During an interview with President Obama in Germany, aired on Tuesday’s CBS This Morning, co-host Charlie Rose lobbed softballs that invited the commander in chief to condemn any European opposition to taking in refugees from the Middle East as “far-right nationalism.”
Rose observed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was Obama’s “favorite global leader” and someone “willing to make moral decisions when it may not be in her political interest.” Obama replied: “That's exactly right....if you look at what she's doing right now with respect to the refugee crisis, she's making an argument to the German people that, ‘Look, we're prospering now because people invested in us in a Marshall Plan and helped during reunification.’”
Following up, Rose asked: “How are you coming together on dealing with migration and refugees?” Obama took his cue:
Well, what I've said to them is that this is not just a European problem, this is our problem too. For two reasons. One is that if you have a flood of refugees and it's disorderly, then, you know, these are folks who potentially, if not handled properly, could end up being an alienated population inside of Europe that is not assimilated, is not integrated, and will be resentful. And that could have an impact in terms of their willingness to engage us and help us on things like counterterrorism.
But more importantly, more strategically, is the strain it's putting on Europe's politics. The way that it advances far-right nationalism, the degree to which it is encouraging a breakup of European unity that in some cases is being exploited by somebody like Mr. Putin, who says, forget about Europe, look at – sort of reasserting the nationalist greatness and anti-Muslim sentiments.
Obama argued that he and Merkel got along so well “because we're both pretty rational. We both try to analyze a problem and solve it based on facts and reason and common sense.”
Here is a full transcript of the April 26 segment:
8:34 AM ET
CHARLIE ROSE: And speaking of globalization, President Obama acknowledged in our interview international trade deals have hurt some American workers. Still, he hopes an agreement with Europe will be finalized before he leaves office. But the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership faces critics here and abroad. We spoke Monday in Germany, where the President tried to rally support.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: President’s Worldview; Obama on Making Trade Deals Better for Workers]
BARACK OBAMA: Not every trade agreement in the past has been good for workers. There has been off-shoring, seeking primarily low wages or low environmental standards, and companies can profit and then sell back those goods irrespective of what that's done to the communities that they've left. And so there are legitimate concerns about how globalization has proceeded.
My argument, and I think this is hard to dispute, is that the only way to change this system is to engage it, not to withdraw from it. Part of our job is not to dismiss concerns about globalization. They are real and they are legitimate. It is to argue how do we make globalization, which is not going to be reversed any time soon, work for ordinary people? How do we make sure it's working for communities all across America or here in Europe? And that is something I'm convinced we can do, but we've got to get the facts out.
ROSE: We're in Germany. Your favorite – as you have said – your favorite global leader who's been with you longest. What is it about you and Angela Merkel? And what is it about her that makes you believe that she represents the kind of leadership you need in Europe?
OBAMA: I think that I have an affinity for her, and I like to think she has an affinity for me, because we're both pretty rational. We both try to analyze a problem and solve it based on facts and reason and common sense. You know, she believes in free markets. She believes in liberalism. She believes in democracy. She believes in a free press. She believes in pluralism.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: German Partnership; German Partnership; Obama on Why Merkel is His Favorite World Leader]
ROSE: And she's willing to make moral decisions when it may not be in her political interest.
OBAMA: That's exactly right. Now she's a good politician, otherwise she wouldn't be here that long, but if you look at what she's doing right now with respect to the refugee crisis, she's making an argument to the German people that, “Look, we're prospering now because people invested in us in a Marshall Plan and helped during reunification.”
ROSE: How are you coming together on dealing with migration and refugees?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: “Our Problem Too”; Obama on Treating Refugee Crisis as a Global Issue]
OBAMA: Well, what I've said to them is that this is not just a European problem, this is our problem too. For two reasons. One is that if you have a flood of refugees and it's disorderly, then, you know, these are folks who potentially, if not handled properly, could end up being an alienated population inside of Europe that is not assimilated, is not integrated, and will be resentful. And that could have an impact in terms of their willingness to engage us and help us on things like counterterrorism.
But more importantly, more strategically, is the strain it's putting on Europe's politics. The way that it advances far-right nationalism, the degree to which it is encouraging a breakup of European unity that in some cases is being exploited by somebody like Mr. Putin, who says, forget about Europe, look at – sort of reasserting the nationalist greatness and anti-Muslim sentiments.
ROSE: His goal is to divide Europe?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Putin’s Power; How Russian Leader is Taking Advantage of Crisis]
OBAMA: Well, you know, I think that Mr. Putin has generally viewed NATO, EU, transatlantic unity as a threat to Russian power. Now I think he's mistaken about that. I've indicated to him that, in fact, a strong, unified Europe working with a strong outward-looking Russia that is defining its greatness not on the basis of military but rather on the basis of its ability to harness the talents of its people for economic good, that, that's the right recipe. So far, he has not been entirely persuaded.
ROSE: Quick point with respect to Merkel. You know, she wins and she wins. And some reporters said to him, “Would you rather that system, rather than being term limited to two terms?” And he said actually, no. He said, “I think it's really healthy for us that you have – using a term that we have fresh feet coming in all the time.
NORAH O’DONNELL: Yeah, our own system. Really great conversation with the President.
ROSE: Thank you.
GAYLE KING: And I think rational, being rational is a good quality in a leader and just in people in general.
O’DONNELL: People in general.
ROSE: They really do click, though.
KING: Yeah, you can see that. It’s mutual admiration on both sides.
O’DONNELL: We're going to get to see more of your interview, right, Charlie?
ROSE: Yes, tonight on my PBS program, the entire interview.
