Presidential Race Issues At A Glance Afghanistan McCain: “From the moment the next President walks into the Oval Office, he will face critical decisions about Afghanistan. Senator Obama will tell you we can’t win in Afghanistan without losing in Iraq. In fact, he has it exactly backwards. It is precisely the success of the surge in Iraq that shows us the war to succeed in Afghanistan. It is by applying the tried and true principles of counter-insurgency used in the surge – which Senator Obama opposed – that we will win in Afghanistan. With the right strategy and the right forces, we can succeed in both Iraq and Afghanistan. I know how to win wars. And if I’m elected President, I will turn around the war in Afghanistan, just as we have turned around the war in Iraq, with a comprehensive strategy for victory.” Speech in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 15, 2008 Obama: “We went to Afghanistan first because it is the central front in the war against terrorism. That is where the 9/11 attacks were planned, and today in Afghanistan and the border region of Pakistan Al Qaeda and the Taliban are mounting a growing offensive against the security of the Afghan people and increasingly the Pakistani people while plotting to attack against the United States. The situation in Afghanistan is perilous and urgent. We must act now to reverse that deteriorating situation. I called over a year ago for additional U.S. troops to be placed in Afghanistan as well as more non-military assistance and more support from our NATO allies. I'm glad that there's a growing consensus back home that we need more resources in Afghanistan. We should not wait any longer to provide them. “In our meetings with President Karzai and the other Afghan leaders, I stressed my strong commitment to Afghanistan's security and economic development and urged them to work on a more for more basis, more U.S. and NATO support for Afghanistan and more action by the Afghan government to take on corruption and counter narcotics, to improve the rule of law and to make sure that resources and services are actually delivered for the Afghan people.” Remarks at a press conference in Jordan, July 22, 2008 China McCain: “Dealing with a rising China will be a central challenge for the next American president. Recent prosperity in China has brought more people out of poverty faster than during any other time in human history. China’s newfound power implies responsibilities. China could bolster its claim that it is ‘peacefully rising’ by being more transparent about its significant military buildup, by working with the world to isolate pariah states such as Burma, Sudan and Zimbabwe, and by ceasing its efforts to establish regional forums and economic arrangements designed to exclude America from Asia.” Speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008 Obama: “And it starts with a principle I’ve always believed in – that trade should work for all Americans.That’s why we need to finally confront the issue of trade with China. As I’ve said before, America and the world can benefit from trade with China. But trade with China will only be good for you if China itself plays by the rules and acts as a positive force for balanced world growth.Seeing the living standards of the Chinese people improve is a good thing – good because we want a stable China, and good because China can be a powerful market for American exports. But too often, China has been competing in ways that are tilting the playing field.It’s not just that China is following the path taken by so many other countries before it, and dumping goods into our market while not opening their own markets, something I’ve spoken out against. It’s not just that they’re violating intellectual property rights. They’re also grossly undervaluing their currency, and giving their goods yet another unfair advantage. Each year they’ve had the chance, the Bush administration has failed to do anything about this. That’s unacceptable. That’s why I co-sponsored the Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act. And that’s why as President, I’ll use all the diplomatic avenues open to me to insist that China stop manipulating its currency.” Speech to forum on trade and manufacturing in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, April 14, 2008 Climate Change McCain: “To lead in this effort, however, our government must strike at the source of the problem -- with reforms that only Congress can enact and the president can sign. We know that greenhouse gasses are heavily implicated as a cause of climate change. And we know that among all greenhouse gasses, the worst by far is the carbon-dioxide that results from fossil-fuel combustion. Yet for all the good work of entrepreneurs and inventors in finding cleaner and better technologies, the fundamental incentives of the market are still on the side of carbon-based energy. This has to change before we can make the decisive shift away from fossil fuels. “For the market to do more, government must do more by opening new paths of invention and ingenuity. And we must do this in a way that gives American businesses new incentives and new rewards to seek, instead of just giving them new taxes to pay and new orders to follow. The most direct way to achieve this is through a system that sets clear limits on all greenhouse gases, while also allowing the sale of rights to excess emissions. And this is the proposal I will submit to the Congress if I am elected president -- a cap-and-trade system to change the dynamic of our energy economy.” Speech at Vestas Training Facility in Portland, Oregon, May 12, 2008 Obama: “As the world’s largest producers of greenhouse gases, America has the greatest responsibility to lead here. We must enact a cap and trade system that will dramatically reduce our carbon emissions. And we must finally free ourselves from our dependence on foreign oil by raising our fuel standards and harnessing the power of biofuels.
