John Kerry and James Taylor.

[graciegirl]

Kerry Brings James Taylor to Serenade French With 'You've Got a Friend' | The Weekly Standard (http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/kerry-brings-james-taylor-serenade-french-youve-got-friend_823854.html)

This all seems a bit awkward to me.

[missypie]

This is so ridiculous. Can you imagine Churchill, Patten, Eisenhower or Reagan hugging people? Oh brother, give me a real leader.

[RedChariot]

This is embarrassing for our nation.

[sunnyatlast]

This is embarrassing for our nation.

As embarrassing as another secretary of state giving Russian leaders a "reset" button and not having the sense to get a native speaker of Russian to translate…..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GdLClHAMB0

[raynan]

When I saw this on the news I cringed. It was embarrassing for our nation. IMO

[tommy steam]

Our enemy is laughing at us.

[Chi-Town]

I am not a fan of James Taylor. But then again I can say the same thing about Bill Kristol and his neocon blog The Weekly Standard. So this thread interests me. Should be fun.

[Sandtrap328]

This is so ridiculous. Can you imagine Churchill, Patten, Eisenhower or Reagan hugging people? Oh brother, give me a real leader.
Google it and you will see photos of Ronnie Reagan hugging Mexican Presidente Portillo as well as Ronnie hugging the newly elected Presidente of Honduras.

[Sandtrap328]

This is so ridiculous. Can you imagine Churchill, Patten, Eisenhower or Reagan hugging people? Oh brother, give me a real leader.

Google it and you will find a dandy photo of Eisenhower bowing to Chuck de Gaulle.

[kittygilchrist]

I hoped you were joking.
If not for fox news, i would think I must be nuts because everything I knew as true has been screwed around until it is all made to seem false.

I feel dirty for being American, itchy with disgust and revulsion, restless to do something, but impotent.
I think I'll get baptized again.

reminder to myself... The good news is that God has got this. Bible prophecy is in a torrential cascade of fulfillment.
It is ugly to watch the world lining up for the day of the Lord.
Reminder to myself...perfect love overcomes fear.
Reminder...I am not impotent, God is waiting for me to pray.

Seems like the USA I grew up believing in is dead.

[graciegirl]

Google it and you will find a dandy photo of Eisenhower bowing to Chuck de Gaulle.


Yeah but, That was then, this is now. This week. The culmination of a week of gaffes and dropped balls.

We didn't show up and then we showed up and did this?????

Kitty, CNN was surprised and critical. And so was MSNBC.

[Sandtrap328]

Yeah but, That was then, this is now.

We didn't show up and then we showed up and did this?????

Kitty, CNN was surprised and critical.

Just pointing out photos that one poster said we would not see Eisenhower or Reagan be doing.

Definitely, the President should have sent Kerry or Biden to Paris for the European leaders march. It was a mistake and was admitted as being a mistake.

As for James Taylor, what was the reaction of France?

[graciegirl]

Just pointing out photos that one poster said we would not see Eisenhower or Reagan be doing.

Definitely, the President should have sent Kerry or Biden to Paris for the European leaders march. It was a mistake and was admitted as being a mistake.

As for James Taylor, what was the reaction of France?

Je ne sais pas. C'est une faux pas. but It was nice music.

[chachacha]

if he had at least used the phrasing of giving an "embrace" instead of using the word hug, which is reminiscent of teddy bears and lolly pops, not appropriate for such a somber event. and he actually flew james taylor there to play the song! what a dog and pony show!

[sunnyatlast]

I would rephrase that as reliably digs out fantasy. But just keep the faith.

"Fantasy" dug out by FoxNews?

Let's see.

Belgium terror suspects had police uniforms, report says | Fox News (http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/17/belgium-terror-suspects-had-police-uniforms-as-planned-to-kill-cops-report-says/)



...

[ronsroni]

I almost cried when I saw this.
What a pathetic S-T-R-E-T-C-H of mea culpa.
In my wildest dreams I NEVER thought that the USA would be so lax in showing solidarity and GENUINE concern for mankind.
Ain't nothin' too far from our shores that we cannot join with persons of the planet and lock elbows against those who want to destroy human freedoms.
At this rate, we shall never overcome.
Bohemian 60's sound like they need to be revisited.
I have grandkids. I will fight to keep them safe.
Dark days ahead with this behavior.

[Moderator]

Please stay on topic and avoid name calling and overt partisan/political statements or the thread will be closed.

Moderator

[Bay Kid]

We have turned into a country of wimps. So sad.

[Chi-Town]

I hoped you were joking.
If not for fox news, i would think I must be nuts because everything I knew as true has been screwed around until it is all made to seem false.

I feel dirty for being American, itchy with disgust and revulsion, restless to do something, but impotent.
I think I'll get baptized again.

reminder to myself... The good news is that God has got this. Bible prophecy is in a torrential cascade of fulfillment.
It is ugly to watch the world lining up for the day of the Lord.
Reminder to myself...perfect love overcomes fear.
Reminder...I am not impotent, God is waiting for me to pray.

