Obama: Bowing (or not) to Saudi royalty

It was a bow, end of story. The more BO tries to spin it, the more this goes on. Admit the mistake and move on.
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If he was just bending over to shake the short guy's hand, did he do likewise when he greeted the Queen of England (she is much smaller)? No. Admit mistake and move on.

I basically agree with Terry. Where we part company is calling it a "mistake." There's nothing wrong with showing deference to someone, even to someone who is not your equal. Being gracious (magnanimous) and respectful is a sign strength, not weakness.

But I agree it's a disaster to try to pretend it wasn't a bow. Admit you bowed and move on.

Ok that was definately a bow. But what does it matter? Its a sign of respect. Not a sign of subordination. And if anybody actually sees it that way, you are looking way to deeply into it.

Why was this story posted at 5 pm when everyone is not at work to read this.

Suspicious to me.

Is this better or worse than the photos of Bush KISSING the Saudi king?

Keep up the faux-outrage, GOP. Nobody is fooled.

yawn

I'm an Obama supporter and that was a bow. U should be tweeting! Look me up!

Well, at least he didn't give the Bin Laden family a free ride home to protect them from FBI questioning the way G. W. Bush did. And refresh my memory, how much was gasoline going for per gallon toward the end of Dubya's disasterous second term?

If your going to lie make it something believeable, and not on video! President Obama the Unqualified does not know what he is doing, does not know what to do, and is way over his head. If he has any protocol councilors they are either incompetant or Obama isn't understanding his role as the Leader of this great nation. Me thinks its the latter. Time to quit Obama you are not qualified even to be a dogcatcher!

Good, Lord! He's opened the gates to the barbarians!!

Oh, wait. My paranoia was fed by the GOP hyperbola. Now that I've actually calmed down, I can see it was a bow, which I would interpret as a showing of respect.

Of course, the GOP wouldn't know what respect is, so they probably think Obama has waived a white flag of surrender. Good thing for the Wingnuts they have stockpiles of guns, so they can protect themselves from the soon-to-happen invasion by the Arabs.

And if that doesn't happen, they can just get drunk and accidentally shoot someone else instead.

He bowed-not sure how anyone can see it any other way..
kind of weird all of the WH spin on this.... admit the mistake and move on...

Definitely a bow

That was clearly a bow by Obama. I guess that really describes exactly what Obama is. No American president should bow to another foreign king - queen or any other person who is supposedly royalty. That is degrading to the office of President and to the United States. I guess one should expect that of Obama, a Muslim at heart since it is in his family. He set relations back 10 years with these actions of his. God do we have a long 4 years with this pathetic individual.

The President of the United States does not comes from a blood lineage, he is elected, by the people, for the people. The slap is not that he bowed to the King, but that the King did not bow in return.

Just post the"bow" not endless video, your headline was a "bow" yet your video goes on forever....

Just post the"bow" not endless video, your headline was a "bow" yet your video goes on forever....

It was an accident. It doesn't look good. From the time of Jefferson, it was established that Americans bow to no royalty. It's an insult to the principles upon which our nation was founded.

However, again, it was an accident. Let's no go nuts about it.

A bow is a gentle gesture to show humility, humanity, and honor to an older person. In the Arab World it's most common. It's an extension of the commandment to honor our parents. Bowing to someone can never be a mistake. He did the right thing. Obama's bow was a reflex showing his human side. I vote mostly Republican especially on business and life-related issues, but on foreign policy, Obama is capable of bringing us - and the world - some peace and serenity for a change. God bless Barack; and a blessed Easter to all.

only subjects and slaves of the king bow down to him...which one is obama?

Oh boy. This ought to set the message boards ablaze.

You'd bow too, to a guy who spent hundreds of millions getting you elected President. The Obama campaign never did account for the hundreds of millions in overseas donations they received, for obvious reasons.

I have no idea what that was, but it idn't look like a bow - looked like he dropped something and was picking it up.

