McCain proposes League of Democracies

Posted: Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:01 PM by Domenico Montanaro

From NBC/NJ’s Adam Aigner-Treworgy
MONTEREY, Calif. -- In McCain’s first major policy address since locking up the GOP nomination this morning, his campaign did its best to make its candidate look presidential. Using two teleprompters on the wings of the podium, McCain delivered a 30-minute speech that showed how a potential McCain presidency would try to change the shape of U.S. foreign policy.

Two new ideas came out of McCain’s speech, both focusing on shoring up relations with the country’s democratic allies.

“We have to strengthen our global alliances as the core of a new global compact -- a League of Democracies -- that can harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values and defend our shared interests,” McCain said, reading from prepared texts.

But during the question-and-answer portion of the event following his speech, McCain expanded on his “League of Democracies” proposal.

VIDEO: John McCain calls for the United States to work more respectfully with democratic allies and live up to its duties as a world leader.

“It’s not just [a commitment of] mine. President Sarkozy of France is talking about the same thing; Prime Minister Brown of England, Chancellor Merkel is another talking about the same thing,” McCain said in response to a question about containing an Iranian nuclear program, arguing that a coalition of democratic countries could be more effective in pressuring the Iranians to abandon their nuclear ambitions.

McCain also floated the idea of a free trade agreement with the European Union, saying in response to an audience member’s question that such a proposal would be “very interesting.”

Speaking to reporters on his campaign plane following the event, McCain admitted that negotiations for such a proposal might be difficult.

“You notice that some of their environmental standards and labor standards are higher than ours, not lower,” McCain said. “So it would be very interesting to see how those negotiations went and how the opponents of free trade agreements in general react to that.”

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Comments

Well, I'm not sure we need another repugnant changing the shape of democracies or building nations - that strategy has not gone very well for georgie, sure can't believe it would be any better under mccain.

Unioin Baby, Tennessee (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:07 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Yes, and after we have given away every last dime from this country's treasury they will all love us forever and ever.

twocanpete (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:07 PM)

If Obama floated a proposal for a "league of democracies" McCain would label him as naive.

PS. Iran is a democracy.

Amy B Portland, ME (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:09 PM)

If he had not sat in that church for 20 years, thsi would not be an issue.

But he did. So it is.

And it's not going away. The GOP will see to that.

CSH, IL (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:09 PM)

Not exactly a new idea:
"Council for a Community of Democracies is different from the many NGOs that promote democracy. We believe that an environment of cooperation among nations offers the best hope for resolving the critical problems of our age and that an organization of democracies acting in concert is a vital step in that direction..."
http://www.ccd21.org/

lm (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:17 PM)

Teleprompters(2) like Obama had when he read that speech someone wrote and all were agog over it.What a golden boy we have.Hillary gave a couple major speeches while Obama was gone but staying loyal to there boy she got a little mention once ot twice. Yep Hillary had a major speech today now on to the news of the day.But her people are still behind her and want her to stay the course. It will pay off. Obama is about to implode big time. Files are being worked up on him. Not all are afraid of him than it will take off like fire.He will get the scrutiny he should have had months ago.I can feel it in my bones.

Hillary 08 (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:19 PM)

NATO for the next Generation. America has been credited for creating the WTO, NATO, the World BANK, and the UN. Now, "League of Democracies"? Those that aren't democratic hate us, why would we want to bring more negative attention, and alienate countries like Russia, China, N. Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and the like to further create a divide between countries that are different in their political views.

This is not the best strategy. If anything, it is a road map for WWIII. Us against them, sounds kind of like Bush's "You're either with us, or against us."

So, come on people, lets all vote Republican, stay in a "Strategic" location like Iraq for the next 100 years, create more enemies around the world and prepare for the Human extinction.

Insaine McCain will gladly take us there.

Paul, Riverside, CA (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:23 PM)

League of Nations failed miserably and only led to World War II. Now, what do you expect a League of Democracies, McWar? You have to remember that democracy as defined in America is not democracy in all the nations of the world, and what it is about imposing Western concepts and ideologies.
Other nations and other cultures should define democracy for themselves, apart from human rights. Every nation has its own political process, and what works better works best for the peoples of all nations, not in the way our political process works.
Or, you can think of a League of Democracies as nations that respect human rights and whose leaders are accountable to them, if that is how people want to define and establish governments without the imposition of our values upon them. For instance, Russia and China have to end their corruption and absue of their citizens and muzzling of their citizens' dissent, which is all about resecting human rights and liberties.
Try a League for Liberties, because we really need liberties for all peoples in all nations -- the duty of governments to respect peoples' liberties.

