western governments are concerned about democracy, human rights and civil society in Russia under President Vladimir Putin.

He has centralized power and mounted a huge security operation in Chechnya. Television, main source of news for most Russians, has been brought under tight Kremlin control with Putin's opponents rarely given access to the airwaves.

Opinion polls though show most Russians back Putin's tough style of rule.

[Strelnikov_]

6. Why do the words pot . . kettle . . black keep bouncing around in my head

Oh well, enough of that.

Saudi Arabia . . . doubleplusgood
China . . . good
Russia . . . ungood
Iran . . . doubleplusungood

There. Got my mind right.

[tom_paine]

7. What a disgusting lie. How they preen and pretend to be Americans, these Bushies

It's as grotesque as if Von Robbentrop came out saying he would back, well, Russian dissidents.

And more of a lie.

[aquart]

8. Supporting the insurgents?

Tsk.

[sendero]

9. I'm pretty sure...

.... that Vladimir Putin and the rest of the Russian people are about as interested in anything Ms. Rice or her "husband" have to say as I am.

[tecelote]

10. Rice says Kremlin's consolidated power endangers democracy

Source: CNN

MOSCOW, Russia (AP) -- The Russian government under Vladimir Putin has amassed so much central authority that the power-grab may undermine Moscow's commitment to democracy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Saturday.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice listens at a news conference in Moscow on Friday.

"In any country, if you don't have countervailing institutions, the power of any one president is problematic for democratic development," Rice told reporters after meeting with human-rights activists.

"I think there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin. I have told the Russians that. Everybody has doubts about the full independence of the judiciary. There are clearly questions about the independence of the electronic media and there are, I think, questions about the strength of the Duma," said Rice, referring to the Russian parliament.

Telephone messages left with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov were not immediately returned Saturday evening.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/10/13/rice.russia.ap/index.html

[napi21]

11. Is she sure she's only talking about Russia? Her statements

could easily be applied to the Shrub WH and America too!

[no_hypocrisy]

12. It isn't "consolidated power". It's a "unitary executive" which is fine in this country.

:sarcasm:

[rodeodance]

13. Bushco assumed his looking into Putins eye and calling him a buddy would do it!

[rodeodance]

14. McClatchy: Bush, aides 'grossly misjudged Putin' (assumed Putin embraced Democracy)

Forum Name Editorials & Other Articles
Topic subject McClatchy: Bush, aides 'grossly misjudged Putin' (assumed Putin embraced Democracy)
Topic URL http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x314339#314339
314339, McClatchy: Bush, aides 'grossly misjudged Putin' (assumed Putin embraced Democracy)
Posted by rodeodance on Sun Oct-14-07 07:07 AM



http://www.mcclatchydc.com/world/v-print/story/20508.html

Bush, aides 'grossly misjudged Putin'

Jonathan S. Landay | McClatchy Newspapers

last updated: October 12, 2007 07:46:56 PM

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration's failure to win Russia's consent to install U.S. missile defenses in its European backyard and a growing list of other disputes suggest that President Bush and his aides have misread the man whose "soul" Bush thought he'd divined when they first met six years ago.

Bush's strategy on Russia assumed that Russian President Vladimir Putin embraced democracy, wanted integration with the West and sought a "strategic partnership" in which Moscow would acquiesce to U.S. policies such as NATO expansion. Feuds could be resolved through the close personal relationship that Bush believed he had with his Russian counterpart.

Instead, fueled by record oil and natural gas prices and resentment of what he lambasted in February as Bush's "almost uncontained hyper use of force," Putin has led global opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq, hosted Palestinians on the U.S. list of terrorist groups, sold anti-aircraft missiles and other arms to Iran and stymied Bush's drive to tighten U.N. sanctions on the Islamic republic for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.

The Kremlin has steadily increased spending on defense modernization and revived symbolic long-range aerial reconnaissance patrols toward U.S. and European airspace.

[Buns_of_Fire]

15. And I'll bet she said it with a straight face, too!

That Condi. Such a kidder.

[0007]

16. She may have had the heat put on her . . . LOL!!

[truth2power]

17. Anybody who says something that stupid,

given the state of our so-called democracy, ought not be allowed out in public by themselves.

EVERYTHING she says about Putin applies equally to our Great Leader. Didn't he say he was the "decider"? Hasn't he packed the courts with RW nutjobs? Doesn't this entire administration completely ignore Congress and their subpoenas?

And this is the kicker..."independence of the electronic media". :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

I'm surprised Putin doesn't laugh in her face!!

[indepat]

18. Its people like Madame Secretary who endanger democracy

[City Lights]

19. And once again, Bushco accuses someone else of doing the very thing he's

done. Your little trick isn't working, George. You're not fooling anyone.

[The Wizard]

20. She's on dope (NT)

[LibDemAlways]

21. Pot, meet kettle.

[samsingh]

63. she should know from her masters example

[YankmeCrankme]

22. Rice worried by Putin's broad powers

Source: Associated Press

"In any country, if you don't have countervailing institutions, the power of any one president is problematic for democratic development," Rice told reporters after meeting with human-rights activists.

