Bob Dole: “until last week I was prepared to reluctantly support the President's nominee for Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe…”

“until last week I was prepared to reluctantly support the President's nominee for Deputy Secretary of State, Strobe Talbott, but with serious reservations. However, I have decided that a strong signal needs to be sent with all the widespread speculation about where he may go from here. And maybe it is time to say enough promotions for Strobe Talbott. There is no doubt that Strobe Talbott has an impressive background. He is well-educated, well-traveled, and has had a prolific career as a journalist. However, my concerns rest with Mr. Talbott's perspective on U.S. foreign policy matters, specifically his judgment on how best to promote U.S. interests. In light of the widespread speculation that he may move up to Secretary of State someday soon, it is well to point out that during the cold war Mr. Talbott was critical of tough-minded policies toward the Soviet Union. He argued that a hardnosed approach would be ineffective and counterproductive. Yet, now that the cold war is over, we learn from top Soviet military leadership that the strong U.S. defense posture, including programs like the Strategic Defense Initiative, initiated during the Reagan administration, had a significant impact on the demise of the Soviet Union.”