Posted on 04/26/2015 8:11:28 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
Presidential hopefuls Marco Rubio and Scott Walker exchanged fire over foreign policy in Iowa on Saturday, hours before the two are scheduled to appear together at a Faith and Freedom Coalition summit outside of Des Moines.
Speaking to The Des Moines Register editorial board on Saturday morning, Rubio said his seat on the Senate Foreign Relations and Intelligence committees lends him a distinct advantage on “the most crucial obligation the president faces, as commander in chief.”
“Governors can certainly read about foreign policy, and take meetings and briefings with experts,” the Florida Republican said, “but there’s no way they’ll be ready on Day One to manage U.S. foreign policy.”
At an afternoon reception put on by Iowa Republican congressman David Young, the Wisconsin governor and prospective presidential candidate struck back.
“Sometimes people say, ‘How can a governor talk about foreign policy?” Walker told the crowd at the Machine Head restaurant in West Des Moines. “In my lifetime, the best president when it comes to foreign policy was a governor from California. In my lifetime, the worst president for foreign policy was a freshman senator from Illinois.”
When asked to respond specifically to Rubio’s remarks, Walker made the contrast between himself and the freshman Florida senator even more explicit.
“He’s questioning how Ronald Reagan was ready,” he told reporters. “I believe that Barack Obama shows that as a first-term senator, he isn’t prepared to lead — at least not in the case of Barack Obama.”
“Governors innately have the ability to lead,” Walker continued. “Every day we’re required to use our status to make decisions — not just give speeches, not just to travel to foreign places — but to ultimately make decisions.”
After a shaky start on foreign policy — he compared union protesters to Islamic State terrorists and called Reagan’s firing of air traffic controllers his “most significant foreign policy decision — the governor is reportedly studying up and focusing heavily on the issue.
That was on display this Saturday, when the governor gave an impassioned push for what he called “safety.”
“Some of you may call it national security,” he said. “National security is something you read about on page 6 or 7 in the newspaper. Safety is something you feel.”
Regardless of what you call it, Senator Rubio’s national security bona fides are tough to question. He’s made a muscular foreign policy the centerpiece of his federal career — opposing sequestration cuts to the defense budget, urging a tougher line against the Islamic State and Iran, and savaging the Obama administration over its detente with Cuba.
Still, most who attended Walker’s speech were impressed by his security strategy — and some expressed skepticism over Rubio’s dig against the governor.
“I think that’s a very unfair thing to say, that a governor could not handle foreign policy,” said Doyle Hutzell of Aredale, Iowa. “I know what I learned from Scott today. I think he could easily step in and do a better job than Obama is now.”
Iowa has a foreign policy?
I agree 100%. At this point we need the candidates to talk about their vision and their accomplishments. Tell us what positives they bring to the table. Let each candidate give their presentation.
They are all super competitive or they would be in the race, but an attitude of: "If I don't win, I'm taking everybody down with me" does not make a good leader.
I don't know what Walker's position is on the Fast Track, or on national trade in general.
I'm just pointing out that as Governor, he met with foreign officials promoting Wisconsin products and trade with those nations.
Rubio, as Senator, sat on his ass bloviating.
Rubio's argument is a red herring.
OK, I forgot Bobby Jindal who is one of the most impressive GOP major office holders. I don’t think he will run yet. Senator Vitter is going to run for governor. They may swap jobs. Also no one is better qualified than Jindal for the job at HHS of wiping out Obozocare. Before he became governor of Louisiana, he cleaned up the corrupt mess (decades old) of Louisiana health care. He was fresh out of college when he did it. Formerly Hindu ad now Catholic. Jindal reacted to Obozo’s prayer breakfast call for Christians to get off their high horse and accept blame for the Inquisition and the Crusades (both Catholic events) by saying something to the effect that he wanted to report to the President that Louisiana had complete control over wild-eyed Catholics roaming the land seeking victims to torture and kill. Then he said: “How are ya doin’ on the Middle East, Mr. President?” Jindal got a bad rap on a nationally televised response to a State of the Union Address when he was inexplicably not on top of his game. Make no mistake. Jindal is very smart and articulate and sometimes quite humorous and his day may well come when the public nationally is more familiar with him.
Jindal is not telegenic. The media, especially SNL, will kill him over his ethnicity and looks.
I’m completely against Rubio. His Gang activity scheming with Scumer against the citizens was enough for me.
He can easily campaign to the Hispanic vote in Spanish
Problem is he says something different when speaking in Spanish than he does when speaking English. He’s a duplicitous hack who schemed with Schumer against the citizens.
He should have tried to keep his Senate seat.
Your remarks are the top of the mark! What can be added?
I believe Cruz speaks for me, so far, by every jot and tittle, but he has been in a career box different from Governor Walker, who from a position of power as governor, was able to carry a big stick and to commandeer action. He actually performed near miracles and did so with drama and flair, in Wisconsin, of all places! Now, that is a tough act to follow.
Cruz has rhetorically faced off against the lions of the Establishment, just as Walker faced off against the union, the Marxist lobby and the Democrat machine, but Cruz was not able to effect that kind of sweeping success and needed change, as a senator confined to the senate.
The rest of the candidates are laudible and decent, including Rubio, whose energy is absolutely catching, is a movement type of speaker never to be discounted during an era of certain and sure generational change that is coming.
You are spot on, as usual.
He has foreign policy experience because he has been abroad promoting cheese?
Great post!
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