“Such steps are not just environmental priorities, they are critical to our security. America must take decisive action in order to more plausibly demand the same effort from others. We should push for binding and enforceable commitments to reduce emissions by the nations which pollute the most – the United States, the European Union, Russia, China, and India together account for nearly two-thirds of current emissions. And we should help ensure that growth in developing countries is fueled by low-carbon energy – the market for which could grow to $500 billion by 2050 and spur the next wave of American entrepreneurship.” Speech to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Chicago, Illinois, April 23, 2007 Cuba
McCain: “My administration will press the Cuban regime to release all political prisoners unconditionally, to legalize all political parties, labor unions, and free media, and to schedule internationally monitored elections. The embargo must stay in place until these basic elements of democratic society are met.” Cuban Independence Day speech in Miami, Florida, May 20, 2008 Obama: “It’s time for more than tough talk that never yields results. It’s time for a new strategy. There are no better ambassadors for freedom than Cuban Americans. That’s why I will immediately allow unlimited family travel and remittances to the island…I will maintain the embargo. It provides us with the leverage to present the regime with a clear choice: if you take significant steps toward democracy, beginning with the freeing of all political prisoners, we will take steps to begin normalizing relations. That’s the way to bring about real change in Cuba – through strong, smart and principled diplomacy.” Speech to the Cuban American National Council, Miami, Florida, May 23, 2008 Darfur McCain: “Africa continues to offer the most compelling case for humanitarian intervention. With respect to the Darfur region of Sudan, I fear that the United States is once again repeating the mistakes it made in Bosnia and Rwanda. In Bosnia, we acted later but eventually saved countless lives. In Rwanda, we stood by and watched the slaughter and later pledged that we would not do so again. The genocide in Darfur demands U.S. leadership. My administration will consider the use of all elements of American power to stop the outrageous acts of human destruction that have unfolded there.” Article in Foreign Affairs called “An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom: Securing America’s Future” November/December 2007 issue Energy McCain: “In the face of climate change and other serious challenges, energy conservation is no longer just a moral luxury or a personal virtue. Conservation serves a critical national goal. Over time, we must shift our entire energy economy toward a sustainable mix of new and cleaner power sources. This will include some we use already, such as wind, solar, biofuels, and other sources yet to be invented. It will include a variety of new automotive and fuel technologies, clean-burning coal and nuclear energy, and a new system of incentives, under a cap-and-trade policy, to put the power of the market on the side of environmental protection…We have proven oil reserves of at least 21 billion barrels in the United States. But a broad federal moratorium stands in the way of energy exploration and production. And I believe it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use.” Speech on energy policy in Houston, Texas, June 17, 2008 Obama: “What I can do – and what I will do – is push for a second stimulus package that will send out another round of rebate checks to the American people. What I will do as President is tax the record profits of oil companies and use the money to help struggling families pay their energy bills. I will provide a $1,000 tax cut that will go to 95% of all workers and their families in this country. And I will close the loophole that allows corporations like Enron to engage in unregulated speculation that ends up artificially driving up the price of oil. That's how we'll provide real relief to the American people. That's the change we need. I have a very different vision of what this country can and should achieve on energy in the next four years – in the next ten years. I have a plan to raise the fuel standards in our cars and trucks with technology we have on the shelf today – technology that will make sure we get more miles to the gallon. And we will provide financial help to our automakers and autoworkers to help them make this transition. I will invest $150 billion over the next ten years in alternative sources of energy like wind power, and solar power, and advanced biofuels – investments that will create up to five million new jobs that pay well and can't be outsourced; that will create billions of dollars in new business like you're already doing here in Nevada. And before we hand over more of our land and our coastline to oil companies, I will charge those companies a fee for every acre that they currently lease but don't drill on. If that compels them to drill, we'll get more oil. If it doesn't, the fees will go toward more investment in renewable sources of energy.” Speech in Las Vegas, Nevada, June 24, 2008 European Union McCain: “Americans should welcome the rise of a strong, confident European Union as we continue to support a strong NATO. 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.” Speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008 Obama: “To renew American leadership in the world, I intend to rebuild the alliances, partnerships, and institutions necessary to confront common threats and enhance common security. Needed reform of these alliances and institutions will not come by bullying other countries to ratify changes we hatch in isolation. It will come when we convince other governments and peoples that they, too, have a stake in effective partnerships. “Too often we have sent the opposite signal to our international partners. In the case of Europe, we dismissed European reservations about the wisdom and necessity of the Iraq war.” Article called “Renewing American Leadership” in Foreign Affairs July/August 2007 issue
Foreign Policy Philosophy
