Former Gov. Mitt Romney
“The
Mantle of Leadership”
Virginia
Military Institute
Lexington,
VA
October 8,
2012
[remarks as prepared for delivery]
I
particularly appreciate the introduction from my good friend and
tireless campaign companion, Gov. Bob McDonnell. He is showing
what
conservative leadership can do to build a stronger economy. Thank
you
also Congressman Goodlatte for joining us today. And particular thanks
to Gen. Peay. I appreciate your invitation to be with you today at the
Virginia Military Institute. It is a great privilege to be here
at an
Institution that has done so much for our nation, both in war and in
peace.
For
more than 170 years, VMI has done more than educate students. It
has
guided their transformation into citizens, and warriors, and
leaders.
VMI graduates have served with honor in our nation’s defense, just as
many are doing today in Afghanistan and other lands. Since the
September 11th attacks, many of VMI’s sons and daughters
have defended America, and I mourn with you the 15 brave souls who have
been lost. I join you in praying for the many VMI graduates and all
Americans who are now serving in harm’s way. May God bless all
who
serve, and all who have served.
Of
all the VMI graduates, none is more distinguished than George
Marshall—the Chief of Staff of the Army who became Secretary of State
and Secretary of Defense, who helped to vanquish fascism and then
planned Europe’s rescue from despair. His commitment to peace was born
of his direct knowledge of the awful costs and consequences of war.
General
Marshall once said, “The only way human beings can win a war is to
prevent it.” Those words were true in his time—and they still
echo in
ours.
Last
month, our nation was attacked again. A U.S. Ambassador and three
of
our fellow Americans are dead—murdered in Benghazi, Libya. Among
the
dead were three veterans. All of them were fine men, on a mission
of
peace and friendship to a nation that dearly longs for both.
President
Obama has said that Ambassador Chris Stevens and his colleagues
represented the best of America. And he is right. We all
mourn their
loss.
The
attacks against us in Libya were not an isolated incident. They
were
accompanied by anti-American riots in nearly two dozen other countries,
mostly in the Middle East, but also in Africa and Asia. Our
embassies
have been attacked. Our flag has been burned. Many of our
citizens
have been threatened and driven from their overseas homes by vicious
mobs, shouting “Death to America.” These mobs hoisted the black banner
of Islamic extremism over American embassies on the anniversary of the
September 11th attacks.
As
the dust settles, as the murdered are buried, Americans are asking how
this happened, how the threats we face have grown so much worse, and
what this calls on America to do. These are the right
questions. And
I have come here today to offer a larger perspective on these tragic
recent events—and to share with you, and all Americans, my vision for a
freer, more prosperous, and more peaceful world.
The
attacks on America last month should not be seen as random acts.
They
are expressions of a larger struggle that is playing out across the
broader Middle East—a region that is now in the midst of the most
profound upheaval in a century. And the fault lines of this
struggle
can be seen clearly in Benghazi itself.
The
attack on our Consulate in Benghazi on September 11th, 2012 was likely
the work of forces affiliated with those that attacked our homeland on
September 11th, 2001. This latest assault cannot be blamed on a
reprehensible video insulting Islam, despite the Administration’s
attempts to convince us of that for so long. No, as the
Administration
has finally conceded, these attacks were the deliberate work of
terrorists who use violence to impose their dark ideology on others,
especially women and girls; who are fighting to control much of the
Middle East today; and who seek to wage perpetual war on the
West.
We
saw all of this in Benghazi last month—but we also saw something else,
something hopeful. After the attack on our Consulate, tens of
thousands of Libyans, most of them young people, held a massive protest
in Benghazi against the very extremists who murdered our people.
They
waved signs that read, “The Ambassador was Libya’s friend” and “Libya
is sorry.” They chanted “No to militias.” They marched, unarmed,
to
the terrorist compound. Then they burned it to the ground.
As one
Libyan woman said, “We are not going to go from darkness to darkness.”