"I think there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin. I have told the Russians that. Everybody has doubts about the full independence of the judiciary. There are clearly questions about the independence of the electronic media and there are, I think, questions about the strength of the Duma," said Rice, referring to the Russian parliament.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071013/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_russia_rice

---

The irony meter off scale again. I guess only US allowed a unitary president. lol

[niyad]

23. un-frigging-believable. does she not have a CLUE how absurd she sounds?

[Acadia Blue]

43. Hey stupid Condi, we are bogged down in Iraq! You have created

the biggest disaster we have had in this country to date. Will we ever crawl out of the hole you dumb corrupt pigs have created?

[Thor_MN]

50. She's fighting for Democracy over there, so she doesn't have to fight for it over here

[kurth]

24. GEEEZ. Mind Your Own Damn Business

When You Live In A Glass House...

[emilyg]

38. Let's just invade. We're so good at it.

[Lint Head]

25. There is too much concentration of power in the damn

White House. We are being controlled by a dictator. WTF is this lying person that avoids subpoenas talking about? :dem:

[sniffa]

26. she is correct

that sort of power shouLd be reserved for the vice president.

[tanyev]

27. Matthew 7: 3-5

3"Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

4"Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?

5"You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.

[Snarkoleptic]

28. So odd that it could have been a headline from The Onion.

[LibDemAlways]

62. That was my first thought, too. The irony is too rich.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

29. Her and her gang

Have such SEVERE problems with "projecting" their own attributes onto everybody they don't like that it's amazing that they are even minimally in touch with reality. Everytime I hear them make comments like this, I keep thinking about Jeff Gannon/Guckert's infamous question (paraphrasing) to Bush about working with people whom are completely out of touch with reality. THAT is a question that somebody should ask members of our own party IMHO.

[sarge43]

30. Project much, sweetie? n/t

[Adsos Letter]

31. She.Is.Absolutely... Out.Of.Her.League. ...

and out of her mind, as well. Isn't there some high end shoe retailer looking for a competent wholesale buyer?

[Bob3]

32. from its grave irony sheiks in pain.

and spins enough to generate a considerable electric charge.

It really does test my faith in a universal consciousness that someone can say something this stupid and is not - to quote Kliban "squirted out of the universe like a watermelon seed"

[sce56]

33. This from a "Dr" ? You got to be F'ing Joking

[ladywnch]

34. Mrs. Pot, meet Mr. Kettle! ROFLMAO!!!!!!! n/t

[Toots]

61. If we must call it a name I say call it "Black"

:shrug:

[Fridays Child]

35. If Christie's auctioned off masterpieces of delusional irony, I wonder what this one would sell for.

[xxqqqzme]

36. was she looking in a mirror when

she recited that rhetoric?

[Faux pas]

37. Her 'degree(s)' are just pieces of paper.....

we need a tongue-in-cheek smiley.

[ixion]

39. two words: Unitary Executive

'nuff said.

[aquart]

40. I can only laugh.

[Bitwit1234]

41. Oh no oh no....the dragon lady is worried about another PRESIDENT

and HIS broad powers.

[Amonester]

49. Reply to aquart: along with the entire world, in synchronicity...

imagine how much Putty-put must be rolling on the floor laughing as soon as he heard that despicable sociopath say this!

a bit like when commander cookoo bananas patronized him as he mumbled Russia should try to become a democracy like Iraq!


edited 'cuz adds on to #18 (aquart)

[MasonJar]

42. WoW!!!!!!!!!!!! Condi, how did you get a Phd? That is just plain pitiful.

[Homer Wells]

44. Apparently

Condi got an A+ when she took that course in "Double-think"

:puke:

[Miss Chybil]

45. We are quiick to notice the faults in others

that we have hidden in ourselves. Dr. Rice, find a mirror.

[Xipe Totec]

46. That's what I call a Mirony!

It's not ironic, it's moronic.

[cartach]

47. Condi

At a loss for words. All I can say is - stupid bitch !

[judaspriestess]

48. is this woman that seriously lost?

I mean I know she is but its so beyond the pale, its absolutely bizarre. We really are living in the twilight zone.

[Cha]

51. conjob rice is so fulla shite they have

to cart her around in a wheelbarrel. She does even listen to herself drone?

[L0oniX]

52. What a total sleezy hypocrite asscarrot

[ozymandius]

53. Jealous much? n/t

[City Lights]

54. I'm speechless.

:wow:

[Critters2]

55. Why waste our time talkin'?

Let's just invade 'em!!

[spanone]

56. yet they strive for the all the power chenee/bu$h* can grab

me thinks ye protest too much

[UTUSN]

57. She means, she wishes Shrub had PUTIN's broad powers (if he doesn't already) n/t

[truthisfreedom]

58. Ahh, of course, condi... but it would be okay if bush had total power over the Kremlin as well as

absolute authority here.

[PoiBoy]

59. The New World Order..

...BushCo as the Global Executive.


How f*cking delusional...

[DrDan]

60. what is this woman smoking . . . does she think we are going to

fall for her line of bulls...

[Javaman]

65. and she says this with a straight face. nt

[tabasco]

64. "I'm here from the Bush regime to help you!"

New biggest lie ever told.

[Joanne98]

66. I can hear Russians laughing from here. She's such a joke!

I wish she could keep her ridiculous month shut for just one day! it's so embarressing!