We the undersigned, members of the Republican national security community, represent a broad spectrum of
REPUBLICAN HYPOCRISY: As I write this post, Mitt Romney is on TV damning Trump while praising Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and (sadly) Ohio Gov. John Kasich.
Romney is joining other GOP refugees in a retreat from Rubio’s a failed campaign marked by childish attacks on the size of Trump’s penis.
Instead Romney will now use his podium to smear campaign mud … criticizing Trump for tax returns. Ku Klux Klan endorsements. Romney “feels like he can make a difference, and he fears for the country, and he can’t stand Trump.” Someone needs to tell Mitt, McConnell, McCain, this list of GOP wise men, and their donors that they created Trump.
opinion on America’s role in the world and what is necessary to keep us safe and prosperous. We have disagreed with one another on many issues, including the Iraq war and intervention in Syria. But we are united in our opposition to a Donald Trump presidency. Recognizing as we do, the conditions in American politics that have contributed to his popularity, we nonetheless are obligated to state our core objections clearly:
His vision of American influence and power in the world is wildly inconsistent and unmoored in principle. He swings from isolationism to military adventurism within the space of one sentence.
His advocacy for aggressively waging trade wars is a recipe for economic disaster in a globally connected world.
His embrace of the expansive use of torture is inexcusable.
His hateful, anti-Muslim rhetoric undercuts the seriousness of combatting Islamic radicalism by alienating
Email from John Bolton <[email protected]> …. I’m backstage at CPAC about to speak on the main stage. I wanted to send you a brief note. Hillary swept Super Tuesday states and is now the de facto nominee of the Democratic party. If that doesn’t frighten you, I don’t know what will. I’m doing everything I can to stop Hillary but I’m counting on grassroots donors to help. To make a contribution visit: boltonpac.com/urgent-donate. Ok, time to give my speech. Thanks – John Sent from John Bolton’s iPhone
partners in the Islamic world making significant contributions to the effort. Furthermore, it endangers the safety and Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of American Muslims.
Controlling our border and preventing illegal immigration is a serious issue, but his insistence that Mexico will fund a wall on the southern border inflames unhelpful passions, and rests on an utter misreading of, and contempt for, our southern neighbor.
Similarly, his insistence that close allies such as Japan must pay vast sums for protection is the sentiment of a racketeer, not the leader of the alliances that have served us so well since World War II.
His admiration for foreign dictators such as Vladimir Putin is unacceptable for the leader of the world’s greatest democracy.
Koch Brothers Will Not Use Their $400 Million Political Arsenal To Block Trump “We have no plans to get involved in the primary,” said James Davis, spokesman for Freedom Partners, the Koch brothers’ political umbrella group.
He is fundamentally dishonest. Evidence of this includes his attempts to deny positions he has unquestionably taken in the past, including on the 2003 Iraq war and the 2011 Libyan conflict. We accept that views evolve over time, but this is simply misrepresentation.
His equation of business acumen with foreign policy experience is false. Not all lethal conflicts can be resolved as a real estate deal might, and there is no recourse to bankruptcy court in international affairs.
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) dodged a series of questions about Mitt Romney’s expected attack on Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump, saying, however, that “everything is fair game” until a nominee is chosen. “I’m gonna keep my powder dry. I am the Speaker of the House, therefore I’m neutral in this race. I’m the chair of the convention,” “I can only hope and assume that our nominee will want to enact our bold, conservative agenda that we’re going to be offering,” Ryan said.
Mr. Trump’s own statements lead us to conclude that as president, he would use the authority of his office to act in ways that make America less safe, and which would diminish our standing in the world. Furthermore, his expansive view of how presidential power should be wielded against his detractors poses a distinct threat to civil liberty in the United States. Therefore, as committed and loyal Republicans, we are unable to support a Party ticket with Mr. Trump at its head. We commit ourselves to working energetically to prevent the election of someone so utterly unfitted to the office.