This
is the struggle that is now shaking the entire Middle East to its
foundation. It is the struggle of millions and millions of
people—men
and women, young and old, Muslims, Christians and non-believers—all of
whom have had enough of the darkness. It is a struggle for the
dignity
that comes with freedom, and opportunity, and the right to live under
laws of our own making. It is a struggle that has unfolded under
green
banners in the streets of Iran, in the public squares of Tunisia and
Egypt and Yemen, and in the fights for liberty in Iraq, and
Afghanistan, and Libya, and now Syria. In short, it is a struggle
between liberty and tyranny, justice and oppression, hope and despair.
We
have seen this struggle before. It would be familiar to George
Marshall. In his time, in the ashes of world war, another
critical
part of the world was torn between democracy and despotism.
Fortunately, we had leaders of courage and vision, both Republicans and
Democrats, who knew that America had to support friends who shared our
values, and prevent today’s crises from becoming tomorrow’s conflicts.
Statesmen
like Marshall rallied our nation to rise to its responsibilities as the
leader of the free world. We helped our friends to build and
sustain
free societies and free markets. We defended our friends, and
ourselves, from our common enemies. We led. And though the
path was
long and uncertain, the thought of war in Europe is as inconceivable
today as it seemed inevitable in the last century.
This
is what makes America exceptional: It is not just the character
of our
country—it is the record of our accomplishments. America has a
proud
history of strong, confident, principled global leadership—a history
that has been written by patriots of both parties. That is
America at
its best. And it is the standard by which we measure every
President,
as well as anyone who wishes to be President. Unfortunately, this
President’s policies have not been equal to our best examples of world
leadership. And nowhere is this more evident than in the Middle
East.
I
want to be very clear: The blame for the murder of our people in
Libya, and the attacks on our embassies in so many other countries,
lies solely with those who carried them out—no one else. But it
is the
responsibility of our President to use America’s great power to shape
history—not to lead from behind, leaving our destiny at the mercy of
events. Unfortunately, that is exactly where we find ourselves in
the
Middle East under President Obama.
The
relationship between the President of the United States and the Prime
Minister of Israel, our closest ally in the region, has suffered great
strains. The President explicitly stated that his goal was to put
“daylight” between the United States and Israel. And he has
succeeded. This is a dangerous situation that has set back the
hope of
peace in the Middle East and emboldened our mutual adversaries,
especially Iran.
Iran
today has never been closer to a nuclear weapons capability. It
has
never posed a greater danger to our friends, our allies, and to
us.
And it has never acted less deterred by America, as was made clear last
year when Iranian agents plotted to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador in
our nation’s capital. And yet, when millions of Iranians took to
the
streets in June of 2009, when they demanded freedom from a cruel regime
that threatens the world, when they cried out, “Are you with us, or are
you with them?”—the American President was silent.
Across
the greater Middle East, as the joy born from the downfall of dictators
has given way to the painstaking work of building capable security
forces, and growing economies, and developing democratic institutions,
the President has failed to offer the tangible support that our
partners want and need.
In
Iraq, the costly gains made by our troops are being eroded by rising
violence, a resurgent Al-Qaeda, the weakening of democracy in Baghdad,
and the rising influence of Iran. And yet, America’s ability to
influence events for the better in Iraq has been undermined by the
abrupt withdrawal of our entire troop presence. The President tried—and
failed—to secure a responsible and gradual drawdown that would have
better secured our gains.
The
President has failed to lead in Syria, where more than 30,000 men,
women, and children have been massacred by the Assad regime over the
past 20 months. Violent extremists are flowing into the fight.
Our
ally Turkey has been attacked. And the conflict threatens
stability in
the region.
America
can take pride in the blows that our military and intelligence
professionals have inflicted on Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan,
including the killing of Osama bin Laden. These are real
achievements
won at a high cost. But Al-Qaeda remains a strong force in Yemen
and
Somalia, in Libya and other parts of North Africa, in Iraq, and now in
Syria. And other extremists have gained ground across the region.
