Excerpt from McCain's Remarks to the American Legion

Please see excerpt from John McCain's remarks as prepared for delivery today at the 90th Annual American Legion National Convention in Phoenix, Arizona:

There are those who say that our day as the free world's leader has passed, that our moment is waning.  They point to the anti-Americanism that is sometimes heard in Europe and elsewhere, and take this as a sign that America no longer has the strength or the moral credibility to lead.  The criticisms tend to pass or quiet down when global threats and dangers appear.  In times of trouble, free nations of the world still look to America for leadership, because they know the strength of America remains the greatest force for good on this earth.

My opponent had the chance to express such confidence in America, when he delivered a much anticipated address in Berlin.  He was the picture of confidence, in some ways.  But confidence in oneself and confidence in one's country are not the same.  And in that speech, Senator Obama left an important point unclear.  He suggested that the end of the Cold War proved that there was, quote, “no challenge too great for a world that stands as one.”  Now I missed a few years of the Cold War, as the guest of one of our adversaries, but as I recall the world was deeply divided during the Cold War – between the side of freedom and the side of tyranny.  The Cold War ended not because the world stood “as one,” but because the great democracies came together, bound together by sustained and decisive American leadership.

All of this is more than an academic debate.  For the sake of our own security, and the defense of our values in the affairs of the world, American leadership is critical.  While we have our share of critics around the world, when people in the oppressed nations of the world need support, and solidarity, and hope, they look to America.  When they talk about our country, it is not with distrust or disdain, but with respect and affection.  They do not resent or resist America's democratic influence in the world – they thank God for it.

Just days after the Russian invasion of Georgia, Senator Obama had this to say about the crisis:  “We've got to send a clear message to Russia and unify our allies.  They can't charge into other countries.  Of course it helps if we are leading by example on that point.”  End of quote.  I guess we are left to figure out the rest for ourselves.  It's unlikely he was alluding to Afghanistan, the nation we liberated after 9/11, and continue to help despite Russian complaints about our related deployments in Central Asia.  And he probably didn't have Kosovo in mind either – although Russia didn't care much for that military action, either.  We and our NATO allies had to end the Serbian slaughter of civilians in Kosovo without UN approval, because the Russians blocked the effort in the Security Council.

If I catch Senator Obama's drift, then, our failure to “lead by example” was the liberation of Iraq.  And if he really thinks that, by liberating Iraq from a dangerous tyrant, America somehow set a bad example that invited Russia to invade a small, peaceful, and democratic nation, then he should state it outright – because that is a debate I welcome.

In the end, confusion about such questions only invites more trouble, violence, and aggression.  To promote stability and peace, America must stand firmly on the side of freedom and justice.  The next president must bring to office a clear-eyed view of our nation's role in the world, as the defender of the oppressed and a force for peace.