Does the U.S. have any business telling Europe how to fix its financial troubles?
Here’s my question to you:
Note to the United States from Germany: Mind your own business.
Can't really blame them. President Obama, the owner of a $14 trillion national debt and $1 trillion plus annual deficits, scolded European leaders for letting the Greek debt crisis get out of hand.
Mr. Obama said that Europe's financial crisis is "scaring the world."
Germany's finance minister pushed back, saying "it's always much easier to give advice to others than to decide for yourself. I am well prepared to give advice to the U.S. government." Ouch.
But he's got a point. The United States hardly presents a picture of fiscal soundness.
We're facing unsustainable $1 trillion plus annual deficits and a $14 trillion national debt. So far, no one in the government has been serious about doing anything meaningful about either one.
There's also the president's $447 billion jobs program. It's going nowhere fast. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a fellow Democrat, says the Senate won't even take up the bill until they come back from this week's recess. Reid says, "we'll get to that."
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner spent the last three weekends travelling around Europe meeting with their leaders and telling them how to conduct their affairs. It's no wonder he was given the cold shoulder on several of his stops.
Granted in today's global economy, what happens in Europe greatly affects us here in the U.S. - but there's an old saying: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."
Here’s my question to you: Does the U.S. have any business telling Europe how to fix its financial troubles?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Why do many Europeans overwhelmingly prefer Obama?
(PHOTO CREDIT: AP PHOTO)
FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
“The world is waiting to love America again.” That is a quote from a recent editorial in a British newspaper, and many Europeans are hoping Barack Obama will provide them with just that chance. When Obama travels to Europe later this week, it's expected he'll be treated like a rock star – mobbed by cheering fans in Berlin, Paris and London.
A recent poll from England found 70% of Italians, 67% of Germans, 65% of the French and 49% of Britons would vote for Obama. Compare that to Republican John McCain, who gets support from 15% of Italians, 6% of Germans, 8% of the French and 14% in Britain.
Books about Obama are hot sellers in France, and some European newspapers describe him as a "John Kennedy of our times." After eight years of unilateral "my way or the highway" George Bush, Europeans are hungry for the change Obama is offering, especially when it comes to America's role on the world stage.
It's been a long time since the visit by an American politician has been so highly anticipated in Europe. Some European supporters are mindful that too much swooning over Obama could actually hurt the candidate back here in the states. The Illinois senator could be seen as elitist among some working-class voters if he's perceived as being too chummy with the Europeans.
The other caution flag for Obama is his relative inexperience in foreign affairs, which might explain why Obama was careful to point out that this trip was going to mostly be spent listening rather than offering a lot of his own views.
Here’s my question to you: Why do polls indicate four European countries prefer Barack Obama to John McCain by a margin of 5 to1?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
@jackcafferty on Twitter
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