Drones and the modern instruments of war are important tools in our
fight, but they are no substitute for a national security strategy for
the Middle East.
The
President is fond of saying that “The tide of war is receding.”
And I
want to believe him as much as anyone. But when we look at the
Middle
East today—with Iran closer than ever to nuclear weapons capability,
with the conflict in Syria threating to destabilize the region,
with violent extremists on the march, and with an American
Ambassador
and three others dead likely at the hands of Al-Qaeda affiliates— it is
clear that the risk of conflict in the region is higher now than when
the President took office.
I
know the President hopes for a safer, freer, and a more prosperous
Middle East allied with the United States. I share this hope. But
hope
is not a strategy. We cannot support our friends and defeat our
enemies in the Middle East when our words are not backed up by deeds,
when our defense spending is being arbitrarily and deeply cut, when we
have no trade agenda to speak of, and the perception of our strategy is
not one of partnership, but of passivity.
The
greater tragedy of it all is that we are missing an historic
opportunity to win new friends who share our values in the Middle
East—friends who are fighting for their own futures against the very
same violent extremists, and evil tyrants, and angry mobs who seek to
harm us. Unfortunately, so many of these people who could be our
friends feel that our President is indifferent to their quest for
freedom and dignity. As one Syrian woman put it, “We will not forget
that you forgot about us.”
It
is time to change course in the Middle East. That course should
be
organized around these bedrock principles: America must have
confidence in our cause, clarity in our purpose and resolve in our
might. No friend of America will question our commitment to support
them… no enemy that attacks America will question our resolve to defeat
them… and no one anywhere, friend or foe, will doubt America’s
capability to back up our words.
I
will put the leaders of Iran on notice that the United States and our
friends and allies will prevent them from acquiring nuclear weapons
capability. I will not hesitate to impose new sanctions on Iran, and
will tighten the sanctions we currently have. I will restore the
permanent presence of aircraft carrier task forces in both the Eastern
Mediterranean and the Gulf region—and work with Israel to increase our
military assistance and coordination. For the sake of peace, we
must
make clear to Iran through actions—not just words—that their nuclear
pursuit will not be tolerated.
I
will reaffirm our historic ties to Israel and our abiding commitment to
its security—the world must never see any daylight between our two
nations.
I will deepen our critical cooperation with our partners in the Gulf.
And
I will roll back President Obama’s deep and arbitrary cuts to our
national defense that would devastate our military. I will make the
critical defense investments that we need to remain secure. The
decisions we make today will determine our ability to protect America
tomorrow. The first purpose of a strong military is to prevent
war.
The
size of our Navy is at levels not seen since 1916. I will restore our
Navy to the size needed to fulfill our missions by building 15 ships
per year, including three submarines. I will implement effective
missile defenses to protect against threats. And on this, there will be
no flexibility with Vladimir Putin. And I will call on our NATO allies
to keep the greatest military alliance in history strong by honoring
their commitment to each devote 2 percent of their GDP to security
spending. Today, only 3 of the 28 NATO nations meet this benchmark.
I
will make further reforms to our foreign assistance to create
incentives for good governance, free enterprise, and greater trade, in
the Middle East and beyond. I will organize all assistance efforts in
the greater Middle East under one official with responsibility and
accountability to prioritize efforts and produce results. I will
rally
our friends and allies to match our generosity with theirs. And I
will
make it clear to the recipients of our aid that, in return for our
material support, they must meet the responsibilities of every decent
modern government—to respect the rights of all of their citizens,
including women and minorities… to ensure space for civil society, a
free media, political parties, and an independent judiciary… and to
abide by their international commitments to protect our diplomats and
our property.