I guess he should have held his hand and went on a romantic stroll like George Bush did a few years back.

Anyone who sees the video knows that it was a bow. The administration must really think we are stupid to believe their spin.

What should Obama have done, punch the Saudi King in the mouth? If he did bow he's just showing some respect to a foreign leader. I suspect that half the people complaining about Obama's little bow don't hesitate to get down on their knees to kiss their priest's ring.

Yep, it was a bow.

Americans are not to bow or curtsey to ANYONE, because we are not subjects of anyone, and no head of any state is our sovereign.

I love the Obamas dearly, but they do need to brush up on formal etiquette, pronto. (Their casual leg-crossing should stop, for one thing).

They should read Leticia Baldridge, the former social secretary of Jackie Kennedy.

This alleged bow would certainly be a less "shocking display of fealty" than watching the Bush regime prostate themselves to "friendly" Arab oil states over the past couple of decades...

Well, right there the aide is lying. You can see Barack's left hand hanging in front of him, so he only shook with one hand. Kind of looked like he fell over or bent down to tie his shoe. Awkward really.

Not only did he bow, but at the start when he grasps the King's hand, only with 1 hand, his right hand, he also kisses the King's hand!

Why wouldn't he bow? He's already kowtowed to Wall Street, the Queen of England and every other one of the elistist powers that shoehorned him into office...

(1) It was a bow.
(2) Who cares?
(3) If you care, then you are a loopy Republican just looking to score a hit on Obama anyway.

Um... I believe the word I was looking for was "prostrate". Too many Flomax commercials, I guess... Ooops...

OK, I will beat all of the Obama apologists to the punch..... or is it punch line? Here we go: "How is this news?" Sorry, Obama apologists, you'll have to come up with something else now.

At least President Obama didn't hold hands and kiss our Saudi overlords the way W. did.

Look at how pathetic Republican President Bush was with the Saudi's:
http://www.wonkette.com/politics/hands.jpg

That absolutely was a bow. I don't care what spin they try to put on it - taller - whatever. Total bow.

no comment

Obama's response reminds me of a line from "McClintock": "Are you going to believe what you see, or are you going to believe what I tell you?"

people can decode other's say. but, who know the deeply of his heart and his plan?

That absolutely WAS a bow! I'm shocked, surprised and extremely disappointed. Can we impeach this clown?

I guess is better than holding their hand and going for a stroll.

Everyone has to forgive Obama, he is so used to bowing to his keepers, Axelrod, the SEIU, Pelosi and his wife, he just instinctively bend forward when he met the Saudi King. While Obama is not at war with Islam, Islam is at war with women's rights and Obama is bowing to them as well. Change which constantly makes one sick!

That wasn't a bow... he prostrated himself!

Another gaffe by Nobama the inexperienced!

The bow by itself is nothing more than his inexperience.
But couple that with the greeting card to Iran, the Ali Babba TV interview, the speech about us never at war with Islam, and his boyhood...taken together we have cause to worry about Obama. Nothing conspiratorial mind you; just a feeling that he has no clue he's tugging on a tiger's tail. THAT'S frightening.

that was just a show of respect. besides, bush kissed the king (there's pictures to prove it)

This is a story? I'm sure the top conservatives windbags (Limbozo and O'Reilly, the two war cowards) made a big deal about this. Wow, compared to millions of Americans being out of work and us being at war in two places, this is really important.

So he bowed. BFD! "W" held hands with him and kissed him on both cheeks (again, no doubt even greater signs of cultural awareness and respect). But then "W" went on to kiss the king's royal oil-pumpin' butt costing us millions at the gas pumps! I'll take a little bow anytime compared to that kind of "respect!"

If you want to see real sycophancy to this oil thug "monarch", watch Frontline's documentary on bribery, Prince Bandar, and the rest of this bloody "royal family".

In it you will see Margaret Thatcher (Baroness Thatcher now) curtseying like a schoolgirl before this disgusting "royal family".

And of course Georgie Boy holding hands with them.

