Foreign Policy

WASHINGTON - Niccolo Machiavelli, the 16th-century political realist and schemer, would relish the intricate calculations the three leading Democratic presidential candidates are required to make. Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John Edwards need to do two things simultaneously: persuade the intensely anti-war majority in the Democratic Party that they despise President Bush's Iraq policies, and demonstrate that they would be resolute in dealing with America's foreign foes. Over the last week, their foreign policy dance has produced some revealing moments.

Dear Editor, I would like to urge Senator Mitch McConnell, as my representative as well as Senate minority leader, to insist on a policy to the current situation in Pakistan which is based on principle rather than expediency. While it is true that the current president and military dictator of Pakistan has been a close ally of the United States in the fight against terror, it is also true our real ally should be the people of Pakistan and that United States foreign policy needs to forcefully reflect that.

Dear Editor, After reading Todd Kleffman's article entitled "Mideast Violence Surprises Professor" I was no little bit perplexed at the statements of Centre's professor Nayef Samhat. His statements certainly sounded as though he was siding with Hezbollah. I would think it a matter of fact that this Iranian-sponsored terrorist organization, Hezbollah and Syria, are enemies of the U.S. I would think he would have known before he left Danville how Hezbollah and Syria would assess America's foreign policy in the Mideast.

Many Americans are aware of the gritty personality of Vice president Joe Biden. However, I found V.P. Biden not only annoying but extremely obnoxious when his gaiety continued when Congressman Paul Ryan was attempting to answer his questions on America's foreign policy. To giggle and chuckle when American deaths are being discussed is inexcusable. I, like most Americans, are thankful for all who have served and will serve, their willingness to defend our country is inspirational.

Dear Editor: Your opinion piece in the Sunday edition of your paper makes many of the same assumptions that most of the Bush apologists make. That is that the American people will just continue to send our sons and daughters as sacrificial fodder to a failed foreign policy and an unjustified war. Iraq did not attack us and the terrorists who did attack us were not Iraqis, but Saudis. By going in as we did, unilaterally, we have created a hotbed of terrorism where none existed before.

Stanford physician Naren James is calling for America to take a stand against Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf, who issued an emergency decree 10 days ago that suspended the Constitution, dismissed the Supreme Court, silenced independent news stations and resulted in the arrests of at least 2,500 opposition party workers, lawyers and human rights advocates. In a letter he recently sent to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Dr. James urges the senator to adopt a policy "based on principle rather than expediency.

To win the presidency, Barack Obama needs only to battle John McCain to a tie on foreign policy and national security. That means Obama has no need for a great triumph during his trip this week to the Middle East and Europe. His goal is to look safe, sound and competent, and that's how he's playing things. More and more, 2008 is taking on the contours of 1980. Then the country, desperate for change after the battering it felt it took during Jimmy Carter's term, was eager to vote for a new direction and a charismatic leader.

The scene has stayed with me for six years: Democrat Jill Long Thompson, in the midst of a fiercely competitive race in Indiana's 2nd Congressional District, was being pressed by supporters to criticize what they saw as President Bush's rush to war in Iraq. She would have none of it, explaining that her differences with Republican Chris Chocola were on domestic economic issues, not foreign policy. In her district, she said later, "we will support our president, and we will support our troops.

Perryville to host Cup competition Local schools will gather Saturday at Perryville Elementary School to take part in the District 85th Governor's Cup competition, an academic event administered by the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition and sponsored by The Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust. Participating schools include Perryville Elementary, Danville Christian Academy, Toliver Elementary and Woodlawn Elementary. Governor's Cup features eight events, including the Quick Recall event, which is the only one open to the public.

No matter what you think of Bill Clinton, you have to give him and Hillary credit for hard work. The Clintons stormed through Kentucky in the days before the primary, stumping for every vote they could muster - even though a win for Sen. Clinton here was a foregone conclusion, and a loss in the race for the nomination is all but one. Despite the prevailing opinion that she is hurting the party by holding out,...

