On McCain's foreign policy aims, Biden wrongfully assumes parallel with Bush
Michael Roberts
Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Opinion
Some democrats believe that McCain is getting a free ride when it comes to his foreign policy that seems to look exactly like George Bush's foreign policy. Among the recent critics: Joe Biden.
"When it comes to Iraq, there is no daylight between John McCain and George Bush. They are joined at the hip," Joe Biden said about presidential hopeful John McCain during a speech at Georgetown University. Biden, the senator and previous presidential hopeful from Delaware, has always been critical of the war in Iraq and other politicians' views toward it.
In one of the first presidential debates, back when the democratic field filled an entire stage, Biden (who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) broke down the entire Iraq situation to the other democratic hopefuls' amazement. Biden spoke about what the problems were with all the different ethnic groups and what would happen if we were to simply pull out of Iraq without thought of what to do with the country. He understood what the falling apart of Iraq would do to the surrounding area, and how Iran and other countries would jump at the opportunity of making proxy states in Iraq. Biden gets the possible chaos that we could be creating in the Middle East if we were to simply withdraw with no plan.
If the American people were ever looking for a foreign policy candidate for president, Biden -- not McCain -- was the choice. Biden understood the situation in Iraq better than any other candidate that spoke during the entire debate and primary process. This being said, his judgment is one that should be taken into account when he speaks about anything foreign policy related.
Biden added that "John McCain remains wedded to the Bush administration's myopic view of a world defined by terrorism... It's time for a fundamental change, but that's going to require more than a great soldier. It's going to require a wise leader."
Hearing Biden talk about McCain in this way angered me a little bit as I'm an avid McCain supporter, but prior to the primary and debate season I was an enthusiastic Biden supporter. Biden had a couple of points that make sense and a couple that should be revised in some ways.
"When it comes to Iraq, there is no daylight between John McCain and George Bush. They are joined at the hip," Joe Biden said about presidential hopeful John McCain during a speech at Georgetown University. Biden, the senator and previous presidential hopeful from Delaware, has always been critical of the war in Iraq and other politicians' views toward it.
In one of the first presidential debates, back when the democratic field filled an entire stage, Biden (who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) broke down the entire Iraq situation to the other democratic hopefuls' amazement. Biden spoke about what the problems were with all the different ethnic groups and what would happen if we were to simply pull out of Iraq without thought of what to do with the country. He understood what the falling apart of Iraq would do to the surrounding area, and how Iran and other countries would jump at the opportunity of making proxy states in Iraq. Biden gets the possible chaos that we could be creating in the Middle East if we were to simply withdraw with no plan.
If the American people were ever looking for a foreign policy candidate for president, Biden -- not McCain -- was the choice. Biden understood the situation in Iraq better than any other candidate that spoke during the entire debate and primary process. This being said, his judgment is one that should be taken into account when he speaks about anything foreign policy related.
Biden added that "John McCain remains wedded to the Bush administration's myopic view of a world defined by terrorism... It's time for a fundamental change, but that's going to require more than a great soldier. It's going to require a wise leader."
Hearing Biden talk about McCain in this way angered me a little bit as I'm an avid McCain supporter, but prior to the primary and debate season I was an enthusiastic Biden supporter. Biden had a couple of points that make sense and a couple that should be revised in some ways.
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Donna Hughes
posted 4/22/08 @ 12:36 PM EST
I was a volunteer for Joe Biden here in Iowa. Unfortunately more Iowans wanted to "make history" than to select the most qualified candidate for president at this particular time in history. (Continued…)
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