Campaign 2008

Campaign 2008

The Candidates and the World

Palin’s Energy Background

Posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 by Joanna Klonsky

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) announced the selection of Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) as his running mate Friday. As governor and as a small-town mayor before that, Palin has not had the occasion to vote or speak on many foreign policy matters, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Russia-Georgia conflict or U.S. relations with Iran and Pakistan. Her positions on these issues are largely unknown.

Palin has a mixed record on energy policy. She favors increased drilling for oil, and she said in a July 2008 interview (Investor’s Business Daily), “I beg to disagree with any candidate who would say we can’t drill our way out of our problem or that more supply won’t ultimately affect prices. Of course it will affect prices.”

Still, she has had a rocky relationship (Newsweek) with big oil companies in her oil-rich state. Palin served as chair (CNN) of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 2003 and 2004, resigning from that position after she spoke out about ethical violations and corruption (FOX) among some of her fellow Republicans.

Earlier this month, the Alaskan legislature gave Palin’s administration permission to grant a license to TransCanada Alaska to build a 1,715-mile natural gas pipeline (MSNBC) from Alaska to Canada.

Palin does support drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR) (IHT), a measure McCain has said he opposes. “The misperception is that [ANWR] is a huge swath of pristine land, full of mountains and rivers and wildlife. Those are the pictures seen on TV. But what we’re talking about with ANWR is a 2,000-acre plot of land that is a smaller footprint than LAX or big airports outside Alaska,” Palin said in July 2008.

Posted in Energy Policy, General Election | 0 Comments »

Morning Update: Obama Focuses on Economy

Posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 by campaign2008

In his speech closing the Democratic National Convention, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) accepted his party’s nomination with a speech that focused on improving the U.S. economy and bolstering the fortunes of the American middle class. Obama called it “one of those defining moments-a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened.”

The Wall Street Journal reports Obama’s speech included several proposals aimed at easing middle class economic malaise, some of which could hold significant bearing for foreign policy. The Financial Times says perhaps the most ambitious of Obama’s economic proposals is to wean the United States off foreign oil within ten years, and to invest some $150 billion in alternative energy programs.
Obama repeated his call for an expedited withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq and renewed emphasis on the war in Afghanistan, saying: “You don’t defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries by occupying Iraq.”

Al-Jazeera notes that Obama’s speech drew immediate attacks from Republicans and Obama’s presumptive opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), as being “misleading.”

Earlier, former Vice President Al Gore, and Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) spoke to the convention, among others.

CFR has a series of resources lending context to the campaign generally, and its economic dimensions more specifically. CFR.org’s Campaign 2008 blog includes on-scene updates from the convention. A new article looks at how international press covering the election see the vote affecting their home countries. This Issue Tracker details the candidates’ statements on trade policy.

CFR will host several panel discussions on foreign policy issues at next week’s Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

For full coverage, please see CFR.org’s Campaign 2008 website.

Posted in Afghanistan, DNC, Energy Policy, General Election, Iraq, Morning Update, Trade | 1 Comment »

Policy Gleanings from GOP Platform

Posted on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 by Joanna Klonsky

Republicans released a draft of their party’s 2008 platform (WashPost) ahead of next week’s Republican National Convention in Minnesota, according to several news reports. The Washington Post says the draft breaks with Sen. John McCain’s proposed policies in several areas.

–The draft includes a section on “addressing climate change responsibly,” marking the first time the Republican platform has contained an acknowledgment that human activity may contribute to climate change. “The same human activity that has brought freedom and opportunity to billions has also increased the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Increased atmospheric carbon has a warming effect on the earth,” the draft says.

–The document does not mention a policy of capping carbon emissions, like the one McCain advocates. It also warns against “doomsday climate change scenarios peddled by aficionados of centralized command-and-control government.”

–Bloomberg reports that on immigration, the platform says the Party opposes any move to grant amnesty to illegal immigrants. “The rule of law suffers if government policies encourage or reward illegal activity,” it says.

Posted in Climate Change, General Election, Immigration | 0 Comments »

Foreigners Eye Presidential Contest

Posted on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 by campaign2008

DENVER- The U.S. presidential race has sparked intense interest abroad; so much so, that a recent Pew poll found majorities of citizens in several countries are watching the contest closely. But the nature of that interest differs from place to place. Some nations feel they have something at stake and are therefore watching certain issues, while others are simply intrigued by the spectacle of the drawn out electoral process. In a new interview, CFR.org asks foreign reporters at the DNC to discuss the issues that matter most to their readers back home.