McCain: “In such a world, where power of all kinds is more widely and evenly distributed, the United States cannot lead by virtue of its power alone. We must be strong politically, economically, and militarily. But we must also lead by attracting others to our cause, by demonstrating once again the virtues of freedom and democracy, by defending the rules of international civilized society and by creating the new international institutions necessary to advance the peace and freedoms we cherish. Perhaps above all, leadership in today's world means accepting and fulfilling our responsibilities as a great nation.One of those responsibilities is to be a good and reliable ally to our fellow democracies. We cannot build an enduring peace based on freedom by ourselves, and we do not want to.” Speech to the Los Angeles Council on World Affairs, March 26, 2008 Obama: “And one of the things that I want to do, if I have the honor of being president, is to try to bring back the kind of foreign policy that characterized the Truman administration with Marshall and Acheson and Kennan.But also characterized to a large degree -- the first President Bush -- with people like Scowcroft and Powell and Baker, who I think had a fairly clear-eyed view of how the world works, and recognized that it is always in our interests to engage, to listen, to build alliances -- to understand what our interests are, and to be fierce in protecting those interests, but to make sure that we understand it's very difficult for us to, as powerful as we are, to deal all these issues by ourselves. We need to show leadership through consensus and through pulling people together wherever we can. There are going to be times where we have to act unilaterally to protect our interests. And I always reserve the right to do that, should I be commander in chief.” Interview with Fareed Zakaria on CNN, July 13, 2008 Georgia McCain: “What the people of Georgia have accomplished in terms of Democratic governance, Western orientation and domestic reform, is nothing short of remarkable. That makes Russia’s recent actions against the Georgians all the more alarming. In the face of Russian aggression, the very existence of independent Georgia and the survival of its democratically elected government are at stake. In recent days Moscow has sent its tanks and troops across the internationally recognized border into the Georgian region of South Ossetia. Statements by Moscow that it was merely aiding the Ossetians are belied by reports of Russian troops in the region of Abkhazia, repeated Russian bombing raids across Georgia, and reports of a de facto Russian naval blockade of the Georgian coast. Whatever tensions and hostilities might have existed between Georgians and Ossetians, they in no way justify Moscow’s path of violent aggression. Russian actions in clear violation of international law have no place in 21st century Europe. Statement in Erie, Pennsylvania, August 11, 2008 Obama: “No matter how this conflict started, Russia has escalated it well beyond the dispute over South Ossetia and has now violated the space of another country. Russia has escalated its military campaign through strategic bombing and the movement of its ground forces into the heart of Georgia. There is no possible justification for these attacks… “While returning to a pre-August 8th military posture is a necessary first step towards resolving this crisis, we cannot tolerate the unacceptable status quo that led to this escalation. That means Russian peacekeeping troops should be replaced by a genuine international peacekeeping force, Georgia should refrain from using force in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and a political settlement must be reached that addresses the status of these disputed regions. “Going forward, the United States and Europe must support the people of Georgia. Beyond immediate humanitarian assistance, we must provide economic assistance, and help rebuild what has been destroyed. I have consistently called for deepening relations between Georgia and transatlantic institutions, including a membership action plan for NATO, and we must continue to press for that deeper relationship.” Statement from Hawaii, August 11, 2008 Guantanamo McCain: “We must fight the terrorists and at the same timed defend the rights that are the foundation of our society. We can’t torture or treat inhumanely suspected terrorists we have captured. I believe we should close Guantanamo and work with our allies to forge a new international understanding on the disposition of dangerous detainees under our control.” Speech to the Los Angeles Word Affairs Council, March 26, 2008 Obama: “To lead the world, we must lead by example. We must be willing to acknowledge our failings, not just trumpet our victories. When I’m President, we’ll reject torture – without exception or equivocations; we’ll close Guantanamo; we’ll be the country that credibly tells the dissidents in the prison camps that America is your voice, America is your dream, America is your light of justice.” Speech at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois, October 2, 2007 Hamas McCain: “The leaders of Hamas must be isolated. The Palestinian people are ill served by a terrorist-led government that refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist, refuses to renounce violence, and refuses to acknowledge prior peace agreements. The United States cannot have normal relations with such a government, one that deliberately targets innocent Israeli citizens in an attempt to terrorize the Jewish population.” Speech to the National Convention of Christians United for Israel in Washington, DC, July 17, 2007 Obama: “The Israeli people, and Prime Minister Olmert, have made clear that they are more than willing to negotiate an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will result in two states living side by side in peace and security. But the Israelis must trust that they have a true Palestinian partner for peace. That is why we must strengthen the hands of Palestinian moderates who seek peace and that is why we must maintain the isolation of Hamas and other extremists who are committed to Israel’s destruction. “The U.S. and our partners have put before Hamas three very simple conditions to end this isolation: recognize Israel’s right to exist; renounce the use of violence; and abide by past agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.” Speech to the AIPAC