I
will champion free trade and restore it as a critical element of our
strategy, both in the Middle East and across the world. The
President
has not signed one new free trade agreement in the past four
years. I
will reverse that failure. I will work with nations around the
world
that are committed to the principles of free enterprise, expanding
existing relationships and establishing new ones.
I
will support friends across the Middle East who share our values, but
need help defending them and their sovereignty against our common
enemies.
In
Libya, I will support the Libyan people’s efforts to forge a lasting
government that represents all of them, and I will vigorously pursue
the terrorists who attacked our consulate in Benghazi and killed
Americans.
In
Egypt, I will use our influence—including clear conditions on our
aid—to urge the new government to represent all Egyptians, to build
democratic institutions, and to maintain its peace treaty with Israel.
And we must persuade our friends and allies to place similar
stipulations on their aid.
In
Syria, I will work with our partners to identify and organize those
members of the opposition who share our values and ensure they obtain
the arms they need to defeat Assad’s tanks, helicopters, and fighter
jets. Iran is sending arms to Assad because they know his downfall
would be a strategic defeat for them. We should be working no
less
vigorously with our international partners to support the many Syrians
who would deliver that defeat to Iran—rather than sitting on the
sidelines. It is essential that we develop influence with those
forces
in Syria that will one day lead a country that sits at the heart of the
Middle East.
And
in Afghanistan, I will pursue a real and successful transition to
Afghan security forces by the end of 2014. President Obama would
have
you believe that anyone who disagrees with his decisions in Afghanistan
is arguing for endless war. But the route to more war – and to
potential attacks here at home – is a politically timed retreat that
abandons the Afghan people to the same extremists who ravaged their
country and used it to launch the attacks of 9/11. I will
evaluate
conditions on the ground and weigh the best advice of our military
commanders. And I will affirm that my duty is not to my political
prospects, but to the security of the nation.
Finally,
I will recommit America to the goal of a democratic, prosperous
Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with the
Jewish state of Israel. On this vital issue, the President has
failed,
and what should be a negotiation process has devolved into a series of
heated disputes at the United Nations. In this old conflict, as in
every challenge we face in the Middle East, only a new President will
bring the chance to begin anew.
There
is a longing for American leadership in the Middle East—and it is not
unique to that region. It is broadly felt by America’s friends
and
allies in other parts of the world as well— in Europe, where Putin’s
Russia casts a long shadow over young democracies, and where our oldest
allies have been told we are “pivoting” away from them … in Asia and
across the Pacific, where China’s recent assertiveness is sending
chills through the region … and here in our own hemisphere, where our
neighbors in Latin America want to resist the failed ideology of Hugo
Chavez and the Castro brothers and deepen ties with the United States
on trade, energy, and security. But in all of these places, just
as in
the Middle East, the question is asked: “Where does America
stand?”
I
know many Americans are asking a different question: “Why us?” I
know
many Americans are asking whether our country today—with our ailing
economy, and our massive debt, and after 11 years at war—is still
capable of leading.
I
believe that if America does not lead, others will—others who do not
share our interests and our values—and the world will grow darker, for
our friends and for us. America’s security and the cause of
freedom
cannot afford four more years like the last four years. I am
running
for President because I believe the leader of the free world has a
duty, to our citizens, and to our friends everywhere, to use America’s
great influence—wisely, with solemnity and without false pride, but
also firmly and actively—to shape events in ways that secure our
interests, further our values, prevent conflict, and make the world
better—not perfect, but better.
Our
friends and allies across the globe do not want less American
leadership. They want more—more of our moral support, more of our
security cooperation, more of our trade, and more of our assistance in
building free societies and thriving economies. So many people
across
the world still look to America as the best hope of humankind. So
many
people still have faith in America. We must show them that we
still
have faith in ourselves—that we have the will and the wisdom to revive
our stagnant economy, to roll back our unsustainable debt, to reform
our government, to reverse the catastrophic cuts now threatening our
national defense, to renew the sources of our great power, and to lead
the course of human events.
