Barack Obama vs. John McCain on foreign policy

One was in the Midwest, the other in the far West. But in competing speeches today, John McCain and Barack Obama continued an intensifying debate, ratcheting up the rhetoric in their core dispute over the posture the U.S. should assume in international negotiations.

McCain, venturing into Obama's hometown of Chicago to address a meeting of the National Restaurant Assn. (many of whose members are reliable Republicans, due to their opposition to minimum wage raises), said the Democrat "betrays the depth" of his "inexperience and reckless judgment" in his call for an American president to be willing to talk with opposing regimes, such as Iran, without preconditions.

He added: "These are very serious deficiencies for an American president to possess."

Obama, speaking later in Billings, Mont., clearly had gotten word of McCain's sharp remarks. Early in his speech, he sought to undercut the "Realpolitick" stance McCain is trying to corner for himself by calling it "naive and wishful thinking" to insist a country "meet all your conditions" before sitting down with its leaders.

Noting the ongoing negotiations that occurred throughout the Cold War -- under both Democratic and Republican administrations -- Obama asked why the U.S. should not "have the same courage and confidence" to talk to its enemies.

The two men, assuming Obama locks down his party's nomination, have toyed with the idea of squaring off at mutual "town hall" meetings in the months to come. Their long-distance sparring today certainly whets one's appetite for such encounters.

-- Don Frederick

Comments

[COL. [retd] A. M.Khajawall MD]

Dear Fellow Americans,

Our Great-grand Nation, the United States of America
is facing and will face very critical and substantial
"Challenges" in coming, months, years, and decades to
come.

It is very essential that we pick out our next
President keeping in mind the following criteria.

1. A candidate who has a clear and candid " Vision
and Mission" for our Nation.

2. A candidate with " Strong Character and Stable
Integrity" in-spite of adversity during primary
election process.

3. A candidate with sound and sustained
"Presidential Temperament" and
" Judgment".

4. A candidate with little "Washington exposure"
and "real connectedness with people and future
generation".

5. A candidate who "Inspires us up" rather than
"Tears us Down".

6. A candidate not based on sexism,
racism,regionalism,and ageism.

In my professional, political and personal opinion,
the only candidate who meets the all above
characteristics and has shown constant and consistent
coolness, calmness, and connectedness { PRESIDENTIAL
TEMPERAMENT } is Senator Barrack Obama.

As an independent registered voter since 1980. I voted
for Carter, voted for Reagan, voted for First Bush,
and second Bush in 2000 and In the process last
interest in Washington politics and I
stopped voting. Getting disinterested and disgusted in
our political process and stopping voting that was a
bad decision in any circumstance, particularly under
present circumstances.

This time we can not afford to stay on side lines and
let "Washington" stay the same.We can not afford our
Greatgreat Nation to become less than what we are,
what we were and what we can be?

We need to send clear, careful and candid message to
the world and some time 24 hour partisan hateful media
to set the agenda for our future.

These partisan media outlets are trying to deprive,
dupe, and derail us and our Nation getting it right
this time.

These partisan media and pundits are trying their best
to deny us better future and continue focus our
weaknesses and generate bitter future for us and our
Greatgrand Nation. { Our Greatgrand Nations people
are persistently and constantly subjected to this
Psychological Terrorism" without our knowledge. The
common and regular people do not have time to see
thru
and sort thru this psychological terrorism perpetuated
by these partisan media outlets.

We the Americans should not and would not to allow
these partisan media outlets psychologically
terrorized, traumatized and silence us this time and
any time in future.

I am sure that we will get it right this
time and elect Senator Obama our next President.

Let us remember that our Greatgrand is constituted of
family, friends,fellowships, faith, funds,foundation,
fun, and future with fairness and freedom and without
fear or favor.

We can not afford to lose any of above. Let us stand
up, be counted, save, build our Greatgrand Nation for
centuries to come and regain our world economic,
moral, and power status back.

God Bless our Great grand Nation and its diverse
people.

Our Greatgrand nation needs present and future
stability, security, safety,sustained progress and
restoration of our due status in this perilous Global
World at the all levels.