Many Americans are aware of the gritty personality of Vice president Joe Biden. However, I found V.P. Biden not only annoying but extremely obnoxious when his gaiety continued when Congressman Paul Ryan was attempting to answer his questions on America's foreign policy. To giggle and chuckle when American deaths are being discussed is inexcusable. I, like most Americans, are thankful for all who have served and will serve, their willingness to defend our country is inspirational.

Every four years there's a big to-do in the media about whom the Democratic or Republican candidate is going to choose for his running mate. Of course, the incumbent president usually goes with his incumbent vice president. Their choices are of concern to some analysts and some voters because vice presidents, whom the voters don't get to choose directly - only indirectly in tandem with their presidential choice - have sometimes been suddenly elevated to the presidency. Harry S. Truman became president during World War II, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was struck down by a heart attack.

If you don't make time to watch Jon Stewart's Daily Show you should. If you don't have cable or satellite that delivers Comedy Central, watch him on your laptop, IPad or smartphone and get, hands down, the best news analysis available anywhere. Despite his irreverent and sometimes obscenity laden (don't worry, Comedy Central provides the bleeps) delivery, Stewart was recently voted “the most trusted newsman in America” in a Time Magazine poll. Even here in socially conservative Kentucky, Stewart tied for first place with NBC's Brian Williams, who is a frequent guest on Stewart's show.

It’s said that a broken clock is right twice a day, and that is true for Senator Rand Paul’s opposition to the four-year extension of the USA Patriot Act that President Obama signed last week. Paul, a Republican, found himself in good company as he joined Democrats John Udall and Ron Wyden in fighting an ultimately losing battle to let the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act (get it, USA Patriot Act?) of 2001 expire.

Dear Editor, Perhaps Carol Bastian should reread her history books regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In a recent letter to the editor she maintains that Republicans were “conspicuously absent in the second civil rights movement.” Excuse me. There was an enormous effort to block this legislation by Democrats. The very conspicuous behavior of Democrats was so blatant that it garnered the name “The Southern Bloc” and was made up of 18 Democratic senators.

After fundamentalist Muslim terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, murdering nearly 3,000 people and destroying the World Trade Center’s twin towers, we Americans asked ourselves: Why? Why do some Muslims — in this case from countries that are our allies — want to destroy us? Some Muslim American clerics and scholars tried to answer that question forthrightly while at the same time condemning the attacks. Imam Abdul Rauf was one of those.

At a Washington meeting some years back Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia said to a group of us who had come to discuss Mideast policy, "All foreign policy is domestic politics. " The recently announced "surge" of 30,000 additional troops for Afghanistan was designed to placate political pressures on the President, which, even if it were possible, is not the right way to formulate a policy. What would be? Shortly after 9/11 we got a letter from a friend of ours who was in western Pakistan helping Greg Mortenson, of Three Cups of Tea fame, build schools.

Dear Editor, While Sen. Jim Bunning has been getting a great deal of media attention due to curiosity about whether he will run again in 2010, more media attention should go to a man who may step into the ring. Son of former presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, Bowling Green's own, Rand Paul. Rand has stated several times he may run if Bunning decides not to run for re-election. As far as Rand's policies go, the old saying applies, "Like father like son. " Rand is for a smaller federal government, a non-interventionist foreign policy, fiscal conservatism, free markets and lower taxes.

Perryville to host Cup competition Local schools will gather Saturday at Perryville Elementary School to take part in the District 85th Governor's Cup competition, an academic event administered by the Kentucky Association for Academic Competition and sponsored by The Kentucky Education Savings Plan Trust. Participating schools include Perryville Elementary, Danville Christian Academy, Toliver Elementary and Woodlawn Elementary. Governor's Cup features eight events, including the Quick Recall event, which is the only one open to the public.

Joel Warner of Danville fits two demographic categories that were said to be key to a victory by Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama in his quest for the White House. The 20-year-old Danville man is black and a young American. Voting for the first time in a presidential election, Warner cast his ballot for Obama on Tuesday morning at the Inter-County Energy voting station. But the 2006 Danville High School graduate and student at Western Kentucky University said after his vote that neither his race nor his age played significant roles in his decision.