Walkout at U.N. Racism Conference
MARTIN: Folks, the world racism conference was just getting started this morning in Geneva when the president of Iran took the stage and delivered a racist rant aimed at Israel. Listen to what happened next.</s>MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD, IRANIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): And they sent migrant from Europe, the United States, and from other parts of the world in order to establish a totally racist government in the occupied Palestine. And, in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe -- OK, please. Thank you. And, in fact, in compensation for the dire consequences of racism in Europe, they helped bring to power the most cruel and repressive, racist regime in Palestine.</s>MARTIN: Well, folks, we're back. Jessica Yellin, Miguel Perez, Cliff May, and Ed Henry are back with me. And, of course, Ed, the White House took a lot of criticism for not going to this conference. What are they saying now?</s>HENRY: They feel pretty good. They're -- essentially, top White House officials are saying, we told you so, that this whole conference was a bad idea. That's why they didn't attend. They think it's reprehensible that you had the Iranian president taking shots not just at Israel, but some of our allies in Europe as well. I think the bigger, long-term question, though -- that is sort of an easy one to fire back at him, but the bigger, long-term question is, what does this mean for the U.S. outreach to Iran? They have been trying to crack that door open. If he continues to make statements like this, it is going to be hard for the U.S. to continue to reach out, Roland.</s>MARTIN: Miguel, one speech, how does this one speech define the entire conference?</s>PEREZ: It doesn't define the entire conference, but it is the same pattern. These guys don't change. They hate us and they're going to keep hating us and they're going to let the world know.</s>MARTIN: So, these guys, meaning Iran?</s>PEREZ: Iran, yes. And Hugo Chavez, who is a friend of Ahmadinejad, is also -- or whatever you pronounce him.</s>MARTIN: Ahmadinejad.</s>PEREZ: Ahmadinejad.</s>MARTIN: Same as Blagojevich.</s>PEREZ: Thank you very much.</s>PEREZ: It is the same thing all over again. It's this hatred of America that we keep seeing over and over again. And they're not going to change. They want us dead. They want Israel to disappear from the map. And they -- and they insist -- but, you know, there are some very naive people in this world who insist that we can make -- you know, sing kumbaya with people who want us dead. It's impossible.</s>MARTIN: Cliff May, Cliff May, of course, we also saw the conviction of the journalist Roxana Saberi. So, how does that make it even more difficult? And should the president do more to try to get her released from prison? She was sentenced to eight years.</s>MAY: Yes, I certainly hope so. She is an American citizen. She's of Iranian background. She has imprisoned unfairly. And I would hope there would be great pressure to get her out. Look, the president continues to reach out the Iran, to Iran's despots who rule the place. And he keeps getting his hand slapped back. At a certain point -- and I think it is good to do that he is doing what he is doing, but at a certain point, he is going to I think have to use something harsher than simply reaching out. There are going to have to be strong sanctions at the very least in order to get the attention of Iran and show that we can not only speak softly, but we also sometimes carry a big stick.</s>MARTIN: Jessica, Cliff talks about reaching out. And we saw him reaching out in terms of the photo with Chavez. And so what is the fallout from that particular image?</s>YELLIN: Well, that's a potentially dangerous image for President Obama, but only in terms of domestic politics, because you can just imagine the Republican campaign in which they start unveiling this photo and say that the president is weak already. Newt Gingrich and Dick Cheney, the former vice president, have said it's a proof that President Obama is weak. But, as they like to say, the proof is in the pudding. And it really depends on whether President Obama gets results of his new strategy of nice.</s>MARTIN: Hey, Ed, what about that? I mean, was he supposed to just somehow avoid shaking his hand or slap it around?</s>HENRY: Well, the president's response basically was that, look, Chavez, the Venezuelan president, is better at getting his face in front of the camera and that he essentially sort of staged some of these photo-ops. I think the White House makes a fair point when they say, look, President -- former President Bush kept pushing back against Venezuela. What did they do? They kicked out the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela. There's really no diplomatic relations. Now all of maybe there's an opening. They hope something comes out of it. But, as Jessica points out, if all this blows up in the president's face and he really doesn't get anywhere with it, it's going to be a video highlight for the RNC to use in the years ahead. There's no doubt about that.</s>MARTIN: Miguel.</s>PEREZ: I like the approach Obama is using. And I will tell you why. Here is a liberal American president who's going to Latin America and saying, you can be liberal, you can even be a socialist, and you don't have to put your opposition in jail. You don't have to be totalitarian to be a liberal. You can have free elections and be a liberal. He disarms them just by being himself. And that's why Obama -- Chavez and Ortega and the Castros, they don't know what to do with Obama. They really don't know how to deal with him. They would prefer George Bush in the White House, so they can say, American, Yankee imperialist. Obama doesn't look or act like a Yankee imperialist.</s>MARTIN: Jessica, you have a real interesting in terms of Bush reaction, Obama reaction.</s>YELLIN: Right. I remember at the same Summit of the Americas with President Bush two years ago. And Hugo Chavez walks into the room, and the entire room swarms around Hugo Chavez. President Bush avoids him completely, looked completely alone.</s>MARTIN: Sort of like a dance going, right.</s>YELLIN: A dance, like you put it, like celebrities, when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman walk in to the Oscars separately.</s>MARTIN: On red carpets. Keep them separate.</s>MARTIN: Hey, Cliff, too much, you know, reaction from the right in saying, oh, this was a bad move? I'm reading all kind of stuff. People are saying, oh, he shouldn't have shaken his hand, should not have taken the book. So what is he supposed to do, just say get away from me?</s>MAY: No, I think it's fine to shake the guy's hand. I wish he hadn't seemed quite as thrilled to meet me, quite as smiling. And I think it would have been OK to also say something in defense of the people who have been imprisoned, the political prisoners in Venezuela's jails, the people who have imprisoned by Daniel Ortega, the people who have been imprisoned in Bolivia. Speaking out on behalf of the freedom of democracy is something I would like to see our president continue to do. So I'm not against him shaking hands, but I wish he had a little bit of criticism and a little bit support for the people who are oppressed by these dictators.</s>MARTIN: Well, sometimes, as they say, kill them with kindness. We certainly appreciate. Thanks a bunch. Miguel, Jessica, Cliff May, Ed Henry, thanks a bunch. Also, folks, a program note. Tomorrow night, I will talk to the father Roxana Saberi, the young American journalist convicted of spying and sentenced to prison in Iran. If you're a parent, this is a story you have got to hear. Imagine you sending your young teenage daughter or son to school and find out that he or she is being strip-searched. I will talk to a mother and daughter who have been through it. Now their case has gone to the Supreme Court. And I want to know what you think. We're taking your phone calls on the issue, 1-877-NO-BULL-0. That's 1-877-662-8550. You can also e-mail me or fine me on Twitter and Facebook. See you online.