In their second debate, U.S. presidential candidates Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL) sparred over the limping U.S. economy and energy policy; both tied the country’s recovery to the latter. Obama faulted McCain for a record of deregulation that he said has contributed to the current crisis; McCain, for his part, presented a new economic proposal under which the U.S. Treasury would buy up problem mortgages, in effect refinancing them (NYT) at prices homeowners can afford. The Wall Street Journal cites McCain’s campaign as saying the plan would cost roughly $300 billion. Opinion surveys have shown respondents more confident in Obama’s ability to handle an economic crisis.

Read more »

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) repeated his pledge to impose a one-year federal spending freeze “on every agency of the federal government, excepting only national defense, the care of our veterans, and a few critical priorities.” He spoke in a radio address on Saturday.

Read more »

In an interview with ABC News on Thursday, Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) said Georgia and the Ukraine should be admitted into NATO, despite Russian objections. Asked whether the United States would have to go to war in response to a Russian invasion of Georgia, she said: “I mean, that is the agreement when you are a NATO ally, is if another country is attacked, you’re going to be expected to be called upon and help.” She called Russia’s August military invasion of Georgia “unprovoked.” Palin also said a nuclear Iran would threaten “everyone in the world.”

Read more »

Both presidential candidates will visit Ground Zero Thursday morning to commemorate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Washington Post says the issue of terrorism has become less prominent in the presidential campaign.

Read more »

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.

Read more »

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) promised that if he is elected, he will provide “young democracies” like Georgia with “support and solidarity.” He spoke to the convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) on Monday. McCain also said he would create a Veterans’ Care Access Card to “provide those without timely access to VA facilities the option of using high-quality health-care providers near their homes.”

Read more »

“[D]id nuclear arms help the Soviet Union from falling and disintegrating? For that matter, did a nuclear bomb help the U.S. to prevail inside Iraq or Afghanistan, for that matter? Nuclear bombs belong to the 20th century. We are living in a new century.”

Read more »

As the presidential campaign debate intensified today over U.S. military policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, another discussion took place in Washington about the need for deep-seated, bipartisan reform in the projection of U.S. soft power. The touchstone was a survey of U.S. military officers conducted for the Center for U.S. Global Engagement. A main takeaway from the survey, which can be found here, is the importance a great majority of military officers place on using non-military tools such as diplomacy, food, and support for health, education, and economic development programs. A majority of those surveyed believe the government has not done enough to improve either military or non-military capabilities.

Read more »

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) on Wednesday voted in favor of a new FISA bill (WashPost) which lifted restrictions on domestic spying and granted legal immunity to telecommunications companies that cooperated in the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) missed the vote, but has expressed support for the bill.

Read more »

In an interview with the Military Times published Monday, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) laid out his defense agenda and said he would take advice from military commanders on the ground into consideration when planning the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.

Read more »