Bull the Dog (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:24 PM)

I am not a McCain supporter, but I do like the idea of a free trade agreement with the European Union. Though I have a fundamental disagreement with McCain's Iraq war policy and his deliberate attempts to link Al Qaeda to Iran, this is one area where I agree with him.

Enrique, Chicago (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:24 PM)

Yep. McCain gets the stage all to himself, able to move away from the right and towards the middle in speechs and in positions after having won the Republican nomination while Hillary Clinton destroys the Dem Party. McCain is right now, at this moment, running in the general election while the Dems have Hillary hanging around their necks putting them several laps behind. If the Dem party leaders continue to allow Hillary to burden the Dem party with her unreasonable unwillingness to concede a race that she cannot possibly win then the Dems can kiss the general election goodbye and blame no one but themselves. It is time to get behind Obama and to begin a campaign against McCain and his badly mistaken ideas that we need to stay in Iraq and his total lack of understanding of the economy. Not to do so will allow him to hammer and hammer and hammer on these national security issues that will play on people's emotions and who will end up voting for McCain in the general election unless he is challenged and stopped with some common sense and better judgement ideas about our national security and foreign policy needs. Only Obama can do this.

C A, Tuscaloosa, AL (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:26 PM)

OBAMA IS UN-ELECTABLE IN NOVEMBER.

DEMOCRATS WILL LOSE THE WHITE HOUSE,AND MAYBE THE CONGRESS IN NOVEMBER.

THE MAJORITY OF THE VOTERS DO NOT LIKE THE CHOICES.

TEXAN (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:29 PM)

“You notice that some of their environmental standards and labor standards are higher than ours, not lower,” McCain said. “So it would be very interesting to see how those negotiations went and how the opponents of free trade agreements in general react to that"
John McCain
---------------------------------------------
Imagine what the proponets of free trade in the business community would have to say if in order to pass a free trade agreement with the European Union we, the United States had to match the EU's labor & enviornmental standards.
Especially if the opponets of free trade here in the US said that they would completely support free trade if every free trade agreement that the United States had entered into would be suspended until a mirror of EU's current standards or more strigent future standards to include wage standards would be agreed upon by a super majority of 67% could be incorporated.
I would suspect that the introduction of this discussion is one that big business wishes to avoid. At all costs.

Tom, Tennessee (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:29 PM)

Where has McCain been for the past 7 1/2 years? Supporting GW Bush and his never-ending war in Iraq. He's gone along with Bush and GW's my-way-or-the-highway approach to foreign policy with nary a word of dissention. Now he's talking about some sort of plan to include the rest of the world, hoping to garner support from wary nations. He constantly beats the drum about Iran, as does Bush, but he and Bush and Cheney still have to creep into Iraq under the cover of darkness while the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announces his visit two days in advance and shows up to a warm welcome from Maliki. What's wrong with this picture? Misguided, foolish diplomacy based on fear and the constant threat of war against anyone who dares to challenge the U.S. No wonder the rest of the world would prefer to remain at arms length. McCain represents nothing more than re-cycled Bush plus 100 years.

R.Merrell (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:30 PM)

The question is ...yeah great idea but who is the most likely to have the people of the world and the world/s democracies (the people who put the leaders in power)...which candidate will be most apt to have the peoples on their side on Nov.9, 2008...

Imagine the night of the election and what is on tv...what are peoples of the world doing as the announcement of who will take over from George W. Bush and Dick cheney...if it is

President John MCcain?

is President Barack Obama?

If it is President Hillary Clinton?

Are there people protesting. are there people just watching...are there people dancing and celebrating in the streets of London, Berlin, Madrid, Tokyo, Budapest, Nepal? in Africa, Buenos Aires? ...

which candidate is most likely to to engender support from the people's behind those leaders and bring together a "League of Democracies?"

dl (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:31 PM)

I can't believe he would have the gaul to make this speach.

League of Democracies = 1 world government

It's obvious, the next threat we face is not going to be terrorism, but lack of natural resources. So, every country that is Democratic can unite for the major war that will take place against the countries that harbor the resources that we need to continue our DOMINATION on the world.

