Eyes on the Presidential Race: Romney's Foreign Policy Speech
Oct 11, 2011

Written by Bridget Nolan

Although the 2012 Presidential election will focus primarily on the economy—the candidates’ stances on foreign policy are not be ignored. In his second major speech, GOP candidate Mitt Romney spoke on foreign policy Friday, October 11th at The Citadel.

Reminiscent of the days of George W. Bush, Romney’s address asserted:  "America’s right to unilateral action in the name of our vital national interests", preemptive measures to deal with emerging threats before they turn into conflicts and a "full deployment of national ballistic missile defense system."

He began his speech in a hypothetical 2015 world where:

Iran is a nuclear weapon state.

The Taliban is in power in Afghanistan—after the U.S. and NATO withdrew forces from the country.

A failed Pakistan could lead to a nuclear weapon in the hands of an Islamic Jihadist.

Putin is trying to “bludgeon countries of the former Soviet Union into submission.”

But these atrocities are far from likely under “future President Romney” because he has the, in his own words, “overwhelming conviction and passion” to lead. I have no doubt that Romney has overwhelming conviction and passion, but his plan is not one that will increase America’s strength, bolster our economy or lead us to a more peaceful world.

Endless War in Iraq
Sep 12, 2011

Here we go again.

The military is lobbying to keep U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the December 31, 2011 treaty deadline and the Obama Administration may acquiesce.

The New York Times reported recently that the Pentagon is pressing to have 3,000 – 5,000 troops stay beyond the cut-off date agreed to by the Bush Administration – or more if they can get away with it.

The American military involvement in the Iraq War that started in 2003 has caused almost 4,500 American deaths and over 33,000 wounded -- and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi casualties.

It's Not Hillary, It's the Policy Stupid!
Dec 01, 2008

Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, the chairman of our sister organization just published an op-ed co-authored with former congressional Rep. Tom Andrews. With all the media attention that the Hillary as Secretary of State has been receiving, Tom and Gen. Gard take us back to what really matters, the policy.

It's Not Hillary, It's the Policy Stupid!

by Lt. Gen. Robert G. Gard Jr. (USA, Ret.) and Tom Andrews

The media obsession over who's in and who's out of consideration for the Obama Cabinet brings the admonition on the famous "War Room" wall of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign to mind: "It's the Economy Stupid!" Those of us eagerly awaiting relief from the debacle called the Bush administration should avoid getting swept up the in DC parlor game of who is getting what position in the new administration and focus instead on the fundamental changes we need the Obama administration to start making. In short, "It's the Policy Stupid!"

President Obama will begin his presidency with enormous good will from the American people and great hope from the world at large. It is imperative that he seize this opportunity by quickly moving his campaign pledges into bold and decisive action despite the opposition that surely awaits him.

Is Anyone Else Getting Cold?
Sep 23, 2008

We're definitely not the only ones noticing the chill in the air. John Isaacs put together a list of prominent members of Congress and links to editorials and opinion pieces across the country that highlight the importance of maintaining positive relations with Russia, in light of some, er, recent negative developments.

Yes, I know, some of us can see Russia from our house, but that doesn't count as maintaining a positive relationship. Check out the list on our research center's website here.

McCain and Obama Seek 1st Round Knock-Out
Sep 23, 2008

The first of three presidential debates will occur this Friday, September 26. In a prime time encounter, John McCain and Barack Obama will (hopefully) lay out their ideas about how to best structure and implement U.S. foreign policy over the next four years. These debates will be critical for the candidates, as the race is tightly contested and neither candidate has pulled away in recent polls.