Politico: "Bernie's Foreign Policy Deficit"

[Empowerer]

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/bernie-sanders-foreign-policy-deficit-218431

Not long after President Barack Obama ordered U.S. airstrikes in Libya in 2011, his national security adviser, Tom Donilon, trekked to Capitol Hill to brief Democratic senators. After a few minutes of discussion about the military operation, Bernie Sanders took the floor.

To talk about the economy.

“Sanders delivered a meandering manifesto about Democratic messaging on the economy,” says a former Senate chief of staff. “It wasn't that his insights were wrong. It just wasn't the time or place. Everyone was thinking, ‘Here goes Bernie!’ ”
...
Sanders has yet to give a speech exclusively on foreign policy, and on Friday his campaign backed away from an earlier commitment to deliver one before the Iowa vote.
...
On Friday Sanders’ campaign sent POLITICO a list of a dozen foreign policy experts that it said he and his top Senate foreign policy aide, Caryn Compton, have consulted in the past several months . . . Five of the people cited by his campaign say they have only spoken to him once or twice. One is President Barack Obama's deputy national security advisor, Ben Rhodes, whom Sanders mentioned at the Bloomberg Politics breakfast. Rhodes told CNN that he had spoken to Sanders twice as part of "standard briefings" he gives members of Congress on issues like Iran and ISIS . . . Other foreign policy pros named by Sanders seemed similarly distant from him.

"I wish that everybody that we meet with would list me as an adviser," joked Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of liberal Israel advocacy group J Street, who says he has briefed countless members of Congress and multiple presidential candidates.

(This article was referenced in another OP, but seems to have gotten lost in the swarm of attacks on the other sources also cited in OP, so I'm posting this article on its own in a separate thread.)

[jkbRN]

1. It wasn't lost, just doesn't have a lot of relevancy--especially bc it's a blatant hit piece

[IMG][/IMG]

Many people prefer a policy that leads with peace, not war.

Get. Over. It.

[Empowerer]

4. Voters expect our leaders to walk and chew gum at the same time

Just because a particular issue is seen as the most important does not mean that it is the ONLY issue that needs to be addressed. A president must be on top of numerous different things at the same time. . .

[jkbRN]

9. He actually has,

How about you do some of your own research instead of relying on establishment media, it makes you look overtly uninformed when you post crap like this.

[DCBob]

12. That poll was done prior to the terrorist attacks in Paris and California.

I suspect Terrorism and Foreign Policy have jumped up a notch or two.

[99Forever]

2. Not lost. Flushed.

As this should be.

[NurseJackie]

3. Things like this give me NO confidence in how he'd handle foreign policy issues.

Five of the people cited by his campaign say they have only spoken to him once or twice. One is President Barack Obama's deputy national security advisor, Ben Rhodes, whom Sanders mentioned at the Bloomberg Politics breakfast. Rhodes told CNN that he had spoken to Sanders twice as part of "standard briefings" he gives members of Congress on issues like Iran and ISIS . . . Other foreign policy pros named by Sanders seemed similarly distant from him.

Having a competent slate of advisors is good, but a candidate (or president) who can draw upon their OWN knowledge and who can speak extemporaneously on a variety of issues, without notes or cue-cards, or coaching and who has a depth of understanding regarding the complex issues is what the United States needs.

Advisors should be just that... advice-givers... and individuals to be "devil's advocates" in helping the president to polish and hone their policies. Their main duties of presidential advisors shouldn't be to serve as "teachers" or "trainers" (so to speak). In the middle of an international crisis really isn't the best time for OJT or bringing someone up-to-speed.

In fairness, Bernie would be far better than the Cliff Notes presidency of GWB whose "Foreign Policy for Dummies" book was left to collect dust on the Oval Office bookcase. But, Hillary has demonstrated time and time again that she possesses SO MUCH MORE knowledge and experience in comparison to his thin resume on such matters.

At this point, his only claim-to-fame with regard to such matters is that he voted the right way on the IWR. Good for him. --- But that's not enough to persuade me that he's got what it takes to handle the day-to-day and nonstop issues that the POTUS will have to deal with.

Hillary is light years ahead of him in such things.

[jkbRN]

10. Well, you are following the advice of politico,

and therefore, you should be scared--establishment talking points that aren't rooted in facts.

[angrychair]

14. No president is prepared

To be president.
Would HRC have better insights than some, sure. Even with all her "experience" she has made serious foreign policy mistakes
Iraq
Libya
Currently wants a no-fly zone in Syria (like most teapublicans. The president and the joint chiefs of staff think this could cause war with Russia)

Lastly, she counted a war criminal like Kissinger as an un-official foreign policy advisor and was known to have conversations with Bush as well. Both people she counts as friends and associates with away from the public eye. Mass murdering war criminals. Excellent.

[R B Garr]

19. Excellent post, NurseJ.

Totally agree.

[NurseJackie]

21. :-)

Thanks!

[Broward]

5. Hillary Clinton played politics with war.

That alone, puts Bernie miles ahead.

[tokenlib]

6. The military industrial complex likes us to be afraid...

I'm not afraid of Bernie on foreign policy. The neocons and Hillary's "experience" scare the heck out of me..

[Empowerer]

7. I suspect that the Military Industrial complex is delighted by your fear, as well

Since it's in their interest to get a Republican in the White House and the more they can undercut Hillary Clinton AND Bernie Sanders, the better their chances.

You're playing right into their hands.

[tammywammy]

8. I don't understand why his campaign would list people who aren't advisors as advisors

This doesn't boost confidence.

When asked whether Sanders has a full-time campaign staffer who handles foreign policy issues, his campaign did not respond. And several people whom the Sanders campaign has cited as sources of national security advice tell POLITICO they barely know the socialist firebrand.

“Apparently I had a conversation with him last August,” said Tamara Cofman Wittes, a Brookings Institution Middle East scholar, after checking her calendar upon hearing that her name was on a list of people the Sanders campaign said he had consulted in recent months. “My vague recollection is that it was about [the Islamic State] but I don't really remember any of the details.” Wittes added that she backs Clinton.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/bernie-sanders-foreign-policy-deficit-218431#ixzz3yqZsUf3p

[Empowerer]

11. That was just dumb

But maybe they thought it would be enough to get by when he wasn't getting as much attention. However, one of the downsides to being a real player in the primaries, rather than just being seen as a protest candidate with no real prospects, is that the media and others start to really pay attention to everything you and your campaign say and do. And you can't get away with this kind of thing anymore once that tide shifts.

They need to tighten up their game.

[jillan]

13. I watched that interview. This is a damn lie! Bernie mentioned one person and that was NOT

Cofman.

He said who he turns to for advice is Lawrence Korb.

Lawrence Korb Tamara Cofman - oh yeah - I can completely understand why anyone would get them confused

[tammywammy]

15. I don't know what interview you're referring to

The list being referred to is the one the Sanders campaign sent to Politico.

On Friday Sanders’ campaign sent POLITICO a list of a dozen foreign policy experts that it said he and his top Senate foreign policy aide, Caryn Compton, have consulted in the past several months.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2016/01/bernie-sanders-foreign-policy-deficit-218431#ixzz3yqe625Z3

[NurseJackie]

18. Somewhere there's a frustrated campaign staffer who may have said ...

"Fuck it! How much worse can it get? What have we got to lose?"

I agree with you... it doesn't make much sense why someone would do something like this that's so easily fact-checked and readily disproved.

“My vague recollection is that it was about but I don't really remember any of the details.” Wittes added that she backs Clinton.

Now that's just embarrassing.

[senz]

16. On this topic, Bernie shows far better judgment than Hillary.

Starting with her Iraq war vote which was a massive fail with terrible consequences. Hillary messed up Libya, bucked Obama's Iran resolution, wants a Syria no-zone, talks war before it's necessary.

Bernie was right on Iraq and is right that we should support friendly middle eastern nations to defend their own interests without going to war ourselves.

[ChisolmTrailDem]

17. Are there any other presidents that had little or no foreign policy experience? Hillary VOTED WITH

NEOCONS!!!

How much bad judgement is enough??

[AtomicKitten]

20. Hillary's good judgment deficit.

Last edited Sun Jan 31, 2016, 04:48 PM - Edit history (1)