Sir
Winston Churchill once said of George Marshall: “He … always
fought
victoriously against defeatism, discouragement, and disillusion.”
That
is the role our friends want America to play again. And it is the
role
we must play.
The
21st century can and must be an American century. It began with terror,
war, and economic calamity. It is our duty to steer it onto the path of
freedom, peace, and prosperity.
The
torch America carries is one of decency and hope. It is not America’s
torch alone. But it is America’s duty – and honor – to hold it high
enough that all the world can see its light.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.
###
SEN. MARCO RUBIO: PRESIDENT OBAMA’S FOREIGN
POLICY HAS BEEN A FAILURE
Boston,
MA – Florida Senator Marco Rubio today made the following
statement on Mitt Romney’s foreign policy speech:
"Americans
need to ask themselves: what does it say about President Obama's
weakness on foreign policy matters that our allies like Israel openly
express frustration with him, while our enemies like Hugo Chavez openly
endorse his reelection? The truth is that in every corner of the world,
President Obama's foreign policy has been a failure. He failed to
improve America's standing in the world, because he doesn't understand
America's exceptional role in the world. Mitt Romney understands that
the world is safer when America is stronger, and he'll pursue a clear
and unequivocal foreign policy based on peace through strength."
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: “I TRUST MITT ROMNEY TO
LEAD”
Boston, MA – Arizona Senator
John McCain today made the following statement on Mitt Romney’s foreign
policy speech:
“I
trust Mitt Romney to do what’s right for our national security and the
success of our values in the world. I trust him to stand by our
friends and allies and prevent our enemies from threatening the peace
we seek. And I trust him to make the necessary, prudent
investments in
our military to ensure that America in this century, just as in the
last century, is able to defend our nation, support our friends and
allies, defeat our enemies, and remain the greatest hope for peace and
freedom the world has ever known. I trust Mitt Romney to
lead. That
is what America needs now in our next president.”
REP. MIKE ROGERS: THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION’S LEAKS UNDERMINE OUR ALLIES
Boston, MA – Michigan
Congressman Mike Rogers today made the following statement on Mitt
Romney’s foreign policy speech:
“American
intelligence professionals around the world need to have a clear
mission, clear authorities and strong support from the policy makers
they serve. But if we don’t know who we are or why we are engaged
around the world, it creates confusion for our brave intelligence
professionals conducting dangerous missions in dangerous places. Lives
have been put in jeopardy because the Obama Administration cannot keep
a secret. Intentional leaks coming out of this Administration also are
intended to undermine our allies’ ability to protect themselves. This
is not how you treat our friends. A President Romney will restore
the
time-tested model of rewarding loyalty to the United States with
loyalty from the United States.”
REP. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN: WE NEED COURAGE
AND COMMITMENT TO PROTECT OUR INTERESTS IN THE WORLD
Boston, MA – Florida
Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen today made the following statement on
Mitt Romney’s foreign policy speech:
“From
the onset, President Obama has undermined U.S. interests in Latin
America and the President’s approach has been to treat our adversaries
with kid gloves while turning his back on our allies in the region. A
Romney administration will stand by those people who seek true freedom
and democracy and condemn those regimes that continue to oppress their
people. We must maintain firm ties with those who share our values and
priorities in order to empower and strengthen them, matching loyalty
with loyalty. It takes courage and commitment to protect our security
interests in the Hemisphere, a clear vision and ideological compass
based on a full understanding of U.S. economic, political, and security
needs in the region. You then need decisive actions to root out the
mutual threats we face. Mitt Romney will provide such leadership.”
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM:
AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IS DIRECTIONLESS UNDER OBAMA
Boston, MA – South Carolina
Senator Lindsey Graham today made the following statement on Mitt
Romney’s foreign policy speech:
“American
foreign policy is directionless under President Obama. He has
diminished our influence around the world, shaken the confidence of our
friends, and emboldened those who do not share our values. Gov. Romney
understands that we cannot throw off the mantle of leadership without
endangering the hope for a more peaceful and prosperous world. He will
stand with our friends and allies, restore the economic and military
foundations of our strength, and return America to our traditional
leadership role in the world.”
