Miliband's gift to McCain
James Forsyth 5:22pm
John McCain and Barack Obama have been involved in a fierce back and forth about Obama’s willingness to meet with the Iranian leadership without preconditions. McCain claims that Obama’s willingness to do this shows that he does not have the judgement or the experience to be commander in chief, while Obama argues that McCain’s refusal to sit down with America’s enemies proves that McCain comes from the George W. Bush school of diplomacy.
David Miliband has now waded into this debate. The Times reports that when Miliband met with Obama’s foreign policy team he queried the wisdom of Obama’s proposed approach.
This is fantastic news for the McCain campaign who will be delighted that this news has leaked out. They can now argue that Obama’s idea would so embolden the Iranians and alienate America’s allies that the British Foreign Secretary has had to fly across the Atlantic to warn him off it. It will hugely help them in their efforts to portray Obama as outside the mainstream on this question. If it is not just Bush but the British too who won’t negotiate with the Iranians without preconditions it changes the whole appearance of Obama’s stance. Rather than looking like a refreshing change from Bush, it appears dangerously naive.
Miliband is right on the substance. But his people are playing a dangerous game with this leak. If the McCain campaign repeatedly batters Obama with this point, but the Senator from Illinois still wins in November there could be a certain coldness in relations between the Obama administration and the British government.
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Comments
Max Kaye
May 24th, 2008 6:30pmBut will Millipede still be Foreign Secretary come November?
Henry
May 24th, 2008 7:43pmIt's what happens when you send a boy to do a man's job.
Water
May 24th, 2008 9:55pmThen you have to wonder about the so called men and whether their up to the job either. The gamble is a bit strong and a risk as regards future foreign relations with America. But then again the flippancy as regards the decision (if it comes back to haunt the labour party) will only further act to their detriment come the next GE.
Austin Barry
May 24th, 2008 11:08pmLook, much as I hate to support any Nu Labour position, particularly that of the gurning Milipede, they are right on this one. It's not a great stretch to see Iranian moves behind the alleged bomb attack in Arcadian Exeter. Unhappily, the forthcoming attack on Iran by the US and Israel is wholly warranted. We are witnesses to history.
Bexleyite
May 24th, 2008 11:48pmWhat does Milliband count for in the US? Do they know who he is? Do they even care? Do we care? Goes anybody care? Except maybe his mother.
Rene C. Moya
May 25th, 2008 3:03amCome again, Austin? Exeter bombing the work of Iran? Talk about a stretch!
Yes, people in America may care for Miliband's opinion: not because of him personally, but because he does speak for the UK in foreign affairs. (Bloggers on the right are just as personality-obsessed as those on the left; go to the substance of what he said, cut the ad hominem crap.)
Obama needs to clarify his position; I think he's striking in the right direction, but just too clumsily. Miliband's 'query' could focus minds...
Water
May 25th, 2008 6:52am"Do we care? Goes anybody care? Except maybe his mother." umm yes we do care?!
nic careem
May 25th, 2008 12:17pmI wholeheartedly agree with Barak Obama on this. The great Winston Churchil once said Jaw,Jaw, Jaw is better than War, War, War. And it was the great Israeli General Mosho Dayan who said: "If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies" I am sick and tired of always living on the edge. The world has so many issues it needs to resolve including climate change and extreme poverty. I think what makes David Cameron and Barak Obama such a breadth of fresh air is their ability understand our world is too precious for all of us to be living in constant fear of each other.
Ian C
May 25th, 2008 12:56pmThe boy did good on this occasion. The USA will pay attention that it's main ally's Foreign Secretary is publicly against a proposed course of action that one of their presidential candidates opposes and another supports.
Where else are those who are torn between the two candidates to get an independent steer of who is right on one of the important fundamental differences between them?