Obama is either a fascist tyrant or an appeaser to foreign enemies depending on which day the GOP is whining.

Why has Obama waited a week to lie about it?

Who you gonna believe - Barack or your lyin' eyes?

All you apologists defending his actions should be asking, if this isn't such a big deal, then why is the Whitehouse saying it wasn't a bow? (Video shows he did)
If one country's leader bows to another as a sign of respect, then shouldn't the other leader respond in kind? Did the Saudi King bow to Obama? (Video shows he didn't)
Did Obama bow to the Queen of England? No.
You and the MSM can paint this any way you liked but it was a sign of submission to a Muslim leader by Obama. Something he learned while being raised as a Muslim in Indonesia.

prostrate, bow, Muslim, blah blah blah

Yet you still lost the election. Now go watch Glenn Beck and cry about it.

I love it! "It's a sign of respect!" "Bush kissed the king!" Blah, blah, blah. Seriously, people: Your always-honest Savior of the World just got caught lying through his teeth (or rather, through the teeth of his idiotic mouthpieces) and you don't think that's a problem? Not only are they lying, they are lying about something that is on tape, and blatantly obvious, even to the most adoring of the Obama fans. That smacks of sociopathic behavior, folks. Ask yourself this: If they are willing to lie about something like this, what else are they lying to you about? And, secondly, how stupid do you think they think you are? (And, yes, Bush lied about a great many things and also exhibited a number of sociopathic tendencies. So with that out of the way, can you please address the issue at hand?)

Oh, and to those who are stupid enough to ask, "Well, what was he supposed to do?", may I suggest the following: Perhaps he could have, you know, just shaken the king's hand or, you know, kissed him on both cheeks, as is done as a traditional greeting among equals in many parts of the world?

Patrick,
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Gasoline was under $2.00 at the end of President Bush's administration.
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Girls Name,
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The amount of media attention that this has rec'd as compared to the "hand-holding" is miniscule. The issue her isn't the bow nor the hand-holding, it is the treament they receive in the media.
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And then there is mouthpiece Gibbs: "No, I think he bent over with both, to shake -- with both hands to shake his hand, so I don't--".
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I guess it was my lying eyes that saw BO's left hand dangling at his side.
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It's always the cover-up that bites you in the butt

I looked at that clip and it seems to be a bow.

Why try to deny it?

But it may have been a bit of a mocking bow.

Decades ago in school I may have made a mock bow to some classmate who'd just been awarded some kind of honor or fellowship.

Anyway, it seems the White House needs more depth on the protocol and tradition bench, based on the DVD, iPod and such.

I don't know the etiquette between world leaders and won't pretend I do. But I know what a bow looks like and that was one. Lying about it is not only bizarre but arrogant in that the WH thinks people will actually believe their explanation.

Was that a lil Bow? Wow!

In the words of Mel Brooks, "It is good to be the King," and President Obama was acknowledging this. Why spend time once again trying to deceive the people once he thinks that there will be a public outcry. He needs to get some of Blago's "testicular virility" and quit apologizing for America.

Guess we should be thrilled that he only kissed the king's hand in public and not his arse too?

This is what happens when Obama forgets his portable teleprompter.

Paulo

It wasn't a bow...
It was not sex...
Why what beautiful clothes the king has on...

Do government officials really think we're that stupid? Of course it was a bow. And why would a president of the United States bow all the way down to a foreign, Muslim leader and not to a Queen of England? It's a disgrace and it's showing what a desolate state our country is in. Not to mention how we're becoming ethically uneducated. After all, doesn't the president represent the country as a whole? He needs to learn some manners before becoming involved in professional foreign affairs. Or better yet, we should impeach him. And to think I used to support him....

a bow is not a nod. a bow is a bow.

Politics. If any of the charlatans of the Republican Party would personally receive even a tiny fraction of the money the Saudis are giving to stabilize the American economy they would not hesitate even to blow the King. This includes Newt, Hannity, Wolf, Lothian, Karl Rove and other mother f**kers. All these despicable pimping gigolos don’t appreciate how lucky USA has been to get a guy like Obama to be their President.

