Posted on 03/26/2008 1:43:30 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
LOS ANGELES - Republican John McCain on Wednesday called anew for the United States to work more collegially with democratic allies and live up to its duties as a world leader, drawing a sharp contrast to the past eight years under President Bush.
"Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to succeed," the likely presidential nominee said in a speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. "We need to listen to the views and respect the collective will of our democratic allies," McCain added.
Coming days after his trip to the Middle East and Europe, McCain's speech was intended to signal to leaders abroad — and voters at home — that he would end an era of what critics have called Bush's cowboy diplomacy. McCain never mentioned Bush's name, though he evoked former Democratic Presidents Truman and Kennedy.
It was, in effect, a fresh acknowledgment from the Arizona senator that the United States' standing on the world stage has been tarnished and that the country has an image problem under Bush.
"We know that we have work to do," McCain told reporters later.
Critics at home and abroad have accused Bush of employing a go-it-alone foreign policy in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when the administration spurned international calls for caution and led the invasion into Iraq.
"The United States cannot lead by virtue of its power alone," McCain said in the speech, noting that the United States did not single-handedly win the Cold War or other conflicts in its history. Instead, he said, the country must lead by attracting others to its cause, demonstrating the virtues of freedom and democracy, defending the rules of an international civilized society and creating new international institutions.
He said the United States must set an example for other democracies and renewed his call for creating a new global compact of more than 100 democratic countries to advance shared values and defend shared interests. Later, he told reporters he discussed his League of Democracies idea last week with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
"If we lead by shouldering our international responsibilities and pointing the way to a better and safer future for humanity ... it will strengthen us to confront the transcendent challenge of our time: the threat of radical Islamic terrorism," the four-term senator and member of the Armed Services Committee, said in the speech.
"Any president who does not regard this threat as transcending all others does not deserve to sit in the White House, for he or she does not take seriously enough the first and most basic duty a president has — to protect the lives of the American people," McCain added, suggesting that neither of his Democratic rivals, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton or Barack Obama, understand the stakes at hand.
Democrats, in turn, chastised McCain as offering the same policies as Bush — even though McCain's foreign policy pitch stood in contrast to Bush's sometimes unilateral approach.
"John McCain is determined to carry out four more years of George Bush's failed policies," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton.
McCain also staked out anew his position on Iraq, staunchly defending his support for a continued U.S. military mission as the war enters its sixth year and the U.S. death toll tops 4,000. He derided Clinton's and Obama's calls for withdrawal.
Recalling his father's four-year absence after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, his grandfather's death a day after returning from war and his own imprisonment in Vietnam, McCain said: "I hold my position because I hate war, and I know very well and very personally how grievous its wages are. But I know, too, that we must sometimes pay those wages to avoid paying even higher ones later."
Without naming them, McCain said both Democratic candidates "are arguing for a course that would eventually draw us into a wider and more difficult war that would entail far greater dangers and sacrifices than we have suffered to date."
Overall, the speech offered little new. Rather, McCain repackaged long-standing positions in an attempt to stand on his own and set himself apart from Bush, whose support is at a low point as the public craves change.
Answering questions afterward, McCain floated a fresh proposal — the United States entering into a free trade agreement with the European Union. "It would be a massive undertaking," he told reporters, but said he'd like to start a conversation about it.
I thought this article would mean there will be Coq auVin MRE's in the future.
My original fear about this election was that Hillary would win by running to the right of the Republican candidate. Now my fear is that McCain will win by running to the left of the Democrat candidate.
*begins profusely barfing up the 5000 lbs of popcorn consumed during the last week*
A bad week to stop huffing paint.
By destiny compell’d, and in despair,
The Greeks grew weary of the tedious war,
And by McCain’s aid a fabric rear’d,
Which like a steed of monstrous height appear’d:
The sides were plank’d with pine; they feign’d it made
For their return, and this the vow they paid.
Thus they pretend, but in the hollow side
Selected numbers of their soldiers hide:
With inward arms the dire machine they load,
And iron bowels stuff the dark abode.
“Do not trust the horse, Trojans! Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even bringing gifts”.
Kerry’s “Global Test”
Watch McCain link this to “cooperation on climate change” a.k.a. carbon credit trading.
I just know that right pic is gonna get photochopped with a corncob pipe. ;-) Thx!
He sounded like a surrender monkey ... surrender to the democrat party, Europe and algore's global warming cult. I'm just sick at the prospects for the next four years in this country.
TRANSLATION: We need to respond to terrorist regimes seeking to gain nuclear weapons with an endless torrent of Euro-style documents, calls for discussion, and indefatigable dialogue.
REALITY: The US is the ONLY country standing up to them - it is Europe that needs to collaborate with US!
These kind of words from McCain really aggravate me. He should know better.
I think a lot more collaboration is needed from our Allies. McCain needs to just SHUTUP until after the election before he turns every conservative voter into a nonvoter.
The UN says American can take it, it is only one small city and not worth any retribution. President McCain, it is your allies accepted opinion that you do nothing. According to you, you would do nothing, is that correct?
Hey all you folks who decided to vote for this loser because he was “better on the war”. I warned my friends that he’s be just as bad or worse than dems. See - I was right.
Now, let’s talk about his picks for the supreme court . . .
His SCOTUS picks?
Ruth Bader Ginsberg II and Ruth Bader Ginsberg III
Makes me miss 1996 and Bob Dole. At least he had a sense of humor and didn't just phone it in.
Why did you post that to me?
McCain is an effing joke.
I never liked him all that much but now even less. My pet peeve is this “Global Warming” crap. He's an idiot. My inner Conservative is rebelling at his inane comments today.
What the hell do we do now? My goal was to try to keep SCOTUS out of the hands of the Socialists. To me it was a matter of the least of three evils. Now I just don't know.
I guess the only thing left to do is try to do everything we can to cause maximum damage to the Socialists between now & November. I don't know how I will vote or even if I will vote in the General after McCain's speech today.
I had hopes he would drop this stupid Global Warming crap and “Blame America The Tortures” crap but he's not. I am one step away from joining Coulter. Damn....
Maybe things will look different in November. Until then, wreck havoc on the Socialists is the only recourse.
Remarks By John McCain To The Los Angeles World Affairs Council (Today's foreign policy speech)The risks of global warming have no borders. We and the other nations of the world must get serious about substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years or we will hand off a much-diminished world to our grandchildren. We need a successor to the Kyoto Treaty, a cap-and-trade system that delivers the necessary environmental impact in an economically responsible manner. We Americans must lead by example and encourage the participation of the rest of the world, including most importantly, the developing economic powerhouses of China and India.
(snip)
The future of the transatlantic relationship lies in confronting the challenges of the twenty-first century worldwide: developing a common energy policy, creating a transatlantic common market tying our economies more closely together, addressing the dangers posed by a revanchist Russia, and institutionalizing our cooperation on issues such as climate change, foreign assistance, and democracy promotion.
Ugh. This so makes me not want to vote for this guy.
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