Biden: McCain Dangerously Wrong On Foreign Policy

CINCINNATI — Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden on Wednesday questioned John McCain's judgment to be commander in chief, arguing that the Republican presidential candidate would keep digging the United States into a hole of isolation and insecurity.

"Our country is less secure and more isolated than it has been at any time in recent history," Biden said in a speech to supporters. "This administration has dug America into a very deep hole around the world at a time our leadership is needed to meet the challenges of the 21st century."

Biden said a central question for the election is which candidate can get the U.S. out of that hole, and he said it is Democrat Barack Obama.

"Nothing is more important than judgment," Biden said in his remarks. "But time and again, on the most critical national security issues of our time, John McCain's judgment was wrong."

The speech offered some of the Obama campaign's strongest criticism to date about McCain's leadership abilities. It was scheduled two days before the first presidential debate, which will focus on foreign policy, and was billed by the campaign as a major speech on foreign policy by the veteran chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Biden listed several examples of what he described as McCain's wrong judgment, such as his contention that the U.S. would be greeted as liberators in Iraq and that the Persian Gulf nation is the central front in the war on terrorism. Biden argued that the president should focus the full U.S. might on al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"John is more than wrong _ he is dangerously wrong. On a question so basic, so fundamental, so critical to our nation's security, we can't afford a commander in chief so divorced from reality and from America's most basic national interests," Biden said.

He spoke at the Cincinnati Museum Center, where President Bush made the case for attacking Iraq.

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"Mark my words: If, God forbid, there is another major attack on America, it will not come from Iraq," Biden said. "It will almost certainly come from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border _ where the Bush-McCain approach let down our guard and let our enemies off the hook.

"And unlike John McCain _ who opposed Barack Obama's call to take out the high-level terrorist targets in Pakistan and called it 'bombing our ally' _ we will not tolerate a terrorist sanctuary in Pakistan."

The speech gave Biden a chance to display his policy experience after a recent run of verbal miscues, such as comments to CBS News about Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt going on television after the stock market crash _ although Republican Herbert Hoover was president during 1929 crash, which predated television.

In response, McCain campaign spokesman Ben Porritt said, "Joe Biden, the senator turned salesman, has gone through so many disjointed transformations on Iraq that he no longer represents credible leadership on the issue. ... He has abandoned his criticisms of Senator Obama, and his own firmly held beliefs in order to reflect Barack Obama's record of trying to legislate failure in Iraq and ambition-first style of leadership."

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On the Net:

Obama campaign: http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

McCain campaign: http://www.johnmccain.com/

Comments

[timezone]

I had a lot of respect for Joe Biden BEFORE he was chosen as running mate and even more now. Biden has the experience, knowledge and integrity to be a great help to Obama in the White House. Just thinking that Palin is in the same political league as Biden, is beyond absurd. Should Biden have to step in and serve as President, he is well-qualified, Palin........

[somsoc]

Biden hits a homer, tough and out of the park.

[tlg74]

I was lucky enough to score tickets for this speech. Biden was spectacular. He gave an intelligent and well thought out speech on each of the Bush administration's foreign policy foul-ups and contrasted them with the plans that he & Barack Obama have. It was really well done.

[KiwisCanFly]

I guess, Ben Porritt, is unaware that McCain's choice of Gov Palin as his VP pick is a very clear indicator of "ambition-first style of leadership."

[KiwisCanFly]

A dam good speech Sen Biden!

Timing, spot on!!!

[OB-GYN]

Joe is right, great diplomatic effort is the right future for America. McCain has already indicated his distain for diplomacy with unwilling "players," such as Spain (a Nato ally) last week.

Diplomacy will restore our allies much needed and flagrantly thrashed respect, it will allow America to concentrate our budget more here at home to revive Americans, and it will work to turn back the nuclear time clock.

A vote for Obama/Biden is a step toward renewed global diplomacy. To vote else wise is to do so at our own peril.

[Bendersky]

Thanks, Joe. We were wondering when you were going to step out of the democratic comfort zone and say something useful. We need a bulldog.

[NicoleW]

I just watched Joe Bideon give a speech and it was freshing to hear someone talk on the issues of foreign policy. Of course he attacked McCain however, it was done in a way with the facts to back up what he was talking about. The speech wasn't a bunch of sound bite swaps the way McCain and Palin talk to voters. He was excellent in his delivery and made sense to anyone who listened. There is no way Palin could match him on any issue and speak with the passion Bideon did. The years of experience shows through. Excellent speech and he is tough. Good work Joe.

[margardner]

Honestly, look at the differences between these two candidates, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. Republicans must be out of their minds. In this time of crisis, multiple crisis that are facing us here in the U.S, I can't make sense why people would put their childrens future in the hand of politics and vote for Palin.
That is not putting your children first.

[Grunty1]

If we elect another Bush, the rest of the world may just drop any connection with the US. We don't export anything of worth anymore and if our debt based economy collapses, our importing will come to a halt.

The rest of the world won't care about us anymore.

[poco767c]

OUCH!

[truth2008]

Go Joe! Fired up and ready to go!

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[deeppeace]

Go Joe!

[FUMCWIPE]

Biden is correct , everything He said was dead on !

America will finally be represented by Intelligent & Thoughtfull Individuals instead of Total Incompetence & Bluster.

[jchflorida]

I like Biden better as the foreign policy expert he is. The good ole Joe from Scranton was a mistake and miscast him while his true strength has been absent from the ticket.