David Adesnik
Michael Auslin
Robert D. Blackwill
Daniel A. Blumenthal
Max Boot
Michael Chertoff
Patrick Chovanec
Eliot A. Cohen
Carrie Cordero
Michael Coulter
Patrick M. Cronin
Seth Cropsey
Tom Donnelly
Daniel Drezner
Colin Dueck
Eric Edelman
Joseph Esposito
Richard A. Falkenrath
Peter D. Feaver
Niall Ferguson
Aaron Friedberg
Jeffrey Gedmin
Reuel Marc Gerecht
Christopher J. Griffin
Mary R. Habeck
Paul Haenle
Rebeccah Heinrichs
William C. Inboden
Jamil N. Jaffer
Robert G. Joseph
Kate Kidder
Robert Kagan
David Kramer
Matthew Kroenig
Frank Lavin
Philip I. Levy
Philip Lohaus
Mary Beth Long
Peter Mansoor
Matthew McCabe
Bryan McGrath
Paul D. Miller
Charles Morrison
Lester Munson
Andrew S. Natsios
Michael Noonan
John Noonan
Roger F. Noriega
Robert T. Osterhaler
Everett Pyatt
Martha T. Rainville
Stephen Rodriguez
Michael Rubin
Daniel F. Runde
Benjamin Runkle
Richard L. Russell
Kori Schake
Randy Scheunemann
Gary J. Schmitt
Kalev I. Sepp
Vance Serchuk
David R. Shedd
Kristen Silverberg
Michael Singh
Ray Takeyh
William H. Tobey
Frances F. Townsend
Jan Van Tol
Daniel Vajdich
Albert Wolf
Julie Wood
Dov S. Zakheim
Roger Zakheim
Philip Zelikow
Robert B. Zoellick
I do not give credence to anything said or done by the GOP. They are a bunch of clowns not unlike the Bush gang that won in 2000. I unsuccessfully urged the people to vote against them even though I admit that Gore and Kerry were weak alternatives. Democrats just don’t know how to take advantage of a favorable situation. I fear that they are going to make the same mistake and nominate Hillary.
Can Trump be worse than Bush? Your guess is as good as mine, but why take that chance. It is time for Democrats to elect a candidate a who will beat any of the clowns the the GOP can put up. It is time to #FeelTheBern.
Bernie isa not going to be the canidate BUT his campaign oculd be the lynchpin of a powerful reformation of the Dems.
On all policy matter she and HRC agree. What is needed is a mix of his drive and her skills.
FACEBOO Comment on Romney’s speech I couldn’t give a damn what the establishment thinks. I’ve been unfairly audited, had my bank accounts wiped out by the government and taxed out of any chance of prosperity while I led the landscape industry in organic methodology and commerce. I’ve been voting conservatively my whole life only to be betrayed time after time. At this point I really don’t give a damn who is the President. Jesus is my King and they can all eat worms.
Unfortunately Candidates are not like a cafeteria where you can pick the attributes you want. I do not agree with you that Bernie will not be the candidate, but I sure appreciate your comment about a badly needed complete reformation of the Democratic Party. I believe that change will be closely tied to the move to reform the money in politics. We will have trouble bringing about the need change while the political bosses have their pockets bulging with money from the wealthy.
Take a look at US Foreign policy — both under Democrat and Republican administrations — and any intelligent person might remark “what value have all these foreiogn policy advisors from universities and think tanks been? Realistically, US Foreign policy has been more in the interests of Europe and European powers and interests than in the interests of the USA or consistent with US values. 409 years ago, a British Ambassador remarked in my presence (to a group, not only me) that there is no US Foreign policy and there has not been really since Wilson. That US Foreign policy came from Whitehall and Paris and Berlin.
I disagree. “and any intelligent person might remark “what value have all these foreiogn policy advisors from universities and think tanks been?” The academic world does provide an intellectual basis, but it is the policians who set policy.
What e lack is the European tradition of a shadow government.