REP. BUCK MCKEON: MITT ROMNEY IS THE RIGHT
CHOICE TO KEEP AMERICA SAFE
Boston, MA
– House Armed Services Chairman and California Congressman Buck
McKeon
today made the following statement on Mitt Romney’s foreign policy
speech:
“Today,
Governor Romney offered a clear alternative to Mr. Obama's 'lead from
behind' approach that has left America insecure. Romney's peace
through strength philosophy is a welcome return to American leadership
in the world. Around the globe,
our embassies have been besieged, our troops are challenged by scarce
resources, and our allies question America's commitment. Mitt Romney
understands these aren't 'bumps in the road,' but
signs that we are on the wrong track. While the incumbent is
willing
to use our national security as leverage for tax increases, Governor
Romney is prepared to face our challenges head on and not compound a
debt crisis with a national security crisis. From a clarity of
purpose
in defense of freedom, to a Defense Department set to meet the threats
of the future, the contrast with the path we are on could not be more
clear. I am proud to support Mitt Romney. I know he is the right
choice to keep America safe.”
PAUL RYAN: THE OBAMA FOREIGN POLICY IS
UNRAVELING
“If
you
go
home
after
this and turn on your TV, you will likely see the
failures of the Obama foreign policy unfolding before our eyes. You
see, if you look around the world, what we are witnessing is the
unraveling of the Obama foreign policy.” – Paul Ryan
Remarks
Swanton, Ohio
October
8,
2012
PAUL RYAN: “If
you go home after this and turn on your TV, you will likely see the
failures of the Obama foreign policy unfolding before our eyes. You
see, if you look around the world, what we are witnessing is the
unraveling of the Obama foreign policy. Four Americans were murdered in
a terrorist attack in Benghazi. The point is in a Romney
administration, when we know that we are clearly attacked by
terrorists, we won't be afraid to say what it is. If terrorists attack
us, we will say we had a terrorist attack, and more importantly, we
will do what is necessary to prevent that from happening by having a
strong military, by making sure that our adversaries do not test us, do
not think that we are weak and in retreat. This was not simply an
isolated incident but indicative of a broader failure. Iran is closer
to a nuclear weapon. The Middle East is in turmoil. Nearly two dozen
nations we witness on our television screens were burning our flags in
protest in riots. You see, if we project weakness abroad, our
adversaries are that much more willing to test us, to question our
resolve, and our allies are more hesitant to trust us. We can't afford
to put more daylight between ourselves and our allies like Israel. We
can't afford to equivocate when dissidents are taking to the street,
arguing and fighting for peace against the tyrannical dictators that
are crushing them. We can't afford to call Bashar Assad a reformer, say
he has to go and then watch 20 months go by while he slaughters tens of
thousands of his people. The reason we can't afford this is because if
we want peace here at home in America, we need to have a strong
military. And we can't afford these devastating defense cuts that the
President is promising. We will reverse this. If you take all of these
defense cuts that are coming due, that could lead to as many as 200,000
of our troops leaving the military.”
AMB. JOHN BOLTON: MITT ROMNEY WILL RETURN
TO PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH
Boston, MA – Former Ambassador
John Bolton today made the following statement on Mitt Romney’s foreign
policy speech:
“Mitt
Romney understands that the best way to preserve international peace
and security is for America to lead from the front. President
Obama
believes that American strength is provocative, that we are too much in
the world, and that a U.S. recessional is necessary and
appropriate.
This is exactly opposite of what we need. It is not our strength
that
is provocative, but our weakness, which our adversaries worldwide
interpret to mean it is safe to challenge us. We need to reverse this
dangerous American decline, and return to Ronald Reagan’s philosophy of
‘peace through strength.’ It has worked throughout our history,
and it
will work again under President Romney.”
