This Is One Reason Why Eastern Europe Has "Trouble" Working With President Obama

Lech Walesa

President Obama Shuns Lech Walesa -- Rory Cooper, NRO

The Polish Solidarity leader is “too political” for the administration.

Lech Walesa was once a trade-union activist. He was often arrested for speaking his mind against Communist oppression behind the Iron Curtain in Poland and for defying the Soviet Union. He was an electrician who, with no higher education, led one of the most profound freedom movements of the 20th century — Solidarity. He became president of Poland and swept in reforms, pushing the Soviet Union out of his homeland and moving the country toward a free-market economy and individual liberty. And President Obama doesn’t want him to set foot in the White House.

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My Comment: This snub was reported throughout eastern Europe .... and even in Russia .... which is not a fan of Poland (and vice versa). Bottom line .... the political elites in eastern Europe know who President Obama is .... and his treatment of Lech Walesa only reinforces it.

This is one of the reasons why there is a problem in the U.S. - Russian reset. Russian President Putin may not know who President Obama is .... but he knows what he is .... and he has made it very clear that he has no desire or interest to meet President Obama personally .... preferring instead to send Russian PM Medvedev as his stand-in during the G-8 and NATO meetings a few weeks ago. The sentiment in the Kremlin right now is to wait until after the U.S. Presidential elections .... and (if the Russian pundit class is to be believed) their money is on the unknown Mitt Romney who they may disagree with .... but know that they can respect and trust.