Bush never even tried to strengthen Muslim ties. I don't think he viewed it as important because in his mind, I'm not sure he appreciated Islam. He railed against Muslim extremists but he didn't do a very good job of conveying the message that not all Muslims are terrorists. His crew of conservative followers certainly understood the message that all Muslims are bad. You only need to look back at Sarah Palin's rally videos to see conservatives showing their true colors. They sure did feel free.
All the Muslim countries of the world got the same message from Bush. Inadvertently, or not, he helped breed hate. He helped make extremists stronger. He dug another deep hole for us to get out of.
By strengthening ties with Muslim nations, Obama can help deflate terrorist networks. This is logic that conservatives-- who need an Us vs. Them--have difficulty comprehending.
Swamp: The trip is meant to continue dialogue with leaders in Muslim countries, the official said. But it will not include the speech from a Muslim capital that Obama spoke of during his presidential campaign.
"Planning for the Turkey visit is just the beginning," the official said. "It will be an important opportunity to visit a NATO ally and discuss shared challenges."
Obama said in an address in the summer of 2007 that he would deliver an address in a "major Islamic forum" during the first hundred days of his administration. He said he would make it clear that "we are not at war with Islam" and that "we'll stand with those who are willing to stand up for their future."
Hillary makes the announcement:
