Chuck Grassley: “I come to the floor to discuss the differences between Democrat foreign policy and Republican foreign policy. There…”

“I come to the floor to discuss the differences between Democrat foreign policy and Republican foreign policy. There seems to be a pattern where if a Republican President is elected, partisan pundits warn that it will be very bad for our international relations. Now, by contrast, when a Democrat President takes over from a Republican, the same partisan pundits often promise smooth overall international relations. These same left-leaning pundits then breathe a sigh of relief that our alliances will be shored up and everything will be miraculously harmonious, but if you look at the record, it often doesn't work out that way. President Carter presided over a string of foreign policy disasters, leaving the United States looking weak and humiliated. Ronald Reagan was portrayed as a dangerous cowboy who might start a nuclear war. On the contrary, Reagan's calculated efforts to push back against Soviet communism resulted in fewer nuclear arms and freed millions of people from repressive regimes. In 2009, the new Vice President, Joe Biden, went to Munich to deliver the Obama administration's first major foreign policy address. That address was hailed by some in the media as announcing a more cooperative approach with European countries. Biden's promise to defer more to other countries rather than setting the agenda was a foreshadowing of President Obama's infamous ``leading from behind'' policy, which turned out to be a disastrous policy.…”