Yours sincerely,

COL.[retd] A.M.Khajawall M.D.
Forensic Psychiatrist.
Disables American Veteran.
Las Vegas Nevada.
Cell: 951-505-6975

[dave]

so we'll wait for the main plot to emerge, when the puppets leave the stage.
perhaps then we'll finally see the veritable discussion of the real and fundamental issues, not staged prompted propaganda on both sides, and mockery and mimicry of reason, with the same ulterior motive:

[Monte L. Post]

Truly amazing just how easy it is for the corporate money to channel the American voters into selecting the VERY person they want elected.

You are all about to reap the consequences of your vote. And it will not be pretty. More forclosures, when in fact the present Government had a plan in front of then that could curtail that, but NO! The Congress decided to follow the very people in the mortgage business and make the tax payers pay, when the other method would not have cost us a dime. (See the related article on the MSN.COM home page if you are in doubt.)

Unfortunately, you all missed voting for the one person who spoke the straight TRUTH about how to get America out of this mess we have been in over the past seven years. But be that as it may, now reap the whirlwind.

[SMS]

James Baker: “Talking to an enemy is not appeasement…” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYC3jVaDDEg&eurl=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/20/james-baker-talking-to-an_n_102674.html. Makes sense to me!

And as far as being the “most liberal senator”… If you look at all the Senate votes Obama participated in compared with all the Senators' votes, you'll find that he ranks 41st in 2007, more conservative than Hillary, at 29th. If you look at his lifetime voting record he ranks 25th, a solid, middle of the road moderate Democrat, still more conservative that Hillary.

So, the next time you hear the lie, challenge it with…um…fact. Check it out for yourself.

Also…OBAMA HAS BEEN CONSISTENT THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "PRECONDITIONS" AND PREPARATION, THAT HE WOULD NOT SIT DOWN AS PRESIDENT WITH HOSTILE LEADERS WITHOUT HAVING DONE "THE APPROPRIATE GROUNDWORK"

Please report facts: http://stephencrosehome.blogspot.com/2008/05/obama-on-preconditions-preparation.html

As for Clinton…the agreed metric of victory in this nominating contest was ALWAYS the number of pledged and unpledged delegates, counting BOTH caucuses and primaries. It’s not the electoral college and never has been. This isn’t a general election. If a candidate is unsatisfied with the process, bring it up BEFORE the contest begins.

Do any of you sincerely believe that Clinton would be so upset about the caucus votes if SHE had won them? I sure as heck don’t. Mark Penn put it in her head that caucus states didn’t matter and now she’s paying the price for listening to him.

And as a young, college-educated woman, I’m frankly disgusted that an older generation of so-called ‘feminists’ would seriously consider voting for McCain out of selfish spite if Clinton is not the nominee. Shame on you for putting the reproductive rights of your daughters and granddaughters at risk. Feminism isn’t voting for a woman just because she’s a woman, ladies. That’s just idiocy.

[ray mcdonald]

As one of millions of Canadians keenly following the election, I have never been as excited about the future of America. Obama is going to win in a landslide victory with record voter turnout for the Demcorats.

Perhaps now with a visionary leader at the helm, America will strive for greatness. Better education, health care and wages for more people will lift America, and all countries with extrodinary resources. Healthy,
well-educated citizens are the absolute best defense against foreign competition of any kind.

A leader with the courage to engage in negotiations with all other foreign leaders, friendly or otherwise, simply makes the most sense to war weary Americans.
Setting forth untenable pre-conditions before negotiating
is not negotiating at all.

One of the best strengths that Obama has in his favour is that he is not a long time Washington insider. He owes the least favours.

Watching closely from your neighbour to the north.

[MsSwin]

"Appeasers" who have caught hell from the far right:

John F. Kennedy for promising not to invade Cuba if missiles were withdrawn by Russia

Dwight D. Eisenhower for inviting Khrushchev to the United States

Ronald Reagan for reaching arms control agreement with Gorbachev

Obama for even suggeting talking with our foes

"Appeasers" who have not caught hell from the far right:

George W. Bush for talking and negotiating with Libya, North Korea and Iran

[rockefella]

i hope b. will make the race. so far it looks pretty good that he become the next rpesident