Foreign Affairs is also covering foreign views of the election, with essays showing perspectives from Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

Posted in DNC, View from Abroad | 0 Comments »

Morning Update: Iraq, Russia, National Security

Posted on Thursday, August 28th, 2008 by campaign2008

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was named the Democratic Party’s official presidential nominee (Reuters) Wednesday night at the Democratic National Convention. He will officially accept the nomination tonight.

Former President Bill Clinton addressed the convention Wednesday evening, praising Obama as showing “a clear grasp of foreign policy and national security challenges and a firm commitment to rebuild our badly strained military.”

Vice-presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) promised that he and Obama will “hold Russia accountable for its actions and we will help the people of Georgia rebuild.” He also said Obama was “right” in calling for additional troops in Afghanistan and for a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq. CFR.org Executive Editor Michael Moran talks with Biden’s co-author of a plan to federalize Iraq, CFR President Emeritus Leslie H. Gelb, about possible Iraq policy in an Obama-Biden administration.

A CFR hosted panel of foreign policy heavyweights Wednesday explored the immense challenges facing the next president, from globalization to the Middle East.

CFR will host several panel discussions on foreign policy issues at next week’s Republican National Convention in Minnesota.

Posted in DNC, General Election, Iraq, Morning Update, Russia | 1 Comment »

Obama and the ‘Gelb-Biden’ Plan for Iraq

Posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 by Michael Moran

DENVER — As Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) running mate, prepares to take center stage here, questions swirl around his most prominent contribution to the Iraq debate: the plan for a federalized Iraqi state he proposed in May 2006 jointly with CFR President Emeritus Leslie H. Gelb.

The plan, set forth at a time when Iraq’s violence was running at peak levels, often got mischaracterized as a “partition” plan – something both men spent a good deal of time knocking down. In fact, the plan calls for broad autonomy for Iraq’s three major factions, the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis, as part of a comprehensive agreement to retain Iraq’s current borders. Negotiations would devolve certain powers – such as foreign affairs, defense, and some infrastructure issues – to a central government in Baghdad.

With Biden now delivering what is for all intents and purposes the keynote foreign policy address of the 2008 Democratic convention, the question remains: Is the plan now official Obama policy? Biden has not confronted the question directly, and tonight’s speech may or may not provide some clarity.

Reached by CFR.org, Gelb said that Biden still supports the plan and that “to my knowledge, has signed on to it, making it clear that the decision is up to the Iraqis and this isn’t something we[the U.S.]’ll shove down their throats.”

Last September, as the Senate debated alternatives to the ‘surge,’ the Gelb-Biden plan won 75 votes in the Senate, but failed to win the support in the House it would have needed to move forward. Its status today, says Gelb, is a bit uncertain in that it “has gotten subsumed in the recent total focus on ‘the surge,’ U.S. troop withdrawals, and the Iraqi insistence on a withdrawal schedule.” He said the two of them, in touch frequently, continue to believe that federalization remains the “only way to bring about a political settlement.”

Will Obama begin adding a line about federalism in his stump speeches? That remains to be seen. In spite of the perceived successes of ‘the surge,’ as Gelb notes, “I believe that Biden, Obama, and certainly I, believe that the underlying political reality remains one of fragmentation.”

Posted in DNC, General Election, Iraq | 1 Comment »

Heavyweight panel tackles international affairs

Posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 by Michael Moran

DENVER — National Security Day kicked off in Denver Wednesday, with delegates looking forward to speeches from former Vice President Al Gore, former President Bill Clinton, and Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) vice presidential selection, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE), among others. Just outside the high-security zone around the Pepsi Center, CFR co-sponsored a roundtable discussion moderated by NBC News Special Correspondent Tom Brokaw on the international issues facing the United States.

Before an audience of 1,200 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, a bipartisan panel including senior members of both Republican and Democratic administrations past traded ideas and offered prescriptions for the next president, who, according to panelist Richard Holbrooke, “inherits the worst opening day position in American history in international affairs.” The statement brought no dissent. Indeed, CFR President Richard N. Haass, who headed the State Department’s Policy Planning Council in the first term of President George W. Bush’s administration, noted that the next president’s troubles will not only stem from missteps by the current administration, but by important, tectonic shifts in the world since 9/11.”We‘ve got a gap between the problems of the world and the institutions needed to deal with them ,” Haass said, noting that the sheer number of problems – from ongoing wars, Russia’s aggressive move in the Caucasus, instability in the Middle East, energy supply and security issues, climate change, and a host of others – simply overwhelm the systems in place meant to help tackle them. Haass also said he was deeply concerned about polls showing Americans beginning to flirt with the idea of pulling back from global involvement.”Globalization at the end of the day isn’t a choice, it’s a reality. The world is not Las Vegas, what happens there won’t stay there … We have to deal with the world.”