Policy Forum in Chicago, Illinois, March 2, 2007 Immigration McCain: “I come from a border state. I know how to fix those borders with walls, with UAVs, with sensors, with cameras, with vehicle barriers. They want the border secured first. And I will do that, and, as president, I will have the border state governors secure--certify those borders are secured. And then we will have a temporary worker program with tamper-proof biometric documents, and any employer who employs someone in any other circumstances will be prosecuted. That means a lot of people will leave just normally because they're not going to be able to get their job. Then, of course, we have to get rid of two million people who have committed crimes here. We have to round them up and deport them…Part of it has to be maybe people have to go back to the country that they came from for a period of time while we look at it.” Interview on Meet the Press, January 27, 2008 Obama: “What we have to do is create a comprehensive solution to the problem. As president I will make sure that we finally have the kind of border security that we need. Employers have to be held accountable. When we do those things, we can take the illegal aliens who are here, get them out of the shadows, make sure that they are subject to a stiff penalty, make sure that they’re learning English and go to the back of the line so they’re not getting an advantage over people who came here legally.” Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, November 15, 2007 International Atomic Energy Commission Obama: “That is why my administration will immediately provide $50 million to jump-start the creation of an International Atomic Energy Agency-controlled nuclear fuel bank and work to update the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. We must also fully implement the law Senator Richard Lugar and I passed to help the United States and our allies detect and stop the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction throughout the world.” Article called “Renewing American Leadership” in Foreign Affairs July/August 2007 issue Iran McCain: “Iran, the world’s chief state sponsor of terrorism, continues its deadly quest for nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them. Protected by a nuclear arsenal, Iran would be even more willing and able to sponsor terrorist attacks against any perceived enemy, including the United States and Israel, or even to pass nuclear materials to one if its allied terrorist networks. The next president must confront this threat directly, and that effort must begin with tougher political and economic sanctions. If the United Nations is unwilling to act, the United States must lead a group of like-minded countries to impose effective multilateral sanctions, such as restrictions on exports of refined gasoline, outside the UN framework. America and its partners should also privatize the sanctions effort by supporting a disinvestment campaign to isolate and delegitimize the regime in Tehran, whose policies are already opposed by many Iranian citizens. And military action, although not the preferred option, must remain on the table: Tehran must understand that it cannot win a showdown with the world.” Article called “An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom: Securing America’s Future” in Foreign Affairs November/December 2007 issue Obama: “These missile tests demonstrate once again that we need to change our policy to deal aggressively with the threat posed by the Iranian regime. Through its nuclear program, missile capability, meddling in Iraq, support for terrorism, and threats against Israel, Iran now poses the greatest strategic challenge to the United States in the region in a generation. Now is the time to work with our friends and allies, and to pursue direct and aggressive diplomacy with the Iranian regime backed by tougher unilateral and multilateral sanctions. It’s time to offer the Iranians a clear choice between increased costs for continuing their troubling behavior, and concrete incentives that would come if they change course.” Statement released July 9, 2008 Iraq McCain: “Critics say that the "surge" of troops isn't a solution in itself, that we must make progress toward Iraqi self-sufficiency. I agree. Iraqis themselves must increasingly take responsibility for their own security, and they must become responsible political actors. It does not follow from this, however, that we should now recklessly retreat from Iraq regardless of the consequences. We must take the course of prudence and responsibility, and help Iraqis move closer to the day when they no longer need our help.” Speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008 Obama: “My view based on the advise of the military experts is that we can redeploy safely in 16 months so that our combat brigades are out of Iraq in 2010. As president, I intend to work with our military commanders to assure that we redeploy out of Iraq carefully with the safety of our troops in mind. And as I've said over the last two years, once we redeploy our combat brigades, we're still going to retain a capability to protect our personnel, to target terrorists and to train Iraqi security forces if there is political progress. In speaking with Afghans and Iraqis, the U.S. military and civilians, we all three of us, I think, were struck by both the peril and the promise of this moment. “If we responsibly end the war in Iraq, we can strengthen our military, step up our efforts to finish the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and succeed in leaving Iraq to a sovereign government that can take responsibility for its own future. In short, we can seize this moment to make America more secure, to focus on broader challenges like defeating terrorism, reversing this threat of nuclear weapons and achieving true energy security, challenges that I will discuss, among others, with some of our closest friends and allies in the days ahead.” Remarks at a press conference in Jordan, July 22, 2008 Israel McCain: “When it comes to the defense of Israel, we simply cannot compromise. In view of the increased threats to Israeli security, American support for Israel should intensify – to include providing needed military equipment and technology and ensuring that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge. Israel’s enemies are too numerous, its margin of error too small, and our shared interests and values too great for any other position….The more profound tie between our two countries is a moral one. We are two democracies whose alliance is forged in our common values.” Speech to the National Convention of Christians United for Israel in Washington, DC, July 18, 2007 Obama: “Our job is to renew the United States’ efforts to help Israel achieve peace with its neighbors while remaining vigilant against those who do not share this vision. Our job is to do more than lay out another road map; our job is to rebuild the road to real peace and lasting security throughout the region. “That effort begins with a clear and strong commitment to the security of Israel: our strongest ally in the region and its only established democracy. That will always be my starting point. And when we see all of the growing threats in the region: from Iran to Iraq to the resurgence of al-Qaeda to the reinvigoration of Hamas and Hezbollah, that loyalty and that friendship will guide me as we begin to lay the stones that will build the road that takes us from the current instability to lasting peace and security.” Speech to the AIPAC Policy Forum, Chicago, Illinois, March 2, 2007 Japan McCain: “The key to meeting this and other challenges in a changing Asia is increasing cooperation with our allies. The linchpin to the region’s promise is continued American engagement. I welcome Japan’s international leadership and emergence as a global power, encourage its admirable ‘values-based diplomacy,’ and support its bid for permanent membership in the UN Security Council.” Article in Foreign Affairs called “An Enduring Peace Built on Freedom: Securing America’s Future” November/December 2007 issue Obama: “As China rises and Japan and South Korea assert themselves, I will work to forge a more effective framework in Asia that goes beyond bilateral agreements, occasional summits, and ad hoc arrangements, such as the six-party talks on North Korea. We need an inclusive infrastructure with the countries in East Asia that can promote stability and prosperity and help confront transnational threats, from terrorist cells in the Philippines to avian flu in Indonesia.” Article in Foreign Affairs called “Renewing American Leadership” in July/August 2007 issue Latin America McCain: “We need to build on the passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement by expanding U.S. trade with the region. Let’s start by ratifying the trade agreements with Panama, Peru, and Colombia that are already completed, and pushing forward the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Too many Democrats have embraced economic isolationism, paying off special interests by opposing trade agreements with our democratic neighbors. They could not be more wrong. My administration would reduce barriers to trade and press for renewed Trade Promotion Authority.” Speech to the Florida Association of Broadcasters, June 20, 2007 Obama: “And we know that freedom across our hemisphere must go beyond elections. In Venezuela, Hugo Chávez is a democratically elected leader. But we also know that he does not govern democratically…We must put forward a vision of democracy that goes beyond the ballot box. We should increase our support for strong legislatures, independent judiciaries, free press, vibrant civil society, honest police forces, religious freedom, and the rule of law. That is how we can support democracy that is strong and sustainable not just on an election day, but in the day to day lives of the people of the Americas.” Speech to the Cuban American National Council, Miami, Florida, May 23, 2008 League of Democracies McCain: “We should go further by linking democratic nations in one common organization: a worldwide League of Democracies. This would be unlike Woodrow Wilson’s doomed plan for the universal-membership League of Nations. Instead, it would be similar to what Theodore Roosevelt envisioned: like-minded nations working together for peace and liberty. The organization could act when the UN fails – to relieve human suffering in places such as Darfur, combat HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, fashion better policies to confront environmental crises, provide unimpeded market access to those who endorse economic and political freedom, and take other measures unattainable by existing regional or universal-membership systems…If I am elected president, during my first year in office I will call a summit of the world’s democracies to seek the views of my counterparts and explore the steps necessary to realize this vision – just as America led in creating NATO six decades ago.” Article called “Enduring Peace Built of Freedom: Securing America’s Future,” Foreign Affairs November/December 2007 issue Middle East Peace Process McCain: “Prime Minister Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are engaged in talks that all of us hope will yield progress toward peace. Yet while we encourage this process, we must also ensure that Israel's people can live in safety until there is a Palestinian leadership willing and able to deliver peace. A peace process that places faith in terrorists can never end in peace. And we do no favors to the Palestinian people by conferring approval upon the terrorist syndicate that has seized power in Gaza.” Speech to AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington, DC, June 2, 2008 Obama: "I think it's unrealistic to expect that a US president alone can suddenly snap his fingers and bring about peace in this region. What a US president can do is apply sustained energy and focus on the issues of the Israelis and the Palestinians. And I do believe that an ultimate resolution is going to involve two states standing side by side in peace and security, and that the Israelis and the Palestinians are going to both have to make compromises in order to arrive at that two-state solution.” Remarks at press conference in Jordan, July 22, 2008 Military Build-Up McCain: “Today, we must do the same