Daschle Pushes Obama’s NATO Cred, Leaving Open a Possible GOP Attack
EmailOn "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," this morning, Obama campaign co-chair, former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., said that Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., "called early on for a military action plan for NATO working with Georgia, trying to deal with the issues preemptively, so we didn’t have to face the reality we’re facing today. If we could have preemptively worked with Russia, with Georgia, making sure NATO had the ability and presence and engagement, we could have, perhaps, avoided this; we don’t know, because the Bush-McCain approach is: focus exclusively on Iraq the last five years. A lot of issues have gone without the attention they deserve."
It’s an interesting argument, but one potential problem with it is it opens up Obama to a potential GOP attack that was first launched by Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., during the primaries: that Obama, by not holding hearings in the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee he chairs, on issues such as NATO’s role in Afghanistan (or Georgia), is all talk, no action.
Obama has chaired the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee On European Affairs since last year.
"The subcommittee deals with all matters concerning U.S. relations with the countries on the continent of Europe (except the states of Central Asia that are within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs), and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe," according to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Web site.
"Matters relating to Greenland and the northern polar region are also the responsibility of this subcommittee. This subcommittee’s responsibilities include all matters within the geographic region relating to: (1) terrorism and non-proliferation; (2) crime and illicit narcotics; (3) U.S. foreign assistance programs; and (4) the promotion of U.S. trade and exports."
This, of course, doesn’t touch on the myriad hearings skipped by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., because of his campaigning. But I’m sure some RNC ears perked up at Daschle’s mention of NATO this a.m.
- jpt
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Bingo…this is bound to come up for other reasons too!
Posted by: i am so I can!!!! | August 17, 2008, 12:49 pm 12:49 pm
“Obama, by not holding hearings in the Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee he chairs on issues such as NATO’s role in Afghanistan (or Georgia) is all talk, no action.”
Posted by: Belle Starr | August 17, 2008, 12:54 pm 12:54 pm
40+ pages of defensive whining from “Democratic” saboteur Kerry, then The CHANGEling unleashes Daschle, the Democratic “leadership”‘s second-most-loathed electoral loser?
Get a clue, dear Democratic delegates. This “post-partisan” fling since 2000 is NOT working out.
Posted by: Belle Starr | August 17, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
This is a childish argument, a non-issue!
If a Senator is away campaigning for the Presidency, OTHER Senators sub.
Joe Biden repeatedly stated that he is the one in charge; so this is a non-issue!
Obama and McCaint are BOTH missing from the Senate during their long campaign.
Posted by: Patriot | August 17, 2008, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee On European Affairs hasn’t convened for a year because Chairman Obama have had more pressing issues: campaigning for nomination of his party and campaigning for President. That’s what he meant by the ‘urgency of now’.
Get to the Senate, start running for President, forget about those boring meetings, give him big rallies!
But, he did an European Tour, had a major speech in Berlin, those count as ‘European Affairs’ right?
Posted by: Rick | August 17, 2008, 1:02 pm 1:02 pm
Is Mac head of any of those hearings he skipped? Also how long has Obama been chair? What part has Obama played in any of the decisions or conclusions coming from the committee? By the way, Daschel spoke today in a tone that made him sound as though he controls Obama. Like he’s the one really speaking. He has always made huge mistakes, which is why we don’t see him working the news for long periods of time. In fact I remember how much he underestimated the popularity of the Clintons, especially Hillary. Yes, once the Reps attack, I’ll bet Daschle will go back behind the curtain.
Posted by: irma | August 17, 2008, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
Obama headed a committee, then skipped it completely.
He’s NOT READY FOR PRIMETIME>
Posted by: trettione | August 17, 2008, 1:17 pm 1:17 pm
It sounds very silly to hear McCain supporters talking about Obama not going for senate hearing on Afghanistan and busy running for president.
Ao why is McCain not attending senate meetings and campaigning? McCain haas not voted on the senate for the last six months. Obama shows up to vote on important issues as the FISA.
Again you McCain supporters talking about Obama`s lack of foreign policy experience yet you are quick to point at Obama being chairman on the commitee on afghaniston. How silly.
Posted by: Keith | August 17, 2008, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
McCain is all talk and no action. Look at the way he jumped ahead of the president trying to talk tough on Georgia when he was exposed as having an aide who is also a lobbyist for georgia.