Vin Weber, a former Republican congressman and senior fellow at the Humphrey Institute in Minnesota, cautioned that problems are not going to go away simply because America changes horses and adopts a less confrontational, more multilateral approach in the world.

“I think some Americans have developed an attitude that Obama’s going to be president, he’ll say the right words, and all of a sudden NATO will step up to the plate, the United Nations will step up to the plate,” Weber said. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy. ”

Holbrooke and Madeleine Albright, former Clinton administration secretary of state and a top Obama adviser, both argued that the election of a Republican – even Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), whom both praised as a good, qualified man – would send a devastating message to the world after the past eight years.

Referring to Barack Obama’s ability to draw an estimated 200,000 to a rally in Berlin earlier this summer, Holbrooke said: “What those Germans were saying is, “We still love America, we’re not anti American, but we’re anti-Bush.”

Posted in DNC, Energy Policy, General Election, Russia, Terrorism, Trade | 0 Comments »

Morning Update: A National Security Day

Posted on Wednesday, August 27th, 2008 by campaign2008

National security will be today’s theme at the Democratic National Convention, a day after former presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) called for party unity around the candidacy of Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL). Vice presidential candidate Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) and former President Bill Clinton will speak to the convention this evening.

CFR hosts an expert panel discussion in Denver today on the foreign policy challenges facing the next presidential administration.

RUSSIA: Both Obama and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) condemned Russia’s recognition (Reuters) of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states on Tuesday.

VETERANS: McCain explained his opposition to the recent GI Bill in a speech before the American Legion on Tuesday. The bill “did nothing to retain the young officer and enlisted leaders who form the backbone of our all-volunteer force,” McCain said.

Posted in DNC, General Election, Military, Morning Update, Russia | 0 Comments »

Massive Security Effort at DNC

Posted on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 by campaign2008

DENVER–There’s no question that speeches by Democratic dignitaries, especially Barack Obama’s address Thursday night, constitute the main event here at the DNC. Yet security has become a formidable side show. The federal government devoted $50 million to bolster the security effort here and will match that in Minnesota next week. So what does $50 million buy? The AP has an itemized list, but as far as those attending the nightly proceedings are concerned, it still adds up to long lines; the queue for the security checkpoint stretched the length of two or three city blocks each of the first two evenings. Considering the airport-style security being imposed, the line moves with surprising efficiency. Police, Secret Service, and TSA officials operate metal detectors, x-rays, and conduct manual bag searches, though no one is asked to remove their shoes.

The security check point is located well within a broader security perimeter, which requires credentials to enter. Outside the perimeter, security remains ever present, with scores of riot police and mounted officers circulating throughout downtown Denver. Protesters are also abundant, and despite the mass arrest (9 News) of more than 100 protesters Monday night, it appears that officials have done a good job of balancing First Amendment rights with the need for security.

In order to coordinate efforts of the 62 government agencies sharing the security burden in Denver, officials have created a multi-agency command center (Denver Post) to ensure everything runs smoothly. As this Backgrounder explains, these kinds of interagency facilities, known as fusion centers, have become an increasingly important tool in state and local homeland security efforts.

An officer eyes the crowd of people waiting to pass through the security check before Tuesday night’s events.

Posted in DNC, Homeland Security | 0 Comments »

Quote of the Day

Posted on Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 by campaign2008

“I condemn Russia’s decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and call upon all countries of the world not to accord any legitimacy to this action.

The United States should call for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to condemn Russia’s decision in coordination with our European allies. The U.S. should lead within the UN and other international forums to cast a clear and unrelenting light on the decision, and to further isolate Russia internationally because of its actions. The OSCE must also send a serious monitoring group to Georgia.”

–Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), in a statement Tuesday on Russia’s decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states .

Posted in General Election, Quote of the Day, Russia | 0 Comments »

« Previous Entries
- Recent Posts
  - Morning Update: McCain Vows Change
    September 5th, 2008
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    September 4th, 2008
  - Morning Update: Republican Convention
    September 4th, 2008
  - The ‘Soft Power’ of Trade
    September 3rd, 2008
  - Rep. Ray Lahood on Intelligence, Security, and Energy
    September 3rd, 2008
  - Navigating the Troubled Greater Middle East
    September 3rd, 2008
  - Morning Update: Bush, Lieberman Speeches
    September 3rd, 2008
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    September 2nd, 2008
  - Morning Update: Focus on Gustav
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    September 1st, 2008
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