to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Our armed forces are seriously overstretched and underresourced. As president, I will increase the size of the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps from the currently planned level of roughly 750,000 troops to 900,000 troops. Enhancing recruitment will require more resources and will take time, but it must be done as soon as possible… “America needs not simply more soldiers but more soldiers with the skills necessary to help friendly governments and their security forces resist common foes. I will create an Army Advisory Corps with 20,000 soldiers to partner with militaries abroad, and I will increase the number of U.S. personnel available to engage in Special Forces operations, civil affairs activities, military policing, and military intelligence. We also need a nonmilitary deployable police force to train foreign forces and help maintain law and order in places threatened by state collapse.” Article in Foreign Affairs called “An Enduring Freedom Built on Peace: Securing America’s Future, November/December 2007 issue Obama: “We must use this moment both to rebuild our military and to prepare it for the missions of the future. We must retain the capacity to swiftly defeat any conventional threat to our country and our vital interests. But we must also become better prepared to put boots on the ground in order to take on foes that fight asymmetrical and highly adaptive campaigns on a global scale. “We should expand our ground forces by adding 65,000 soldiers to the army and 27,000 marines. Bolstering these forces is about more than meeting quotas. We must recruit the very best and invest in their capacity to succeed. That means providing our servicemen and servicewomen with first-rate equipment, armor, incentives, and training – including in foreign languages and other critical skills. Each major defense program should be reevaluated in light of current needs, gaps in the field, and likely future threat scenarios. Our military will have to rebuild some capabilities and transform others.” Article in Foreign Affairs called “Renewing American Leadership,” July/August 2007 issue Missile Defense in Poland McCain: "I welcome the announcement that the United States and Poland have agreed on a missile defense plan for Europe. As I noted during my meeting last month with Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, this constitutes an important step forward in protecting European nations from a growing threat -- missile attacks from states like Iran. While I have welcomed U.S. offers to work with Russia on this system and share in its benefits, I was disappointed in Russia's reaction to the announcement. Threatening attacks against Poland, a NATO ally, is a wholly inappropriate response to an agreement that is not aimed at countering Russia. "Rather than exchanging charges over missile defense, I would urge Moscow to comply with the ceasefire in Georgia and immediately begin withdrawing its forces from sovereign Georgian territory. I welcome Secretary Rice's visit to Tbilisi and believe that the entire international community should do its utmost to bring aid to the Georgian people." Statement released on August 15, 2008 Musharraf’s Resignation McCain: “The resignation of President Pervez Musharraf is a step toward moving Pakistan onto a more stable political footing. Pakistan is a critical theater in countering the threat of al Qaeda and violent Islamic extremism, and I look forward to the government increasing its future cooperation. “There are serious problems that must be addressed. The situation in Pakistan’s frontier regions requires immediate and continued attention, and I hope that the elections for President Musharraf’s successor will serve to reconcile the Pakistani people behind a leader who can solidify their government internally. It is critical that the United States continue to work in partnership with the Pakistani people and their democratically elected government to tackle the many challenges we both face.” Statement released August 18, 2008 Obama: “President Musharraf has made the right decision to step down as President of Pakistan. It is in the interests of his country and the Pakistani people to end the political crisis that has immobilized the coalition government for too long. I have long said that the central terrorist threat to the United States lies in northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan, and not Iraq. US policy must focus on assuring that all elements of Pakistan's government are resolute in shutting down the safe havens for al Qaeda and the Taliban. There can be no safehaven for terrorists who threaten the American people. "A year ago, I advocated that the US move from a 'Musharraf policy' to a 'Pakistan policy.' I hope all of Pakistan's friends will now seize the opportunity created by Musharraf's exit to focus on the urgent issues of today: confronting the threat of extremist violence, dealing with food and energy shortages, and helping the Pakistani people build a stable, secure, democratic future.” Statement released on August 18, 2008 NATO McCain: “We welcome European leadership to make the world a better and safer place. We look forward to France’s full reintegration into NATO. And we strongly support the EU’s efforts to build an effective European Security and Defence Policy. A strong EU, a strong NATO and a true strategic partnership between them is profoundly in our interest.” An op-ed for the Financial Times, March 18, 2008 Obama: “NATO stands as an example of how the United States can advance American national security – and the security of the world – through a strong alliance rooted in shared responsibility and shared values. NATO remains a vital asset in America’s efforts to anchor democracy and stability in Europe and to defend our interests and values all over the world.” Statement released March 3, 2008 about the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania the following month NATO in Afghanistan McCain: “NATO, in partnership with the rest of the international community, must launch a comprehensive, urgent, and long-term recommitment to Afghanistan. WE have been trying to