Seems like the USA I grew up believing in is dead.
I know how you feel. Every time I hear James Taylor sing Handy Man.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I'm not a fan of this administration nor of John Kerry. Being from Massachusetts, I find him to be especially embarrassing.

But, I don't see what the big deal is about this. He had James Taylor come and sing a song about being a friend as a symbol of our friendship with the French. Is it really that big a deal?

I think that the entire march of solidarity was ridiculous. It really accomplished nothing. It was just a big show for world leaders. I'm glad our president decided not to participate. This little act was absurd as well, but I don't think that it embarrassed us as a nation. It just really wasn't that big a deal.

Some people want to bash the president and his administration for every little move they make. While I would have preferred a Romney presidency, I'm not going to take that course. I'd rather discuss more important things.

I did think however, that if they're going to have James Taylor (who I am a huge fan of) come and play and sing, that they could have gotten him a proper microphone set up. That was ridiculous!

[janmcn]

I'm not a fan of this administration nor of John Kerry. Being from Massachusetts, I find him to be especially embarrassing.

But, I don't see what the big deal is about this. He had James Taylor come and sing a song about being a friend as a symbol of our friendship with the French. Is it really that big a deal?

I think that the entire march of solidarity was ridiculous. It really accomplished nothing. It was just a big show for world leaders. I'm glad our president decided not to participate. This little act was absurd as well, but I don't think that it embarrassed us as a nation. It just really wasn't that big a deal.

Some people want to bash the president and his administration for every little move they make. While I would have preferred a Romney presidency, I'm not going to take that course. I'd rather discuss more important things.

I did think however, that if they're going to have James Taylor (who I am a huge fan of) come and play and sing, that they could have gotten him a proper microphone set up. That was ridiculous!


Finally, the voice of reason. I am also a big fan of James Taylor and would like to see him perform at the new Sharon Morse performing art center. Now if Secretary of State John Kerry had shown up with Lady GaGa, that would have been embarrassing.

BTW: how many US presidents have marched in any parade for solidarity in a foreign country? Hint: the answer is zero, zilch, nada.

[Polar Bear]

...I think that the entire march of solidarity was ridiculous. It really accomplished nothing. It was just a big show for world leaders...

I think the Kerry/Taylor show was rather lame. But I think any gathering with the magnitude of the march has significance. People who otherwise have a rather small voice can make a significant impact on world perceptions and possibly the actions of world leaders.

Anything that shows such unity against terrorism has some merit.

[sunnyatlast]

I'm not a fan of this administration nor of John Kerry. Being from Massachusetts, I find him to be especially embarrassing.

But, I don't see what the big deal is about this. He had James Taylor come and sing a song about being a friend as a symbol of our friendship with the French. Is it really that big a deal?

I think that the entire march of solidarity was ridiculous. It really accomplished nothing. It was just a big show for world leaders. I'm glad our president decided not to participate. This little act was absurd as well, but I don't think that it embarrassed us as a nation. It just really wasn't that big a deal.

Some people want to bash the president and his administration for every little move they make. While I would have preferred a Romney presidency, I'm not going to take that course. I'd rather discuss more important things.

I did think however, that if they're going to have James Taylor (who I am a huge fan of) come and play and sing, that they could have gotten him a proper microphone set up. That was ridiculous!

I think the president and Kerry missed an opportunity to have an iconic, "peace-loving" muslim rock star and Rock Hall of Famer--like Yusuf Islam--sing to the French to recall the desire for peace and unity……

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sjSHazjrWg

...

[onslowe]

I think the Kerry/Taylor show was rather lame. But I think any gathering with the magnitude of the march has significance. People who otherwise have a rather small voice can make a significant impact on world perceptions and possibly the actions of world leaders.

Anything that shows such unity against terrorism has some merit.

Well said, Polar Bear, all politics is perception.

I remember full well the photo and scenes of world leaders, including DeGaulle, walking the funeral route of President Kennedy in 1963. It didn't "do" anything, but it was very much appreciated by a stunned and still confused generation of Americans who had never experienced such a tragedy.

Perception. What would it have taken? What was the big problem?

[sunnyatlast]

Well said, Polar Bear, all politics is perception.

I remember full well the photo and scenes of world leaders, including DeGaulle, walking the funeral route of President Kennedy in 1963. It didn't "do" anything, but it was very much appreciated by a stunned and still confused generation of Americans who had never experienced such a tragedy.

Perception. What would it have taken? What was the big problem?

Agreement with the message of the rally could likely have been the problem.

[rubicon]

I am not a supporter of Obama or any of his policies. However, I have mixed emotions on his failing to join this march. I say so because of France's position supporting Palestine as evidenced by Palestinian Authority President Mahmond Abbas walking along side the leaders of the free world. France is noted along with number of other European countries for its rise in anti-Semitic activities.

I do support the notion of freedom of expression and believe that even if someone is offended, which often is the case that freedom of expression should never be curtailed. ( Yes I know about not yelling "fire"in a theater)

I do believe that this Administration continually "intellectualizes itself into stupidity"( my inventive expression) and too often we here the melody of "Bring in the clowns" to fill the voids left by this Admin

I am beyond embarrassed for my country

[gomoho]

Thank you Rubicon - couldn't agree more.