Mitt Romney Foreign Policy Speech: Obama Is a Pansy

Impact

Mitt Romney is in Reno, Nevada today to address the local Veterans of Foreign Wars in what is being touted as a major foreign policy address before he embarks on an international tour. In his speech, Romney will hammer the president for failing to lead in international relations, and damaging America’s credibility abroad. Romney is likely to deliver one of the most absurdly hawkish speeches, given that his foreign policy advisers are craven neoconservatives who think the world is a piece of clay to be molded in America’s image. Let’s see how this goes. 

 

2:38pm  That's it for this quick but not painless live blog. I hope to have a piece coming out soon on the insanity of Romney's foreign policy, which, sadly, isn't that much more insane the Obama's.  

2:33pm  That went about as expected. Romney portrayed Obama as a pansy on foreign policy, and pledged to do everything up to and including building a death star to maxmize U.S. power and influence around the world. While Romney will advocate cuts for poor people and senior citizens, he'll proudly increase the Defense budget even more. That business about "cuts" to the Pentagon is the biggest lie going in Washington right now. Those "cuts" are slated to occur against projected increases. Thus, the net military budget will still be much higher in a decade despite the scary $1 trillion in "cuts" that are supposed to occur over the next ten years.   

2:32pm  Shameless pandering about loving America and freedom. This is getting nauseating. Thankfully it's over.

2:30pm  Talking tough on Iran. Gotta get serious with those tricky Persians! "I will use every means necessary to protect ourselves and our region." Well, Iran's not threatening our reigion, we're threatening theirs. If Iran isn't seeking a nuclear weapon given all the U.S. aggression, they're insane.  

2:29pm  Romney has already denounced Russia, China, Iran, and Venezuela. Now if only goes after European-style socialism, he'll have bashed about half the world. 

2:28pm  Just said China manipulates its currency. Somewhere, Ben Bernanke is laughing sinisterly.  

2:25pm  It is impossible to imagine Romney saying that Obama has been too aggressive in any realm of foreign policy whatsoever. It's actually pretty amazing when you think about it. 

2:23pm  Says Obama derides Israel and lectures them. Obama has a funny way of showing that, given that his administration has given billions of dollars in unconditional aid and support at the United Nations. 

2:21pm  Accuses Obama of abandoning the Poles and Czechs for withdrawing the missile defense shield. Someone tell Romney it's not 1960 anymore. Seriously, how many Americans would want to risk nuclear war if Putin decides to move on Eastern Europe?   

2:19pm  "Lives of American servicemen and women are at stake." And a Mitt Romney presidency would make sure more of them are sent abroad into certain danger.  

2:17pm  A question for Mitt: How much money is enough for the military? I don't think he'd ever actually pick a number, lest that figure be perceived as finite. As far as the military budget goes, to infinity and beyond! 

2:16pm  Denounces across-the-board budget reduction. Misleadingly says the Defense budget would be cut by a $1 trillion, but these cuts would take place against projected increases. 

2:13pm  Romney in full jingoist mode now, says America is the greatest force for good the world has ever seen. 

2:11pm  Romney spouts the old canard that Obama has apologized for America, and has also insulted other countries. "I am an unapologetic believer in the greatness of America." What a vapid statement. 

2:09pm  Romney says America's influence has been declining over the last few years. 

2:04pm  Mitt Romney is being introduced. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of enthusiasm here. 

 

Ahead of his highly-touted foreign policy and fundraising tour that will take him to the United Kingdom, Israel, and Poland, Mitt Romney will give a speech to the Reno, Nevada Veterans of Foreign Wars. In his speech, Romney is expected to list what he sees as the many failings of the Obama administration in the realm of foreign policy, as well as outline his own international vision for the country.

Romney has said that the U.S., which spends nearly as much as the rest of the world combined on its military, isn’t spending enough. The former Massachusetts governor has called for an ever-expanding American military presence at a time when the country’s finances and international reputation are in dire straits, owing to a series of bipartisan foreign misadventures that foreign policy scholars of posterity will judge harshly. Yet Romney will plug on, partly out of a desire to burnish his tough-guy foreign policy cred, and partly out of a kneejerk reaction that in a given presidential race, the Republican candidate will always want to try to outhawk the Democrat. But Obama has expanded the war in Afghanistan and exploded the use of drones both in terms of missions and number of countries, as well as ordered the assassination of American citizens abroad.

If this is an example of a “weak” on foreign policy, I’d hate to see what “tough” is.