America = all of Euorpe, Canada, Mexico, parts of S. America, the Balkins, Isreal, Australia, Japan, Strategic war locations in Afganistan, and Iraq, missle silos in Poland, S. Korea, and any country we can buy.

God help us if this man is elected President.

Mr. McCain, I appreciate the dedication you gave when you spent time in Vietnam, and the hell you faced as a POW. But you can't take out your anger on those who don't agree with you, or those countires who are indifferant of America's political views.

Paul, Riverside, CA (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:32 PM)

Would 'The League' include the newest Democracies that feel we rammed it down their throats? Would everybody be invited to the party? Or will the '3rd' world be 'persona non grata'? (No mention of them).
Don't expect them to fare very well in a McCain driven world. Heck, most of us will get the boot when his 'let the chips fall where they may' policy gets going.

Pulling for Obama '08

donna, pgh., pa. (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:32 PM)

With our two stolen presidential elections in a row, would we be eligible for membership in the "League of Democracies"?

What about former democracies we've toppled? (Chile and Guatamala come to mind.)

It's a fair question (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:33 PM)

Since I can't get messages posted under the topics to which they belong, I'm going to post them on the "freshest" topic, because that's the only one where the moderators seem to post things.

[[Per the campaign, Obama in his speech today on the economy “will focus on Senator McCain's speech on the housing crisis that offered no new ideas and no relief for Americans facing foreclosure,” Obama’s campaign spokesman Bill Burton writes.]]

McCain's position on the housing crisis seems to be that home owners who fell victim to predatory lenders must "take responsibility" to their own mistakes. Meanwhile, McCain approves of the corporate welfare handouts to the crooks and swindlers responsible for the crisis. My guess is that the Fed will throw more free money at them in the near future, now that the stock market is slumping again.

And of course, the war with Iran that McCain wants to start will be good for the economy -- until the bills come due from Red China and other foreign countries that are financing the Republicans' unfunded, unnecessary, and mismanaged wars.

Houston (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:36 PM)

League of Democracies...to "harness the vast influence of the more than one hundred democratic nations around the world to advance our values".......so what's new? "coalition of the willing"....."neo-con agenda".....?????
Guess what Senator bomb bomb.....EVERYONE within and without our borders has seen through this line of BS.
NOT THIS TIME!!!
OBAMA '08

JohnnyU, WA State (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:38 PM)

Come on McCain, you don't have to think about it. Just do like Obama and say you'll negotiate anything with anyone. I'm surprised Obama didn't just show up, shake the audience member's hand and tell him he's supported the idea for years .....

Thank goodness there's at least ONE candidate who doesn't just say what sounds good.

Go John.

Voting McCain (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:45 PM)

Justice League? Maybe Superman and Wonder Woman can be part of it. So fun!

Why is McCain so hell-bent on excluding non-democratic countries? Is this a new NATO that excludes everyone else? That sounds like great world relations considering most of the world is not democratic.

We need to lead by example as a country before we can truly tie ourselves back into the fabric of world politics. Let's start by leaving Iraq.

I love my country (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:49 PM)

Hillary and Barack look presidential too. Sniping and gripping at each other? That's presidential.

Holy Cross (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:52 PM)

John, we already have a league; it's called the U.N.

"I want my intellect (and memory) back." --John McCain 2000 to JM08

Clinton > McCain > Obama

Reality Check, IND (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:53 PM)

Talk about sound bites and reaching to the past in order to appear to have a fresh idea. 'League of Democracies' sounds alot like the defunct predecessor to the modern day U.N., the 'League of Nations'. Those of us, who are informed and recall history, know how successful this body was in preventing the rise of Hitler and a tragic Second World War

It's sad to see a decorated public servant so poorly served by his aides and Party. McCain and the Republicans need to wake-up from their hypnotic 7 year trance, they need to understand that AMERICANS are FED UP being misinformed, misled and MISSPOKEN to.

Over 4,000 Americans have given their lives in a War which the country has grown tired and frustrated with. While we have had the support of a loose alliance which is unraveling, even they have begun withdrawing in spite of our pleas to the contrary. Therefore what makes the Republicans think a 'League of Democracies' would improve things? Don’t we have NATO and the United Nations???

Ohhh THAT’S RIGHT! Creating another world body which cannot come to any resolution would ensnare us in another bureaucracy that we can IGNORE and DISMISS!! Then McCain and the Republicans can blame them for all our ills and further plunge the country into an abyss of economic and political upheaval.

