Obama strikes out in Hawaii

 

THE CITY WHERE THE PRESIDENT WAS BORN

President Barack Obama annoyed the Chinese government, embarrassed the Japanese government and called Americans “lazy” at the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in Hawaii, held over the weekend.


 Japan's foreign ministry quickly denied the claim on Sunday. “Prime Minister Noda never said this,” the ministry wrote in a statement.


 The diplomatic strike-out was accomplished by Obama during a trip that his aides hoped would portray him a global leader worthy of re-election in 2012.

The trip’s absence of significant trade, investment or security deals, and Obama’s frequent claims that President George W. Bush reduced the nation’s standing in the world, created an opportunity for his domestic rivals to deride his trans-Pacific diplomacy.

International media broadcast a U.S. government report on Saturday that Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda told Obama that he is willing to “put all goods, as well as services, on the negotiating table for trade liberalization,” or free trade deals.

 On Monday, White House spokesman Josh Earnest affirmed the U.S. report during a press conference. “The readout that we put out was based on the private consultations that President Obama and Prime Minister Noda had… [and] also on the public declarations from Prime Minister Noda and other members of his administration,” Earnest said.