SEN. JON KYL: AMERICA MUST NOT BEND IN THE
WIND
Boston, MA – Arizona Senator
Jon Kyl today made the following statement on Mitt Romney’s foreign
policy speech:
"As
recent events in the Middle East make plain, we are perhaps at one of
the great turning points of the world order. This is not a time for
America to bend to the wind, but instead we must apply our influence
and our principles to shape the course of events. In his speech today,
Mitt Romney set forward a vision to preserve our interests and ideals
that flows directly from the best aspects of our country’s character
and experience. His clear thinking, acknowledgment of history, and
commitment to restore American leadership are essential for a
successful foreign policy."
MISSOURI SENATOR ROY BLUNT: MITT ROMNEY IS
THE MAN FOR THIS HISTORIC MOMENT
Boston, MA – U.S. Senator Roy
Blunt (R-MO) today made the following statement on Mitt Romney’s
foreign policy speech:
“We're
facing a historic moment in America when we'll decide who we're going
to be as a nation. Mitt Romney's foreign policy strategy will
restore
America's leadership and influence by strengthening alliances,
building
new partnerships, and addressing the global threats we face.”
BOB DOLE: MITT ROMNEY HAS A CLEAR VISION
FOR A NEW AMERICAN CENTURY
Boston, MA – Former U.S.
Senator Bob Dole today made the following statement on Mitt Romney’s
foreign policy speech:
"Governor
Romney has presented a clear vision for a new American century. By
honoring the principles that have guided our Republic, he leaves no
uncertainty or ambiguity about our exceptional role in the world. The
world needs America back. And Mitt Romney has provided us that badly
needed direction and resolve to restore our standing in the world.”
SEN. KELLY AYOTTE: ON NATIONAL SECURITY,
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MITT ROMNEY AND PRESIDENT OBAMA ARE STARK
Boston, MA – New Hampshire
Senator Kelly Ayotte today made the following statement on Mitt
Romney’s foreign policy speech:
“When
it comes to national security and protecting the homeland, the
differences between Mitt Romney and President Obama are stark. Like
Ronald Reagan, Governor Romney knows America is safer and the world is
more stable when America leads and maintains military power beyond
challenge. Unfortunately, President Obama is more interested in
managing military decline than maintaining the credibility of the U.S.
military deterrent. A President Romney will ensure our country has the
military that our national security requires. He will provide the
American leadership, strength, and clarity that assures our allies,
deters our enemies, and keeps the American people safe.”
PRE-SPEECH MEMO from Obama for America
October 8, 2012
MEMORANDUM TO INTERESTED PARTIES
TO: Interested Parties
FR: Michèle Flournoy and Colin Kahl, Advisors to
President Obama’s Re-Election Campaign on National Security Issues
RE: Mitt Romney’s Seventh Foreign Policy Speech – Finally
Time for Some Specifics?
Since the beginning of this campaign, we have
repeatedly pressed Mitt Romney to outline specific ideas about the
biggest foreign policy challenges our nation is facing today. We’ve
asked him to move beyond swagger and slogans to an actual
strategy.
We have asked him to say how he would end the war
in Afghanistan and bring our troops home, and how he would finish the
job against al-Qaeda. We have asked him what he would do to confront
Iran that President Obama is not already doing.
We have asked him why he would have left tens of thousands of troops in
Iraq, as he’s said both publicly and privately in his now-infamous
leaked fundraiser video. And we have asked him what policies he would
pursue to deal with the upheaval that has swept
across the Middle East and North Africa.
But so far, he has failed to answer any of these
questions. Today, when Mitt Romney gives his seventh speech on foreign
policy issues, he has a chance to finally tell the American people what
he would do as commander-in-chief, and to outline
an alternative vision that voters can consider when making their choice
this November. We’ll see if he’s up to the challenge.
