@Foxfyre,
My overall reading of this “Palintology” is that both Pailn as AK Governor and the Alaskan congressional delegation did their jobs regarding the “bridge thing”-- looking out for Alaskan citizens. This thread has brought out the facts of that issue and I can’t see where either Alaska’s Senator’s, Congressional Reps, or Governor didn’t fulfill their expected duties. Palin did everything I would expect a good governor to do. So I would expect that if and when McCain/Palin are the chief executives of the U.S. they would turn those same energies towards taking care of all U.S. citizens and for the overall good of the country. Indeed, McCain left the impression in his RNC speech he would endeavor to be the Anti-Bush and veto all the spending bills he possibly could. The other side, arguing for an Obama chief executive, likes to point to this episode and say “See, see! She’s just like our politicians who are accused of earmarks and excessive pork!” But the argument that: “every one does it” has little going for it .If anything this episode highlights the value of the stated Republican goal of smaller government.
But let’s leave this mole hill and talk about the mountains of foreign policy problems: Islamic terrorism, DPRK, Iran, and Russia. These issues I consider existential threats to the U.S. Al Qaeda and Islamic terrorist are still out there and are supported by Iran and ,by proxy twice removed Russia (Russia sells arms to Iran and they have been reportedly found in both Iraq and Afghanistan). The agreement that the state department is trying to get thru regarding the DPRK is so watered down John Bolton is tearing his hair out trying, with article after article in the WSJ, to warn the American public that the Bush’s administration is trying to make a deal just so it can say it made a deal and fulfill some “legacy” requirements.
Iran is probably the biggest problem we have and has been caused by Europe’s and Russia’s refusal to stand with the U.S. and get tough with the Persians and by the Bush administration’s refusal, via Rumsfeldian myopathy, to countenance the power vacuum that might have been created by Saddam’s ouster. It would be a good thing if the Iranians could see the error of their ways before Israel feels compelled to solve the problem themselves. We should not let Israel put itself in this position. This is a tough problem that, like cheap meat, gets bigger the longer we chew on it.
Russia, flush with energy cash partially extorted from Europe and stolen from western oil companies (and even their own) is feeling its oats. Czar err… Prime Minister Putin senses an American weakness. The Georgia thing was planned by Russia and the decision to occupy fostered probably by NATO’s reluctance to fast track Georgia and the Ukraine membership into NATO. Additionally, the U.S. Missile deal with some Eastern European countries probably spiked Putin’s Pissed-Off meter also. I just read today Russia said it will send a naval squadron and planes to the Caribbean for joint exercises with, get this, Venezuela. Can you say “Cuban Missile Crisis “? Seems the U.S. is getting the big middle finger from both Hugo and Vlad the Impaler.
Given these worldly facts, who would you want in the White House? Well, Teddy Roosevelt, of course! But, he’s not available. But John McCain has warned and spoken out, not only on the “surge”, but on all the above. McCain has a record we can pick up, turn around in our metaphorical hands, and examine ad infinitum. This is in contrast to an initial ideological, some might say Freudian, reaction by Obama to talk with these people who mean us harm without initial preconditions. So we will have a Democratic foreign policy that is somewhat European and somewhat Robin Williams like: If they ignore our first warning we will warn them again, and if really necessary we will warn them again, again.
Don’t expect much cooperation from the Europeans for they have cold winters coming and are locked into energy agreements with the Russians. But other than ignorance of realpolitik and real world conditions, what is Obama’s excuse? In past posts I have been slammed for even suggesting that we should conduct foreign policy with realpolitik in mind, but, if the Old Soviet Union (Putin’s Russia) is going to play that game we must also.
JM
