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Multilateral Foreign Policy > Published by Will Straw, April 22nd 2010 at 11:14 pm

Former Obama transition chief slams Cameron’s EU policy

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A leading American political adviser has launched a stinging attack on David Cameron’s foreign policy. Writing in a personal capacity, John Podesta – a former aide to President Clinton and President Obama, and President of the Center for American Progress – has sharply criticised David Cameron’s approach to the European Union.

Mr Podesta was chief of staff to President Bill Clinton from 1998-2001 and co-chair of President Obama’s transition from the election to inauguration. On the website of his think tank, the Center for American Progress, he wrote:

“America’s “special relationship” needs to be with a Britain that is at the heart of, and making the case for reform and openness in, the European Union…

“Worryingly, under David Cameron’s leadership, the Conservative Party’s traditional Euro-skepticism has become more extreme. Consider, for example, his decision to have Conservative members leave the European People’s Party—the mainstream center-right grouping within the European Parliament that includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s UMP—to form a new parliamentary group with a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, and xenophobic members of the European Parliament.

“Beyond the obvious political symbolism this entails—it is hardly good for Britain’s prestige when its European parliamentarians sit with those who have argued the election of a black U.S. president hails the end of civilization—the decision also illustrates Cameron’s willingness to forgo political influence to placate extreme elements of his own party.

In tonight’s debate, Nick Clegg described David Cameron’s alliance as “a bunch of nutters, homophobes, anti-Semites, and climate change deniers.”

Disclaimer: I worked for the Center for American Progress from 2008-09.

  • http://twitter.com/niaccurshi/status/12664270026 Lee Griffin

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/joshgbhardy/status/12664485771 Joshua G B Hardy

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/philipfh/status/12664734416 Philip Peake

    RT @jamesgraham: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/ewanhoyle/status/12664907065 Ewan Hoyle

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/yarrumniai/status/12665467879 Iain Murray

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/lonelywonderer/status/12665641620 Lonely Wonderer

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/hanlemic/status/12664214895 Michael Hanley

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/jamesgraham/status/12664242368 James Graham

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/jon2aylor/status/12667283681 Jonathan Taylor

    Tories aligned with "a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, and xenophobic members of the European Parliament" http://bit.ly/9TyNTk

  • http://twitter.com/maximmanchester/status/12664451844 Max

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/tiggertherese/status/12664625707 Therese

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://www.election10.net Joe Bloggs

    It’s definitely a lot more amusing following the debate on twitter than watching it on telly – came across http://www.election10.net and was fascinated to see the political hacks being far more candid than they are in their articles. The politicians come across as grasping and fake, the polls as biased or bought and the general public as skeptical as ever. The spin afterwards is incredible and you even get photos from within the press room.

    Fascinating stuff, the internet and reality tv have made elections so much more interesting. The only real winners are the lib dems of course as otherwise they wouldn’t have the tv coverage they get and Clegg seems to be seizing his opportunity. Will we have an Obama style surge is the big question??

  • http://bestblogs.labourhome.org/2010/04/22/former-obama-transition-chief-slams-cameron%e2%80%99s-eu-policy/ Former Obama transition chief slams Cameron’s EU policy « The best Labour blogs

    [...] More… [...]

  • http://twitter.com/jon2aylor/status/12691062735 Jonathan Taylor

    Tories aligned with "a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, & xenophobic members of the European Parliament" http://bit.ly/9TyNTk

  • http://twitter.com/ntlk/status/12691171094 Natalia

    RT @james4chelt: Former Obama transition chief slams Cameron’s EU policy – http://bit.ly/dwG0UJ #leadersdebate

  • Dan MacIntyre

    Short clip looking at Conservative EU policy here:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPdI3GfKk0k

  • Boudicca

    Despite Blair’s complete capitulation of British interests to the foreign policy adventures of the Americans, the US Preident and his aides don’t choose our Government or Prime Minister. Which is just as well.

    I don’t care what Obama or his aide say about the Tories EU policy … I don’t want to belong to an EU Superstate, ruled by the Brussels Bureaucrats and EU Politburo – and certainly not one that includes Turkey.

  • http://www.timworstall.com Tim Worstall

    Oooh, wow! Head of social democratic think tank (which is what CEP is) attacks politician who is not social democrat.

    Film at 11!