win the struggle there with insufficient forces and with too little economic aid. We have failed to develop a clear, integrated political and development strategy – one that includes improved governance by the Afghan government – to complement the military counterinsurgency strategy. Some of these shortcomings are eerily reminiscent if the tragic mistakes that plagued the first four years of war in Iraq. We need not unending arguments and finger-pointing over which allies have stepped up to the fight, but rather a fresh look at what more each of us can bring to the effort. The truth is that we all need to do more, not just on the military side but also in contributing more development and civic aid and in working with the Afghan government on justice and the rule of law. Our efforts in Afghanistan should unite NATO, not divide it.” Statement for the Munich Security Council, February 2008 Obama: “Success in Afghanistan is vital to the security of the United States, to all NATO members, and to the people of Afghanistan. NATO’s leaders must therefore send an unambiguous message that every country in NATO will do whatever needs to be done to destroy terrorist networks in Afghanistan, to prevent the Taliban from returning to power, and to bring greater security and well-being to the Afghan people. This will require adequate numbers of capable military forces and civilian personnel from NATO members and putting more of an Afghan face on counter insurgency operations by providing more training and resources to the Afghan National Army and police forces, and by embedding more Afghan forces into NATO missions. We must also win long-term public support through assistance programs that make a difference in the lives of the Afghan people, including investments in infrastructure and education; the development of alternative livelihoods for poppy farmers to undermine the Taliban and other drug traffickers; and increased efforts to combat corruption through safeguards on assistance and support for the rule of law. "Success in Afghanistan will also require the removal of restrictions that some allies have placed on their forces in Afghanistan, which hamper the flexibility of commanders on the ground. The mission in Afghanistan – legitimized by a United Nations mandate, supported by the Afghan people, and endorsed by all NATO members after the United States was attacked is central to NATO’s future as a collective security organization. Afghanistan presents a test of whether NATO can carry out the crucial missions of the 21st century, and NATO must come together to meet that challenge. Now is the time for all NATO allies to recommit to this common purpose.” Statement released on March 3, 2008 about the NATO summit in Bucharest, Romania the following month North Korea McCain: “North Korea pursues a nuclear weapons program to the point where, today, the dictator Kim Jong-Il has tested a nuclear weapon, and almost certainly possesses several more nuclear warheads. And it has shared its nuclear and missile know-how with others, including Syria. It is a vital national interest for the North Korean nuclear program to be completely, verifiably and irreversibly ended.” Speech at the University of Denver in Colorado, May 27, 2008 Obama: “There's a reason why, for example, North Korea, when we weren't talking, developed eight nuclear weapons. And when we started talking, we've now arrived at possibility where we could get those nuclear weapons, and those systems dismantled. You know, engaging in tough diplomacy is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength.” Interview with CBS’s Katie Couric from Jordan, July 22, 2008 Osama bin Laden Obama: “It is unacceptable that almost seven years after nearly 3,000 Americans were killed on our soil, the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 are still at large…as President, I will make the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban the top priority that it should be. This is a war that we have to win.” Speech at the Ronald Reagan Trade Building in Washington, DC, July 16, 2008 Pakistan McCain: “A special focus of our regional strategy must be Pakistan, where terrorists today enjoy sanctuary. This must end. We must strengthen local tribes in the border areas who are willing to fight the foreign terrorists there -- the strategy used successfully in Anbar and elsewhere in Iraq. We must convince Pakistanis that this is their war as much as it is ours. And we must empower the new civilian government of Pakistan to defeat radicalism with greater support for development, health, and education. Senator Obama has spoken in public about taking unilateral military action in Pakistan. In trying to sound tough, he has made it harder for the people whose support we most need to provide it. I will not bluster, and I will not make idle threats. But understand this: when I am commander -in-chief, there will be nowhere the terrorists can run, and nowhere they can hide.” Speech in Albuquerque, New Mexico, July 15, 2008 Obama: “The greatest threat to that security lies in the tribal regions of Pakistan, where terrorists train and insurgents strike into Afghanistan. We cannot tolerate a terrorist sanctuary, and as President, I won’t. We need a stronger and sustained partnership between Afghanistan, Pakistan and NATO to secure the border, to take out terrorist camps, and to crack down on cross-border insurgents. We need more troops, more helicopters, more satellites, more Predator drones in the Afghan border region. And we must make it clear that if Pakistan cannot or will not act, we will take out high-level terrorist targets like bin Laden if we have them in our sights. “Make no mistake: we can’t succeed in Afghanistan or secure our homeland unless we change our Pakistan policy. We must expect more of the Pakistani government, but we must offer more than a blank check to a General who has lost the confidence of his people. It’s time to strengthen stability by standing up for the aspirations of the Pakistani people. That’s why I’m cosponsoring a bill with Joe Biden and Richard Lugar to triple non-military aid to the Pakistani people and to sustain it for a decade, while ensuring that the military