After 26 years in the US senate name 5 remarkable achievements that McCain has established.
After 26 years in the USenate is McCain not ashamed of competing for the POTUS with somebody who has been in the US Senate for only 3 years.
This tells me McCain lacks judgment to lead.
Posted by: Kenny | August 17, 2008, 1:39 pm 1:39 pm
“called early on for a military action plan for NATO working with Georgia”
where’s the proof of his early call?
Where was Obama when 2006 winter Russia cut off energy supply to Georgia? any illuminative statement from his lying tongue?
My, so many political sugar daddy’s coming out to defend this political zero called the Presumptive Democratic Nominee.
Posted by: hype bites | August 17, 2008, 1:41 pm 1:41 pm
Why is McCain hiding his military records when at the same time he only wants to take credit for it.
Truth is he teamed up with the communist enemy to kill Americans in Vietnam and everybody knows it. McCain`s ideas are as old as his coldwar mentality.
We live in modern times where the world needs leaders who are smart and also have vision.
McCain does not have all these.
Obama 08. Judgment over experience.
Posted by: Shauna | August 17, 2008, 1:44 pm 1:44 pm
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle…
Note the word “Former”…
Before the words of this man are given any credence, we should probably remember that he couldn’t even win re-election in South Dakota…
That should give at least an indication of his performance and give a bigger indication of whether his opinion on McCain or Obama actually means anything at all…
Posted by: Jayhawk | August 17, 2008, 1:46 pm 1:46 pm
by hype bites:
“where’s the proof of his early call?
Where was Obama when 2006 winter Russia cut off energy supply to Georgia? any illuminative statement from his lying tongue?“
=========================================
Where was McCain when all these were happening. With all his so caleed experience he was busy supporting a failed war in Iraq.
Truth is McCain lacks the judgment to lead. He makes too many mistakes and everybody agreed Bush will be a better president than him.
Posted by: Matt | August 17, 2008, 1:49 pm 1:49 pm
Obama supporters…
Instead of harping about McCain’s military records and experience, why don’t you concentrate on Obama’s military records and experience?
Oh, that’s right!
Obama doesn’t have either…
Posted by: Jayhawk | August 17, 2008, 1:50 pm 1:50 pm
If Obama was not going to be able to hold hearings of this committee due to his busy presidential campaign schedule, he should have ceded chairmanship of the committee to someone who DID have time to hold meetings.
This is another example of inexperience and terrible leadership on Obama’s part. Magnify it 100 times and then you have an Obama presidency.
Posted by: HawkTheSlayer | August 17, 2008, 1:51 pm 1:51 pm
McCain may have the experience but lacks common sense ideas in this modern era. He supported Bush`s failed policies 95% of the time.
All he knows is war war war.
Truth is we are in fact in a modern era where intelligent people like Obama are needed to lead us.
Obama 08. Judgment over experience.
Posted by: alvin | August 17, 2008, 1:53 pm 1:53 pm
The Republicans need to hit Obama hard with this. He outright lied to the voters during a debate with Hillary when he said he was on the same Foreign Relations Committee that she was (as proof of foreign policy experience). She pointed out that he served on a sub-committee and further went on to say that although he’d chaired that committee for over a year, he hadn’t called a single meeting. He then said it was true that it was a sub-committee, and that he had been appointed to it and immediately began his presidential campaign as an excuse for never calling a meeting.
If Obama doesn’t want to fulfill his committee duties as a Senator, that’s his prerogative. But to use a “title” as “experience” with nothing to back it up is an ongoing problem with Obama.
Now the Dems have a bigger problem than Obama. Their leadership has time and again come to the defense of Obama, proving that they’re as dishonest as he is.
Posted by: marylou | August 17, 2008, 1:55 pm 1:55 pm
McCain has been part of an administration that has failed us. Am not voting for him because he has shown very poor judgment on the Iraq war. This puts a big question on his so called foreign policy experience.
Being a prisoner of war adoes not qualify McCain to be POTUS.
On the other hand Obama has shown superior judgment than McCain. Thats intelligence we can believe in.
Posted by: Keith | August 17, 2008, 2:02 pm 2:02 pm
Hmmmm…
Iraq, Iran, N. Korea, Venezuela, Russia, Georgia, Afghanistan, Pakistan. This is a great Republican record.
