Larry Kudlow was blown away by Lieberman’s foreign policy brilliance last night:
Mr. Lieberman talked at some length about how the Democratic party has completely departed from the strong national-security principles of Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and John F. Kennedy. He said those leaders clearly understood the need to fight totalitarian dictators and regimes, and that they possessed the moral clarity that can separate friends from enemies in the long-run battle to promote freedom and democracy.
He mentioned John Kennedy’s famous quote, “that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” He mentioned Ronald Reagan as an heir to that tradition.
He then spent a lot of time talking about why today’s Democratic party has completely lost its way on foreign policy — especially Sen. Obama, who Lieberman believes is completely wrong in proposing to meet with Iran, North Korea, and other rogue states. He also criticized Obama for opposing the South Korean trade deal, which should be an important foreign policy against North Korea as well as an economic-growth measure. Similarly, he attacked Obama for opposing the Columbia trade deal, which would strike a blow against Cuba and Venezuela while enhancing economic growth.
On several occasions the Connecticut senator emphasized the need for internationalism rather than isolationism, and for free trade rather than protectionism. He labeled Obama protectionist and isolationist, as well as completely naïve on international affairs, while strongly endorsing John McCain on these points.
It was a tour-de-force speech that impressed me once again with the brilliance of Joe Lieberman. Frankly, he would make a good president. Undoubtedly, he will have a major cabinet post if John McCain wins.
I catch some heat for being a Joe fan but Lieberman is one of our great foreign and defense policy thinkers. If someone can find video or a transcript I’d love to know about it.
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Filed Under:
Politics
May 19th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
He mentioned Ronald Reagan as an heir to that tradition.
Reagan had Robert McFarland and Oliver North meet with the Ayatollah Khomeini.
May 19th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Every pig shall have his bay. -John F Kennedy
May 20th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
I’m going to stick to my guns and say that Joe Lieberman will be McCains running mate. This speech is indicative of that sort of position.