Gov. Mitt Romney has issued a statement in response to Obama’s claim that Hugo Chavez is not a “serious” national security threat to the US: such a claim necessarily overlooks Chavez’s support of tyrants the world over, including Iran, and Chavez’s avowed hatred of Israel.
Said Romney: “This is a stunning and shocking comment by [President Obama]. It is disturbing to see him downplaying the threat posed to U.S. interests by a regime that openly wishes us ill.” He then enumerated some of the things Chavez has done, like “providing safe haven to drug kingpins, encouraging regional terrorist organizations that threaten our allies like Colombia, …and allowing a Hezbollah presence within his country’s borders,” among other things.
At the close of his statement, Romney hit a Reagan-like stride: “President Obama’s comments continue a pattern of weakness in his foreign policy, and that has emboldened adversaries and diminished U.S. influence in every region of the world. As president, I will speak clearly and resolutely on the challenges we face so that both our allies and our adversaries know where we stand.”
In other words, no more “mother may I” approach to foreign policy and no more cold shoulder toward Israel.