President Obama to Host Japanese Premier Aso
EmailJapanese premier Taro Aso will be the first world leader President Obama hosts at the White House, ABC News has learned.
Aso will be on a working visit in Washington, DC on February 24, having been invited by President Obama via Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Clinton, in Tokyo this week as part of her tour of Asia, recently declared that the "alliance between the United States and Japan is a cornerstone of our foreign policy."
The most recent setback for the embattled Aso came with the resignation of finance minister Shoichi Nakagawa, whom critics claimed had appeared drunk earlier this week in Rome at a Group of Seven meeting.
Aso’s visit was first reported by Bloomberg News.
President Obama will make his first international trip as president when he visits Ottawa, Canada, on Thursday.
- jpt
Rick Santorum Sweeps 3 States 
Pentagon to Open Additional Jobs to Women
Just don’t let him bring the drunk ex-finance minister. He could take Geithner’s job…
Posted by: matt | February 17, 2009, 8:45 am 8:45 am
Cookies are not compromise. This is the ultimate, media promoted dog and pony show.
There was no bipartisanship in crafting this bill. Republican senators who voted for this bill were alternately bribed and threatened to support the bill.
WH press conferences always referenced job losses as associated with Maine (Snowe and Collins) and Pennsylvania (Specter).
This is a travesty and the media marvels over cookies. What parallel universe are we living in ?
Posted by: MMover | February 17, 2009, 9:08 am 9:08 am
Our president plans to beg for a loan. Problem is, Japan is out of money. Oh well, we will just print it – we can’t abandon the San Francisco mice now, can we?
Posted by: Plumber | February 17, 2009, 9:09 am 9:09 am
So, Obama is going to hit up Japan for a $trillion loan for step two of the Obama stimulus. How will that go, what with Japan in a severe recession (spending like crazy as they tank with negative growth)? What’s another $trillion among friends, anyway?
Posted by: Sigmonde | February 17, 2009, 9:11 am 9:11 am
Hillary is documented as a liar by the world’s press.
What an odd choice for Secretary of State.
Posted by: mad | February 17, 2009, 9:11 am 9:11 am
And where will Obama vacation this weekend?
Posted by: sammy | February 17, 2009, 9:18 am 9:18 am
“Republican senators who voted for this bill were alternately bribed and threatened to support the bill.”
please provide a source that proves these senators were bribed or threatened. i heard anne coulter embarrass herself when she attempted to smear specter in a similar fashion the other day. i love how the “us vs them” crowd of the republican party is starting to sound more and more fascist everyday. if you aren’t with us then you are against us. critical thinkers need not apply, just pick a side. explains why true conservatives are concerned about the continued brain drain taking place within the republican party.
Posted by: gammaraygus | February 17, 2009, 9:36 am 9:36 am
“please provide a source that proves these senators were bribed or threatened.”
If they didn’t vote for his spending bill, he threatened to add a few more $trillion to it in the coming days.
Posted by: Sigmonde | February 17, 2009, 9:49 am 9:49 am
You know things are going bad for Obama when Jack Cafferty goes after him. Ouch!
Posted by: jas | February 17, 2009, 9:52 am 9:52 am
“we can’t abandon the San Francisco mice now, can we?”
Plumber is unable to “abandon” the right winger lie of the “San Francisco mice”
Posted by: JKS | February 17, 2009, 10:01 am 10:01 am
“So, Obama is going to hit up Japan for a $trillion loan for step two of the Obama stimulus. How will that go, what with Japan in a severe recession (spending like crazy as they tank with negative growth)? What’s another $trillion among friends, anyway?”
well lets see Bush hit the japanese up for nearly $700B for the war effort and the chinese provided an additional $400B. so I guess you’re right, what is over a $1T among allies…
Posted by: gammaraygus | February 17, 2009, 10:04 am 10:04 am
That’s good. Japan is an important ally, and they will be pleased to be given the honor of being the first foreign head of state invited to the Obama White House.
Posted by: MayBee | February 17, 2009, 10:06 am 10:06 am
Good now there can be two aso’s in the same room….Japan hates Aso, he will be replaced soon anyway.
Posted by: samhiguchi | February 17, 2009, 10:10 am 10:10 am
“well lets see Bush hit the japanese up for nearly $700B for the war effort and the chinese provided an additional $400B.”
Aaaww…It’s Bush’s fault. lol. So it’s OK for Obama, huh? Obama is doing it because Bush did it. lol
Posted by: Sigmonde | February 17, 2009, 10:26 am 10:26 am
Gee, Sigmonde, you’re so knowledgeable about international economics and lending.
Posted by: kathy | February 17, 2009, 11:07 am 11:07 am
Obama could get North Korea and Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions by threatening them with a stimulus bill.
Posted by: Sigmonde | February 17, 2009, 11:51 am 11:51 am
“Republican senators who voted for this bill were alternately bribed and threatened to support the bill.”
“please provide a source that proves these senators were bribed or threatened. i heard anne coulter embarrass herself when she attempted to smear specter in a similar fashion the other day. i love how the “us vs them” crowd of the republican party is starting to sound more and more fascist everyday. if you aren’t with us then you are against us. critical thinkers need not apply, just pick a side. explains why true conservatives are concerned about the continued brain drain taking place within the republican party.”
fine: I have already referenced the news conferences which only referred to states of the 3 republican senators, however you can take the time to google the issue along with Arlen Specters pork insert of 6.2 billion for cancer research. So google that before you embarrass yourself. I know lib web sites falsely refute any fact as it suits them. Therefore I have no doubt you will come back with some further assault on these facts.
Also, Anne Coulter has more brain power than you could even fathom. That is why dems refuse to deal with the issues she discusses and resort to reinterpreting every statement as an assault on some minority or theoretically underrepresented, under subsidized (is it ever enough) group.
Posted by: MMover | February 17, 2009, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
Obama could get North Korea and Iran to give up their nuclear ambitions by threatening to send Sarah Palin over to give out shoes like the venerable Kim Jong did for N. Korea’s President Day this month.
Posted by: kathy | February 17, 2009, 2:26 pm 2:26 pm
I wonder how gnarly the convo will get when discussing the auto industries of both nations? Hope that the President doesn’t cause another Pearl Harbor.
Posted by: DontGet818OnMeNow | February 17, 2009, 3:37 pm 3:37 pm
cetanot- Your decoding is bad. It’s “ahso”, not “asso.”
Posted by: kathy | February 17, 2009, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
well u with him can u ask him to stop Whaling? pleeeaaassseeee
Posted by: annie | February 18, 2009, 12:11 am 12:11 am
Premier Aso owes the United States and the world an valid explanation as to why his country has aloowed the kidnappings of over 20,000 American Born Children in the past 10 years. President Obama needs to hold Japan accountable for these illegal abductions just as Japan expects North Korea to be for the 16 Japanese citizens kidnapped from Japan 30 years ago.. Bring our chidlren home
Posted by: Randy Collins | February 18, 2009, 1:12 pm 1:12 pm