The fact is that Barack Obama has one of the
strongest national security records of any President in generations –
he has decimated al Qaeda’s leadership, taken out Osama bin Laden,
ended the war in Iraq, provided unparalleled support to
Israel, produced unprecedented pressure on Iran, strengthened our
alliances, and restored our standing in the world.
In contrast, Mitt Romney has, throughout this
campaign, raised more questions than answers about what he’d actually
do as President. He supported the Iraq war and said that removing all
of our troops from Iraq was “tragic,” he called Russia
- not al-Qaeda - our "number one geopolitical foe," and he said that he
wouldn’t have set a timeline to end the war in Afghanistan. Those
aren’t policies, those are misguided talking points – and the American
people deserve more from someone running to be
commander-in-chief.
Today’s latest effort to reboot and reset the
Romney foreign policy doesn’t change the fact that he’s repeatedly
taken positions outside of the mainstream and often to the right of
even George W. Bush. This isn’t surprising. After all,
Romney is advised by the same people who were responsible for some of
the worst foreign policy failures in American history, including the
Iraq War. And now he wants to take us back to the same
with-us-or-against-us approach that got us into wars without getting
us out of them.
For example, Governor Romney still can’t say what
he’d do differently on Iran other than taking us to war. He continues
to criticize the President’s timeline in Afghanistan even while saying
he’d pursue it as President. His position on
Libya has no credibility since he’s been both for and against our Libya
policy. And he offers no way forward on Syria other than suggesting
that the United States should get more deeply involved in the conflict
without defining a strategy.
Governor Romney’s unseemly response to the tragic
murder of our Ambassador in Libya raises further questions about his
judgment on national security issues. Let’s acknowledge first that
international crises happen during every administration,
and the real question for voters is who they want to be
commander-in-chief when they do. And the clear choice in this election
was brought into stark relief when the situation in Benghazi unfolded.
Governor Romney’s first (and second and third and
fourth) instinct was to play politics with the tragedy and attempt to
score political points in any way he could. As Romney said he would do
in that leaked fundraiser video, he has tried
to take advantage of an international crisis for pure political gain.
That’s not only cynical – it’s offensive.
Governor Romney’s response to the situation in
Benghazi was calculated and irresponsible. And the American people
recognized Romney’s behavior for what it was: negative editorials
arguing that he is not ready to be commander-in-chief flooded
newspapers in battleground states like Florida, Ohio, Virginia, and
Colorado.
So while Governor Romney will try to convince
voters today that he can speak seriously about what’s happening in
Libya and the wider region, the American people have already decided
how they felt about the Republican nominee’s response
to this tragedy – and they didn’t like what they saw.
In contrast, President Obama showed statesmanlike
and steady leadership – comforting the grieving families, friends, and
colleagues; working with leaders in the region to call for calm and to
protect our people; and pledging to bring those
responsible to justice. This is the same steady leadership he has shown
since the Arab revolutions began – supporting people across the region
as they demand greater freedom, holding new governments accountable for
their behavior, and making it clear to extremists
that we will defend our citizens and our interests.
Needless to say, the American people know that
when this President pledges to find and bring terrorists to justice, he
means what he says.
“Mainstream” foreign policy isn’t what Mitt Romney
is putting forward: wanting to keep troops in Iraq indefinitely;
exploding our defense spending to levels the Pentagon has not asked
for, with no way to pay for it; insulting our allies
and partners around the world; and calling Russia our number-one
geopolitical foe. If that’s where Mitt Romney thinks the mainstream is,
he needs to find a much better compass.
The bar is high for Governor Romney during his
speech today. After six previous chances, it is up to him to finally
clear it. Because while the American people can trust Barack Obama’s
strong record of winding down wars and decimating al-Qaeda,
Mitt Romney has repeatedly shown that he has no idea what he’d actually
do as commander-in-chief. In today’s complicated world, that’s just not
good enough.