Report from the teleconference with the McCain campaign

This afternoon the John McCain campaign organized a teleconference with Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC), and two senior foreign policy advisers, Kori Schake and Randy Scheunemann. I was fortunate to have been asked to listen in and participate. I really enjoy these events.

But first an aside: For the past three and a half years, Barack Obama has represented me in the US Senate. While it's the nature of the political animal to run for higher office, something I'll touch on in a post I'll have online tomorrow morning, between now and the Democratic National Convention, can Obama do the job taxpayers are paying him for?

DeMint spoke first, and he had some frightening things to say about the junior senator from Illinois. Obama is the chairman of the European Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee. He can call as many meetings as he wants--he hasn't been doing much of anything in Washington lately--and call any witness he chooses.

Here's a bit of what DeMint said:

"I wrote the letter to Barack because of my concerns about Afghanistan and the fact that Afghanistan is a NATO operation, which comes under the purview of the European Subcommittee that he chairs. My trip to Afghanistan and a number of briefings here suggest some serious concerns. I believe as we've made progress in Iraq we've seen deterioration in Afghanistan. I know that McCain when he saw the problems in Iraq was able to come up with a strategy which was used by the President which has worked and I believe what McCain has put forth here for Afghanistan suggests the same type of understanding.

My concern is not just with Barack but the committee itself and not having any hearings on Afghanistan over the last year and a half on our subcommittee (emphasis mine--DeMint did not raise his voice)-- we have missed a lot opportunities to take more responsibility and to bring to public light the problems. I think most Americans would be surprised and concerned to learn of the deterioration there militarily, the increase in poppy crop and the things that have happened and the potential problems if NATO does not keep its commitment.

So I'm calling on Senator Obama to work with me to have hearings, to help bring to light the issues in Afghanistan, to put pressure on the Administration and others to act decisively there before the situation deteriorates more."

So, not only has that "agent of change" never visited Afghanistan--his committee has never held a hearing on Afghanistan. But he plans to visit the nation in a few days.

Audacity!

Schrake spoke next:

It seems to me odd that [Barack Obama] emphasized in his speech today that main strategic challenge the U.S. faces is Afghanistan, and yet he chose to cut off funds to U.S. forces operating in Afghanistan and he's never once held a hearing as the committee he overseas on it.

That said, I want to focus on John McCain's message as well, because he made a very important statement today outlining a comprehensive strategy for victory in Afghanistan and I think it deserves a lot of attention because it demonstrates the serious-mindedness that he brings to being commander-in-chief and his ability to assess the situation and take a leadership role in fixing it, in the way that he has done with Iraq and that he is doing with Afghanistan. The strategy that Senator McCain is calling for in Afghanistan actually applies the principles of the counter-insurgency that has proven successful in Iraq, to carry those lessons into Afghanistan.

Remember what I wrote this morning: John McCain was before the Iraqi troop surge before President Bush was. Obama opposed it, and still does. (I think--did he flip flop on this issue yet?)

Scheunemann concluded. Here are some of his comments:

As Senator McCain pointed out today, it's very strange that Senator Obama laid out his strategy and policies for Iraq and Afghanistan before he visits the countries. He hasn't been to Iraq in over 900 days. He's never been to Afghanistan. He has never met privately with General Petraeus. (Once again, emphasis mine.) He's going to go over and presumably and get briefings, but in Senator Obama's world view, he doesn't need to benefit from the insight gained in those briefings. He believes that he already knows what the policy changes should be. ...

Senator Obama ignores the consequences of the policy he's advocated in Iraq, and he's missing the point when he is expressing a demonstrable preference for defeat in Iraq. He said today that his commitment is to end the war in Iraq. It is strange that he talks about ending the war, but he doesn't talk about winning the war. Senator McCain is advocating winning in Iraq and in Afghanistan. If Senator Obama takes office, he has said he would reject the advice of his military commanders. Instead, he has pledged to give an order unprecedented in American history, an order no U.S. Commander-in-Chief has ever issued -- withdraw from Iraq and lose this war. (Emphasis mine.) Senator Obama refuses to recognize that such as order would have profound strategic consequences. As Senator McCain said earlier today, Senator Obama believes that it is necessary to lose in Iraq to win in Afghanistan. Senator Obama stubbornly clings to a withdrawal timetable he drew up to appeal t o the left-wing of the Democratic party. He reiterated his commitment to that today. ...

A few reporters, but no bloggers, asked questions, including James Rosen of the Associated Press, but the the trio said what need to have been said already.

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