Since he can’t understand or speak to the issues related to the economy, someone on his staff has come-up with this convenient concept in order to distract the public and hopefully entertain the media so that no one asks him what he plans to do about gas prices!!!!

J. Ed, New Mexico (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:53 PM)

Uh, Senator McCain, we already have the UN, remember, it's that building in NYC where delegates from every country in the world meet to discuss issues. Sometimes they even resolve issues in spite of the Bush/Cheney administration.

Carol, Long Valley NJ (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:53 PM)

J. Ed, New Mexico (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 5:54 PM)

"In McCain’s first major policy address since locking up the GOP nomination this morning, his campaign did its best to make its candidate look presidential."

Is this supposed to imply that their efforts were not entirely successful? Did McCain need particular help to look Presidential?

This sentence seems oddly out of place. The next sentence is also weird...it mentions that McCain used two teleprompters. What? Why do we care? Are the two teleprompters supposed to enhance is Presidentialnessness?

WTF

Bob Random (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 6:00 PM)

The League of Democracies idea isn't new-McCain first floated that one over a year ago.

Jamie (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 6:15 PM)

PLLLLEEESE - Come on people. If you agree to represent ANY candidate by speaking publicly you are absolutely taking risks as to what the questions will be. Therefore, daughter or not, this is the process. Next time figure out the costs beforehand! We are not talking about someone running for county road commissioner, we're talking about someone running for PRESIDENT OF THE USA. If you want to blame someone, blame Bill Clinton. He's the one who chose to disrespect himself, his wife, his daughter, and the taxpayers/citizens of the USA by his actions. I would venture to say that most anyone else who used their business offices for the same behavior would be fired immediately. Why did we tolerate this lack of respect to the highest office in the land? Regardless of our response on an official level, there are always personal consequences and yesterday had to be one of his.
As far as Hillary staying with Bill, there can only be one motive, and we are seeing the payback right now. That is her running for the presidency. She is very much aware of his popularity rating and she intends to utilize it. It is sad that someone who abused the office (literally) of President would still have a high popularity rating. Go figure. It doesn't say much for our society's expectations of a leader.
I can see one benefit of yesterday's town hall event. As least we know the questions weren't staged!
Fran in Tennessee

Fran Daniels (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 6:20 PM)

How Wilsonian. Unbelievable!!! Exactly, where have you been the past century? Have you noticed that the majority of democracies are progressive "social democracies" for which you'd never get support for your Iran invasion plans?

Ian (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 6:29 PM)

Memo to (my) Democratic Party:

Wonderful! What we've all been waiting for! The opportunity for Senator McCain to start staking out the high ground with provocative, constructive ("hopeful") ideas, while our esteemed candidates continue in their increasingly pathetic, wasteful exercise in self-destruction. I, for one, am now going to start paying closer attention to Mr. McCain. I doubt very much that I am alone.

The message of Campaign '08 is that the "shock and awe", "bring it on" John Wayne mentality is spent. Senator McCain knows that, Republican primary voters know that, Democratic primary voters know that...we are all looking for "hope"...a better way...a higher ground.

What are you thinking, SuperDelegates?! Where are you Al, Nancy, Ted, Harry, Joe?...for God's sake, George? Walter? Could we please try to be inspired by a little leadership here?

David

David, Camden, Maine (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 6:41 PM)

sounds like he wants to reinvent the united nations just without all the people he doesnt like.

mike ca (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 7:19 PM)

"League of Democracies"? Senator McCain, we have something called the United Nations. Remember?...that skinny building on the east river in Manhattan? I know that Democratic nations do not only represent there, but thats where we talk to our neighbors..friend and foe alike

I am a staunch independent, but I cannot see myself voting for a Bush in McCains clothing. Its time for you to stop your war mongering and admit that this war was the wrong thing to do. You actually said recently that "the last American soldier to die in Iraq, probably hasn't been born yet". Are you kidding me? No way do you get my independent vote!!

M. Swain, St. Ann, MO (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 7:44 PM)

Is this like Superfriends or The Justice League? By definition, is this the polar opposite of Bush's Axis of Evil?

