The American Spectator

Political Hay

(Page 2 of 2)

br> /blockquote> Back in April, Obama delivered an address to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in which he outlined his foreign policy proposals. He called for adding 65,000 soldiers to the Army and 27,000 Marines, strengthening global alliances, and using humanitarian assistance to improve conditions in the developing world, thus depriving terrorists of possible recruits. But in his standard stump speech and in appearances before partisan crowds, Obama strikes a different balance. He emphasizes the need to withdraw from Iraq -- not to fight the broader War on Terror -- but so we can focus on health care and education. And he drew headlines after Monday's debate by answering affirmatively that he would meet directly "without precondition" with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba, and North Korea.

This critique of Democrats should not be taken as an effort to allow President Bush to escape criticism for the situation in Iraq or al Qaeda's strength in Pakistan. The civilized world is in the early stages of a long-term war against an unprecedented enemy that represents an asymmetrical threat and poses its own unique foreign policy challenges. As it continues, there are some things that our leaders will get right, and other things they will get wrong.

There are legitimate arguments to be made about whether invading Iraq, attempting to democratize the Middle East, or supporting a strong man in Pakistan are smart policies for confronting terrorism. And if there are Democrats who believe that achieving universal health care or investing more in education should be more important issues than fighting terrorism, it is a debate we should be having. But arguing that the U.S. needs to withdraw from Iraq in and of itself is not a substitute for an actual policy for fighting terrorism. It's just a dodge.

topics:
Foreign Policy, Education, Health Care, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Islam, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, NATO, North Korea