  • http://twitter.com/lyndawaltho4mp/status/12691416741 Lynda Waltho

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/04/politics-summary-friday-april-23rd/ Politics Summary: Friday, April 23rd | Left Foot Forward

    [...] people who deny climate change exists, homophobes”. Last night Left Foot Forward reported John Podesta, a leading US political adviser, had launched an attack on Cameron’s foreign [...]

  • http://twitter.com/ving_faction/status/12691998639 Ving Faction

    Former Obama transition chief slams Cameron’s EU policy http://j.mp/ajpLhH #toryfail #ge2010 #leadersdebate

  • http://twitter.com/james4chelt/status/12690998775 James Green

    Former Obama transition chief slams Cameron’s EU policy – http://bit.ly/dwG0UJ #leadersdebate

  • http://twitter.com/myrcnan/status/12691061538 Mat Hill

    RT @james4chelt: Former Obama transition chief slams Cameron’s EU policy – http://bit.ly/dwG0UJ #leadersdebate

  • http://twitter.com/neilwigg/status/12691113673 Neil Wigglesworth

    RT @Jon2aylor Tories aligned with "a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, & xenophobic of…European Parliament" http://bit.ly/9TyNTk

  • http://twitter.com/manicvic/status/12693614002 Vic Mo

    RT @leftfootfwd: Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy as "extreme" http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://twitter.com/davecoledotorg/status/12695361260 Dave Cole

    Obama aide to Cameron: fuck you http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://politicalscrapbook.net/2010/04/obama-aide-slams-cameron-on-europe/ Obama aide slams Cameron on Europe | Political Scrapbook

    [...] Hat-tip: Left Foot Forward [...]

  • http://twitter.com/therealsim_o/status/12695579029 Sim-O

    (via @davecoleDOTorg) Cameron getting it wrong with the Americans http://bit.ly/aNogTA

  • http://drwollastonfactcheck.blogspot.com/ Peter Harrison

    Dr. Sarah Wollaston, the high-profile Conservative candidate for Totnes, is censoring comments on her website and refusing to answer voters’ questions. Our questions involve an internal Tory report on Poland’s homophobic and racist Law & Justice party that was never released and denied by the party. Edward McMillian-Scott MEP, who challenged the Tory alignment, was expelled from the party without notice or reason.

    The Tory alliance with Law and Justice is an issue of substance and widespread concern. Law and Justice are one of the grouping of far-right parties – described as “nutters” by Nick Clegg in the TV debate of Thursday 22.4.10 – that David Cameron has joined in Europe. We demand that Dr. Sarah re-instates all deleted comments immediately, publicly apologises for suppressing legitimate debate, and answers these questions:

    1. Why was the internal investigation into the Conservative party’s alignment with Law and Justice launched?
    2. Why was the investigation covered up?
    3. Why was Edward McMillian-Scott MEP expelled from the party without notice or reason?

    In recent days nine comments have been removed from Dr. Sarah’s chatmap, including the following:

    “Could we see the links to the aforementioned blog please so that we can decide for ourselves whether it is offensive? I ask this because I have observed two very reasonable comments being deleted from this thread today – both of which were requesting clarification on very specific points, and ought to have been fairly straightforward to deal with.”

    Visit http://www.drsarah.org.uk/chatmap. Demand that Dr. Sarah stops the censorship, stops attacking our rights and answers the questions.
    For full correspondence and links to evidence, see http://bit.ly/ToryQs and see http://www.drsarah.org.uk/chatmap/ ['Alleged homophobia'] for original posting.

  • http://twitter.com/dannycarrington/status/12894262276 Danny Carrington

    Tories aligned with "a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, and xenophobic members of Euro Parliament" http://bit.ly/9TyNTk #toryfail

  • http://twitter.com/dannycarrington/status/12941602198 Danny

    Tories aligned with "a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, and xenophobic members of Euro Parliament" http://bit.ly/9TyNTk #toryfail

  • http://twitter.com/dannycarrington/status/12894157997 Danny Carrington

    Senior Obama aide slams Cameron's EU policy | Left Foot Forward http://is.gd/bIJ8C #toryfail

  • http://twitter.com/dannycarrington/status/12896800958 Danny Carrington

    Tories aligned with "a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, and xenophobic members of Euro Parliament" http://bit.ly/9TyNTk #toryfail

  • http://twitter.com/jon2aylor/status/13015609154 Jonathan Taylor

    Tories aligned with "a maverick collection of racist, homophobic, and xenophobic members of the EP" http://bit.ly/9TyNTk #bigotgate