Obama: Goodbye, Dalai

By Ralph Alter

"American officials told Tibetan representatives that "this president is not interested in symbolism or photo ops but in deliverables," the Asian diplomat said. "He wants something to come out of his efforts over Tibet, rather than just checking a box." (Washington Post)

Not interested in photo ops? One might say Obama has prepared himself to do little else. Regardless of the underlying reasoning, the Obama administration once again is seen pandering to thuggish violators of human rights as the peripatetic, jet-setting Apologist-in-Chief can't seem to find time to meet with one of the world's most deeply spiritual beings. Obama, whose spirituality was nurtured under the guidance of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright for over 20 years, is said to be attempting to palliate the rulers of Communist China:

"The U.S. decision to postpone the meeting appears to be part of a strategy to improve ties with China that also includes soft-pedaling criticism of China's human rights and financial policies as well as backing efforts to elevate China's position in international institutions, such as the International Monetary Fund. Obama administration officials have termed the new policy ‘strategic reassurance,' which entails the U.S. government taking steps to convince China that it is not out to contain the emerging Asian power."

This despite what one might expect to be a formidable portion of the President's leftist base inclined toward the Free Tibet Campaign. This popular movement

"stands for the rights of Tibetans to determine their own future and campaigns for an end to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and for the fundamental human rights of Tibetans to be respected."

Of course, no such concern for the tender feelings of the Chinese leaders was in evidence when Obama decided to impose a tire tariff on the import of Chinese tires designed to prop up his pals in the United Steelworkers union.

Apparently the Chinese had already resigned themselves to the proposed meeting after some diplomatic push-pull and had abandoned pursuit of the matter. The intrepid diplomats in the Obama administration refused to accept victory when a diplomatic loss of face was still attainable:

"We've got the classic case of a Western government yet again conceding to Chinese pressure that is imaginary long after that Chinese pressure has ceased to exist," said Robert Barnett, a Tibetan expert at Columbia University . "The Chinese must be falling over themselves with astonishment at what Western diplomats will give them without being asked. I don't know what the poker analogy would be. 'Please, see all my cards and take my money, too?' " (ibid WaPo)

Sound familiar? Intrepid world leaders are rapidly finding that negotiating with the neophytes in the Obama administration is like playing high stakes poker with toddlers. The Chinese will use this affront to the Tibetan holy man in its continuing effort to prevent other nations from engaging with the Dalai Lama.

Both Tenzin Gyatso, who is the 14^th Dalai Lama, and his representatives have been negotiating for months with the Obama administration to establish a meeting with the 44^th President. He has met with the sitting U.S. President in the White House 10 times since 1991. The Dalai Lama remains the leader of the government-in-exile of Tibet located in Dharmsala, India since escaping over the Himalyas in 1959 after the Chinese invaded Tibet.

One familiar with diplomatic protocols would expect that a seasoned foreign policy expert with a background in Asian studies would be handling the delicate and morally compelling negotiations with the Tibetan leader. So who has Obama placed in charge of the case?

Valerie Jarrett. Yes, the same Valerie Jarrett, who "needed to be granted an "ethics waiver" in order to serve in (her) position because of her close associations with convicted felon and crooked developer Tony Rezko.

The same Valerie Jarrett that was candidate No. 1 in Rod Blagojevitch's scandalous attempt to satisfy the S.E.I.U. and Barack Obama by placing her in Obama's vacated Senate seat.

And the same, tired, Chicago-style patronage that the low-life Obama administration continues to display without a single moral compunction. Hello, Thugs. Hello, Unions.

Goodbye, Dalai.

Ralph Alter blogs at Right on Target