assistance we do provide is used to take the fight to the Taliban and al Qaeda. We must move beyond a purely military alliance built on convenience, or face mounting popular opposition in a nuclear-armed nation at the nexus of terror and radical Islam.” Foreign policy speech at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, Washington, DC, July 15, 2008 Russia McCain: “We should start by ensuring that the G-8, the group of eight highly industrialized states, becomes again a club of leading market democracies: it should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia. Rather than tolerate Russia’s nuclear blackmail or cyber attacks, Western nations should make clear that the solidarity of NATO, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is indivisible and that the organization’s doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom.” Speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008 Obama: “Although we must not shy away from pushing for more democracy and accountability in Russia, we must work with the country in areas of common interest – above all, in making sure that nuclear weapons and material are secure. We must also work with Russia to update and scale back our dangerously outdated Cold War nuclear postures and de-emphasize the role of nuclear weapons. America must not rush to produce a new generation of nuclear warheads. And we should take advantage of recent technological advances to build bipartisan consensus behind ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. All of this can be done while maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent. These steps will ultimately strengthen, not weaken, our security.” Article called “Renewing American Leadership” in Foreign Affairs July/August 2007 issue Trade Agreements McCain: “I have often traveled over the years to Central and South America, and I have learned our relationships there are as important, if not more important, as any relationships we have in the world. It is the reason why I’m an unapologetic supporter of NAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, and the Colombian Free Trade Agreement, and why I believe a hemispheric free trade agreement is a worthy and necessary goal whose time has come.” Speech to the National Council of La Raza, San Diego, July 14, 2008 Obama: “There’s no doubt that NAFTA needs to be amended. I’ve already said I would contact the president of Mexico and the prime minister of Canada to make sure that labor agreements are enforceable. But I did want to just go back briefly to the issue of trade and human rights that you mentioned. We have to stand for human rights, and that should be part of the trade equation.” Des Moines Register Democratic Debate, December 13, 2007 Veterans McCain: “As President, I will do everything in my power to ensure that those who serve today and those who have served in the past have access to the highest quality of health, mental health and rehabilitative care in the world. The disgrace of Walter Reed must not be forgotten. Neither should we accept a situation in which veterans are denied access to care due to great travel distances, backlogs of appointments, and years of pending disability evaluation and claims. I believe that we should give veterans the option to use a simple plastic card to receive timely and accessible care at a convenient location through a provider of their choosing. I will not stand for requiring veterans to make an appointment to stand in line to make an appointment to stand in line for substandard care of the injuries you have suffered to keep our country safe. Whatever our commitments to veterans cost, we will keep them, as you have kept every commitment to use. The honor of a great nation is at stake.” Speech at the National VFW Headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, April 8, 2008 War on Terror McCain: “Today al Qaeda and other terrorist networks operate across the globe, seeking out opportunities in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, Africa, and in the Middle East. “Prevailing in this struggle will require far more than military force. It will require the use of all elements of our national power: public diplomacy; development assistance; law enforcement training; expansion of economic opportunity; and robust intelligence capabilities. I have called for major changes in how our government faces the challenge of radical Islamic extremism by much greater resources for and integration of civilian efforts to prevent conflict and to address post-conflict challenges. Our goal must be to win the "hearts and minds" of the vast majority of moderate Muslims who do not want their future controlled by a minority of violent extremists.” Speech to the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, March 26, 2008 Obama: “I can speak about my judgment and say that if you look at the where we're moving towards internationally, a need to refocus attention on Afghanistan and to go after the Taliban, including putting more troops on the ground, and to put more pressure on Pakistan to deal with the safe havens of terrorists in their territory. When you look at the need for engagement with Iran, something that I was scorned for during earlier parts of the campaign, when you look at increasing recognition that we can't stay in Iraq in perpetuity and that a time frame, timetable, timeline, whatever you want to refer to, is appropriate. "I think that the judgments that I've made over the course of the last two years are ones that match up with the reality on the ground. And ultimately I think that's where U.S. foreign policy is going to have to go. Regardless of who becomes the next president, democrat or republican. I think we're all going to have to strip away the ideology. We're going to have to strip away the politics. The issues are too serious, and the reality is reasserting itself. And that means that the next president is going to have to make a series of very difficult judgments and balance a set of risks based on the best possible intelligence and information available to him.” Remarks made at a press conference in Jordan, July 22, 2008
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