I can’t for the life of me figure out whay the Democrates can’t hit hard on the issues.
Posted by: Thinking | August 17, 2008, 2:08 pm 2:08 pm
Keith, McCain has NOT been part of Bush’s administration. That is a lie. McCain is a senator from Arizona, just as Obama is a senator from Illinois. You need another reason for voting for Obama other than that DNC lie.
Posted by: Sandy | August 17, 2008, 2:12 pm 2:12 pm
Judgment over experience?
You must mean the judgment that allowed Obama to sit in a racist, hate-mongering church for over twenty years, claim the pastor, Jeremiah Wright, as an “old uncle” and “spiritual advisor”, be married by that pastor, and have his children baptized by the same pastor.
You must mean the judgment that allowed Obama to enter into questionable real estate deals with his indicted friend, Tony Rezko.
You must mean the judgment that allowed Obama to choose friends like William Ayers and Bernadine Dohrn.
You must mean the judgment that allowed Obama to embrace the endorsement of admitted adulterer and liar John Edwards.
Just a few examples of Obama judgment…
Posted by: Jayhawk | August 17, 2008, 2:16 pm 2:16 pm
“Keith, McCain has NOT been part of Bush’s administration. That is a lie. McCain is a senator from Arizona, just as Obama is a senator from Illinois. You need another reason for voting for Obama other than that DNC lie. “
————————————–
But he voted to support Bush`s policies 95% of the time. He is also republican.
Posted by: Keith | August 17, 2008, 2:27 pm 2:27 pm
McCain`s Poor Judgment.
———————–
Jayhawk,
you forgot to point out McCain corrupt dealings in the Keating 5 scandals.
That McCain is friends with hate mongers such as Rev Parsely and Rev Hagee.
That McCain collaborated with the communists to kill Americans in Vietnam.
That McCain cheated on his wife who had cancer and had been waiting for him while he was POW and dumped her for the barbie doll Cindy.
That McCain has always supported the failed Bush policies.
Thats the poor judgment am talking about.
Posted by: Keith | August 17, 2008, 2:35 pm 2:35 pm
Who can blame the Russians anyway. 8 years of International American warmongering would cause any responsbile World leader to react in the way Russia did… Who can blame them. What is really needed is American leadership that has the ability to diffuse differences. A good start would be to stop imperializing the World and invading soverign Countries. U.S. arrogance needs to stop, and corporatists need to be cut down to size if this World is to survive.
Posted by: pekopper | August 17, 2008, 4:56 pm 4:56 pm
“On the other hand Obama has shown superior judgment than McCain. Thats intelligence we can believe in.
Posted by: Keith | Aug 17, 2008 2:02:46 PM
_____________________
Well then, I guess you believe it was ok for OBama N E V E R to call a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee On European Affairs which he has chaired for the last year….
You don’t feel this omission might have put a tad of a dimple on HIS reputation for (lacking) qualified foreign policy judgement?
I think you’re wrong!
Posted by: eyes opening | August 17, 2008, 5:17 pm 5:17 pm
The nation’s resources and
vitality are being squandered
by creating unnecessary new
conflicts such as trying to
induct former Soviet republics
into NATO. There is little or
nothing to be gained by this
misguided expansionism.
Russia will almost certainly
wipe out the missile shield
if it is ever set up in eastern
Europe.
Posted by: anon | August 17, 2008, 7:16 pm 7:16 pm
Wow ! John McCain lies. no…. say it ain’t so. I think that Nevadans know exactly what to expect from another Republican term. A ploy that they use is, Create the problem….. then look at the people and say “We have a problem”. I had almost forgotten about McCain’s ace in the hole ” the hole in his brain” Paris and Britney. If Mcain is allowed to talk about about Obama’s lack of experience, Why is Obama not allowed to talk about McCain’s mediocre military experience. Much of it Folklore which he developed over the years in becoming a real celebrity.
Posted by: Ron | August 17, 2008, 7:22 pm 7:22 pm
McCains touching “cross in the dirt” story about his life as a POW, stolen from “The Gulag Archipelago” by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Posted by: worldbfree | August 18, 2008, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
As I recall…Biden (chair of the main Foreign Relations Committee) said his own meetings included everyone as there was so much overlap amongth the separate sub-committees.
Posted by: Tom J | August 18, 2008, 12:42 pm 12:42 pm