The Council on Foreign Relations has launched its very first weblog, The Candidates and the World, which aims to track the campaign through the prism of foreign policy, trade, international economics, and national and homeland security issues out on the stump on a daily basis.
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Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) issued a statement saying the United States must convey to Myanmar’s leaders that the international community “will hold them responsible” if they prevent aid from reaching those in need.
Israel: In an interview with the Atlantic published Monday, Obama said the idea of a Jewish state is “fundamentally just,” and said his position on Hamas is “indistinguishable” from the positions of his opponents.
“In my approach to global climate-control efforts, we will apply the principle of equal treatment. We will apply the same environmental standards to industries in China, India, and elsewhere that we apply to our own industries. And if industrializing countries seek an economic advantage by evading those standards, I would work with the European Union and other like-minded governments that plan to address the global warming problem to develop effective diplomacy, effect a transfer of technology, or other means to engage those countries that decline to enact a similar cap.”
–Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in a speech Monday on climate change policy.
In statements over the weekend, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) both expressed concern over the situation in Lebanon. Clinton said the United States should “support the sovereignty of the Lebanese government and the independence of Lebanon.”
Obama condemned Hezbollah’s “power grab” and said the United States should engage in a diplomatic push for electoral reform, “an end to the current corrupt patronage system, and the development of the economy that provides for a fair distribution of services, opportunities and employment.”
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) released a new ad, with Spanish subtitles, that focuses on his plan to help Latino small business owners. The plan includes what he calls “pro-innovation immigration policies.” No other details of the plan were immediately available.
In a statement Thursday, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) responded to a USA Today report that said recently released Pentagon records indicate tens of thousands of troops deemed medically unfit for combat have been sent to Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003. As president, Clinton said, she would “not send a single soldier into combat who is not medically fit.” She also promised that “for every month our soldiers spend in the field, they will be guaranteed one month here at home” if she is elected.
In a statement on Wednesday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) congratulated Israel on its 60th Independence Day. “The United States will always stand with Israel to ensure it can defend itself against threat of terrorism and violence, from as close as Gaza and as far as Tehran,” Obama said.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) criticized the governments of China, Iran, Myanmar, Sudan, North Korea and Saudi Arabia for religious repression and promised to make religious freedom “a subject of great importance” in his foreign policy as president. He also pledged to create an inter-agency task force to combat human trafficking (CNN).
Posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 by campaign2008
“I sincerely hope the beginning of the Medvedev presidency will also be the beginning of a new era for Russia and for U.S.- Russian relations…Americans and Russians share a common interest in a prosperous global economy and mutually beneficial free trade. We share common interests in addressing climate change, the careful use of our natural resources and countering radical Islamic extremism. And we share a common interest in non-proliferation and nuclear arms reduction. The United States needs to work hard to forge a productive relationship with the government and the people of Russia in these areas.”
–Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), in a statement Wednesday on the inauguration of new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Posted on Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 by campaign2008
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) won the Democratic primary in North Carolina Tuesday and narrowly lost to rival Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in Indiana, injecting a boost of energy into his bid for the presidency (NYT).
Sixty percent of North Carolina voters said the economy is the most important issue facing the country, while 22 percent named Iraq, according to exit polls (MSNBC). In Indiana, 67 percent of voters also pointed to the economy as the most important issue (MSNBC). Seventeen percent said Iraq was more important.
“I support the Administration’s plan to deploy a disaster assistance response team to Burma to assess the needs of Burma’s people, and I urge the Burmese government to allow our team access so that we can move quickly and expeditiously in coordination with others in the international community to get help to those who most need it. Although the regime in Burma is one whose repressive rule deserves our condemnation, I also strongly believe that humanitarian assistance should not be used as a political tool against those in need.”
–Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), in a statement Tuesday on the cyclone in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
“I call on the Burmese regime to put aside politics and allow the international community to aid the people of Burma. This must be a transparent process in terms of who has been harmed, what kind and how much assistance is needed, and how those in trouble can be reached. This disaster is a tremendous human tragedy and humanitarian challenge, but it also presents an opportunity for Burma to engage with the rest of the world and come together to save lives.”
–Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), in a statement Monday.
On the eve of the Indiana and North Caroline primaries, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) had strong words against the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). OPEC “can no longer be a cartel, a monopoly that get together once every couple of months in some conference room in some plush place in the world, they decide how much oil they’re going to produce and what price they’re going to put it at,” Clinton said (Politico).
The Wall Street Journal reports the Democratic candidates’ have revamped their trade messages while on campaign in Indiana and North Carolina, states that have benefited more than a number of others because of free trade.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) launched a Spanish-language campaign website on Monday. In a statement in honor of Cinco de Mayo, he praised the “important friendship that exists between our country and Mexico,” and the “many contributions Mexican-Americans have made to our society, culture, security and economy.”
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) on Sunday morning television continued to defend her gas-tax holiday plan and said she would have the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission conduct an investigation into manipulation of gas prices.
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), who has rejected the gas tax suspension proposal, said on a separate Sunday morning program that changes to the U.S. ethanol policy might be necessary. “If it turns out we need to make changes in our ethanol policy to help people get something to eat, that has got to be the step we take,”Obama said.
