Ecumenical Patriarch Congratulates President Obama on Tarheels Winning NCAA
EmailISTANBUL — President Obama this morning met with a number of religious leaders from the area, including Grand Mufti of Istanbul Professor Mustafa Çağrıcı, Chief Rabbi Isak Haleva, and Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Yusuf Cetin.
A White House aide said that the President’s separate meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I — the Archbishop of Constantinople — had an interesting note.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I went through a long list of items accomplished by the President on this trip, congratulating him on a successful speech to the Turkish Parliament, for instance.
After going through this list, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I said, "Oh — and by the way: congratulations on North Carolina."
President Obama had picked the UNC Tarheels to win the NCAA college basketball tournament, which the team did last night.
The president, according to the White House aide, laughed and smiled.
- jpt
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Tribute to Obama. We’ve never seen a president on his first trip abroad be so disrespectful to his country or its history- ever.
Europe now thinks Obama is a trash can.
Posted by: friend | April 7, 2009, 7:38 am 7:38 am
Obama bashed Bush from one side Europe to the other.
He sounds more like a bitter spouse after a divorce than a great uniter.
This was just sick.
It’s no wonder he’s the most polarizing president of the last four decades
Posted by: trend | April 7, 2009, 7:39 am 7:39 am
OBAMA. Will the America bashing on foreign soil ever stop? President Hussein is at least consistent on his verbal lashings directed toward his own country.
If I recall correctly, he didn’t have much nice to say about America on his European tour in July, 2008.
Posted by: srooged | April 7, 2009, 7:45 am 7:45 am
Did you expect anything different out of this guy? He and his wife had nothing good to say about America when he was running for President. He says what the target audience wants to hear. He is a fake.
Posted by: Jenny | April 7, 2009, 7:58 am 7:58 am
Bush gave us a 4.6 percent unemployment rate, a Dow Jones average exceeding 12,000.
In less than a hundred days. Obama bashed America again and again. Gave us massive unemployment rates. And the stock market tanked. Also fired a private sector manager. ABC its going to happen to you also. Watch OUT!
Posted by: tiger | April 7, 2009, 8:13 am 8:13 am
Congratulations MR. PRESIDENT you represent and respect everyday America at home and abroad. I am proud to be in service under your command.
Posted by: iraq to afghanistan | April 7, 2009, 8:13 am 8:13 am
we haven’t heard boo about the gifts for this leg of the tour. they must have been really bad if the drive by media is not reporting about them. what could they, totus, big guy and lady m. given?
Posted by: rustard | April 7, 2009, 8:19 am 8:19 am
Obama: Best Basketball-Playing Cabinet In US History (Huffington Post, Dec 17, 2008) … President-elect Barack Obama put together the best basketball-playing Cabinet in American history.
President Obama’s number one basketball video is now at 889,075 views.
Our Prez knows basketball!!!
Posted by: Yeil Raven | April 7, 2009, 10:03 am 10:03 am
Disrespectful to his country? No, disrespectful to idiots like George Bush and friends.
All Obama said was this: “At times in the recent past America was arrogant…but America is indispensable and a country that will lead.”
Wasn’t it arrogant? Do you remember when Rumsfeld said, “That’s the Old Europe, we’re more interested in the New Europe!” You don’t think calling Germany and France old and washed-up is disrespectful and arrogant?
Posted by: Dan Asta | April 7, 2009, 10:53 am 10:53 am
The Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I is NOT the “Archbishop”of Constantinople. He is the leader of The Eastern Orthodox Church which of 300 million people worldwide. They live in Eastern Europe, Greece, Russia and even in the US. He is to his flock what the Pope is to Catholics. To minimize his importance is an insult.
Posted by: Tom G | April 7, 2009, 11:23 am 11:23 am
The Obama-Haters seem particularly irked today by our President. They, also, seem very un-Christian and anti-American.
Posted by: Sammy | April 7, 2009, 12:03 pm 12:03 pm
It is two words…TAR HEELS.
Posted by: David Speer | April 7, 2009, 1:22 pm 1:22 pm
Sammy,
One of the Patriarch’s titles is Archbishop of Constantinople, just like the Pope is Bishop of Rome as well.
Posted by: Andy | April 7, 2009, 5:02 pm 5:02 pm
Sammy (12.03): One of Patriarch Bartholomew’s titles is ‘Archbishop of Constantinople’; second: he very definitely is NOT to Orthodox what the Pope of Rome is to his flock. Nor is he THE leader of the Orthodox Church. Learn some ecclesiology before you shoot yourself in the other foot. To the Obama bashers in general: if you think your present president is bad for the USA, maybe you should think back to the totally unlamented (by us here in Europe)Bush.
Posted by: Higoumen Kirill | April 7, 2009, 10:47 pm 10:47 pm
Tar Heel is ALWAYS two words and NEVER written as one. We like that space between!
Posted by: Lee Hansley | April 8, 2009, 3:28 pm 3:28 pm