OMG! What will happen when he goes to Japan? Don't they bow there? Call in the FBI. This warrants an investigation...spare no microscope!

What JB said.

Wish he would bow out. Gracefully, of course.

The most interesting thing is the White House response.

Do they actually think that if they deny it the people will believe?

Everything is now suspect that issues from the White House.

They just should have said Yes and Prez Bush kissed the king.

The bow isn't up for debate as to what one "thinks" occurred.

It's the blatant lie that the White House issued.

The press needs to push that. The American public shouldn't accept lies.

Does the White House actually believe everything they put out will be believed after this?

Gosh, just fess up and say, Yes and get on with it.

The queen is 5'4" and he never bowed to shake her hand. He clearly used only one hand and he bowed at the waist. The king had to bow to shake President Obama's hand. Why is the White house Press sec getting so upset about this. Just admit to it as it is. A Bow. Pres Obama is just showing his true beliefs.

It's the lie.

Don't you have a Salvan Learning Center for presidents in Washington?

Do government officials really think we're that stupid? Of course it was a bow. And why would a president of the United States bow all the way down to a foreign, Muslim leader and not to a Queen of England? It's a disgrace and it's showing what a desolate state our country is in. Not to mention how we're becoming ethically uneducated. After all, doesn't the president represent the country as a whole? He needs to learn some manners before becoming involved in professional foreign affairs. Or better yet, we should impeach him. And to think I used to support him....
Posted by: Anne | April 10, 2009 1:38 AM

Yers _They think the public is that stupid, Mainly because they fell for Obama's Change.

I don't know why the photo of the bow isn't shown instead of the video. There are plenty of still shots showing on the internet displaying, The President of the United States, acting in a subservient manner to that King, when the President is his equal.
And it is a big deal, because he represents America, and acting as a subservient to the Muslim King, disrespects Americans. Then you have the WH, NOT saying it was a bow and moving on, only keeps the story alive. Silly.

The buttom line is that the King of Saudi Arabia treat 50 percent of his country population, like animals. Women have no rights and get stone just because their ankles might have been showing.

This is another instance of a Democrat President not knowing the difference in a bow or not. We had another Democrat President that did not know that oral sex was sex!!!!

Anna43019 - now that kind of observation will earn you nothing but scorn and ridicule on this blog. Of course Obama bows to women haters - he's part of the club. Men outnumber women 2-1 in top posts in Obama's administration. Obama didn't bow to the Queen of England, but then again, she's just a girl.

It's obviously a bow, however I'm not surprised. BO partly grew up in foreign countries so he is still learning how to act "American". BO's handlers clearly didn't get a chance to brief him that a simple handshake was the American thing to do...not bow down like a servant. Since he was raised as a Muslim it probably came naturally so I can't blame him.

He bowed, so what? I'm disappointed that the WH doesn't just admit it and move on.

Meanwhile, the right-wing media are beside themselves with glee. The next thing you know Fox News will have a two-hour special with a panel of "experts" ruminating over the meaning of it all.

Maybe it's just me, but don't we have more important issues to tackle?

Ehh, Fugedaboudit. Jus' remembeh dat deh is a difference b'tween bowin' down 'n bendin' ovah.

BRILLIANT. He held republicans and all the rightwing media hostages by shifted their attention for almost a week, evolving them in senseless discussions, while he focused on his agenda and the real issues.
Obama is like a great chess player always looking at the board and thinking ahead of his opponent… republicans and the right-wing media need to learn a thing or two from the Obama book.

From another Swamp thread: As for me this is all wonderful, the dress code, the touching, etc.... BUT Congress passed a 3.5 trillion dollar road map yesterday, and articles like this (as I see them) are smoke screens.
Posted by: PG | April 3, 2009 4:34 PM

Check the date, maybe "the press" can report what is really happening.