In an interview with NPR’s Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep, President Obama took a jab at Scott Walker’s lack of foreign policy experience, by noting that Governor Walker needs to “bone up on foreign policy”. Walker has publicly stated that if he becomes President, his priority on day one, would be to reverse the multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran that President Obama was a party to.
When Inskeep questioned Obama about Walker’s statement, the President responded by questioning the Wisconsin Governor’s judgement. Obama stated:
I am confident that any president who gets elected will be knowledgeable enough about foreign policy and knowledgeable enough about the traditions and precedents of presidential power that they won’t start calling to question the capacity of the executive branch of the United States to enter into agreements with other countries. If that starts being questioned, that’s going to be a problem for our friends and that’s going to embolden our enemies.
And it would be a foolish approach to take, and, you know, perhaps Mr. Walker, after he’s taken some time to bone up on foreign policy, will feel the same way.
On Tuesday morning. Governor Walker’s campaign responded to President Obama’s remarks, with the following statement:
President Obama’s failed leadership has put him at odds with many across the country, including members of his own party, and key allies around the world. Americans would be better served by a president who spent more time working with governors and members of Congress rather than attacking them. Whether it is cutting a bad deal with Iran, calling ISIS the JV squad, or touting Yemen as a success story, Obama’s lack of leadership has hurt America’s safety and standing in the world.
The mainstream media will probably focus on the brewing feud between the White House and the Walker campaign. However, it is important to note that Walker’s lack of a substantive foreign policy strategy underscores the conflict between the two camps. Like many of the other Republican presidential candidates, Governor Walker simply knows that he is against whatever the President does. Yet, on foreign policy matters, Walker has never thoughtfully articulated what he stands for.
For that reason, President Obama has a valid point. Before Scott Walker criticizes the Iran deal, he should bone up on foreign policy at least enough to propose a viable alternative policy. If Governor Walker is unable to do that, it will become clear that he is not a serious presidential candidate. Instead, he will come across as merely being another partisan hack who criticizes the President to score political points, but then offers no constructive alternative of his own.
Image via Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
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