Allen Doe (Seattle, Wash) (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 7:48 PM)

Uh John...you really don't get economicas do you? It is the republican proponents of free trade who oppose those higher environmental and labor standards...not the opponents of free trade...only republicans get conned by this stuff

Rick, NC (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 7:57 PM)

who's vp didn't we seee McCain in startrek episode?

jj (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:29 PM)

finally,,he is coming to reason,,our policy of go it alone, has not worked or will it worrk, why do we need to police everything everwhere,, if were going to have a trade agrement this makes more sence that with things south of the border,,thank goodness we finally have a candiate for president

james (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:33 PM)

james robinson ninety six sc (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:34 PM)

If the EU standards are higher than ours....we should
be raising our own. I know of a situation where a
european corporation operating here is offering better
benefits and is much more employee/family oriented than
any American firm that I have ever worked for. It is a
shame that their companies treat us better than we do.

SpOkEn,somewhere,S.C. (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:34 PM)

Wow, a McCain article sounding good on Foreign policy and international trade and no one's got nothing to say? Gee whiz, can't somebody at least accuse him of videoing Obam's or Clin-Clin's playbook? Com' on y'all give the old coot some whooping - or is silence the sign of respect.

That was a funny line about who's helping whom when John & Nance were "walking". He needs stay away from such photo ops

jay caba, new rochelle, ny (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:46 PM)

League of Democracies...maybe good idea if we can all
get along and have one consolidated and postion to present
to the world.

SpOkEn,somewhere.S.C. (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 8:56 PM)

I would like to know how a decorated military man can use our troops in Iraq as cover for a fund raising visit to a stately home in England. I gather that he agreed to pay some incremental part ot the cost (2 or 3k) but I think it is unseemly for him to leverage a "fact finding" Iraq visit into a fund raising tour. I find McCain generally engaging, but this really offended me. Am I the only one? JB

JB (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 9:38 PM)

-----------------------------------------------------

A question about Hillary & Chelsea & the Bosnia “sniper” incident. ---
,
Was it good judgment for Hillary to bring her then fifteen year-old daughter, Chelsea, into a “war zone?” A place which Hillary has described as “dangerous?” It seems to me that a responsible parent would not bring their child into such a situation merely for the purpose of gaining some favorable publicity.
.
If Hillary demonstrates such poor judgment in caring for teenage daughter --- how can we trust her to answer the White House phone at 3 a.m.?
----------------------------------------------------

QUESTIONNING HILLARY'S JUDGMENT. (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 9:39 PM)

Other than bigger cars and televisions, what exactly are our values? We've so thoroughly confused material comfort with liberty that "free trade" is the only thing left to fight for.

sonia kermaz, Indiana (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 9:45 PM)

Just what we need another free trade agreement. I guess McCain is intent on keeping some jobs from coming back to America.

Billy, MI (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 10:19 PM)

Well on his way, head in a cloud,
The man with the 1000 voices is talking perfectly loud
But nobody seems to hear him,
For they think that he's just a fool
And no one will go quite near him
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
See the world spinning 'round.

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 10:48 PM)

McCain Recycles 2001 Pro-War Column For 2008 Speech
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/26/mccain-recycles-2001-pro_n_93510.html
To be sure, politicians are free and often eager to use old lines, especially those they think are persuasive. What these two, nearly identical, remarks suggest is that McCain's view of combat -- and, perhaps more importantly, its human costs -- has not really changed throughout the course of war. That is, despite five years of military operations in Iraq and more than 4,000 troop deaths, he still sees the "lives lost" and the "merciless realities" as necessary sacrifices to make.

kravitz (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 10:49 PM)

I wonder how the neo-con Republicans who hate the United Nations, hate NAFTA, and hate compromising US interests to accomodate the needs and desires of other nations (not to mention FRANCE!!) will react to the knowledge that their chosen candidate, the man they have selected to pick up the conservative mantle, John McCain, wants to start a SECOND U.N., and a seocnd NAFTA (We will have to call it WASTED- the Western Alliance Sell-out To Europe Deal). Maybe they should do what their candidate tried to do during the Kerry candidacy- become Democrats!

Ro, Dallas TX (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 10:52 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Yes, and then Juan will construct a tower 2,000 feet tall in the dessert of Arizona and all the grateful Europeans will come there and fall at his feet.

twocanpete (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 11:00 PM)

Is this League similar as the Justice League?

sozzi, mamaroneck, ny (Sent Wednesday, March 26, 2008 11:14 PM)

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