FactCheck: on Foreign Policy

Barack Obama: FactCheck: Campaign prevented committee meetings, not rules

FACT CHECK: An Obama adviser acknowledged in March that Obama’s presidential candidacy prevented him from calling hearings, saying to ABC News: “The record is what it is. He didn’t become chairman of that subcommittee until January of 2007. The fact is that he made his announcement for president of the US in February of 2007. So, he had other things on his mind.”

Barack Obama: FactCheck: Kissinger opposes presidential meetings with Iran

So who’s right? Kissinger did in fact say a few days earlier at a forum of former secretaries of state that he favors very high-level talks with Iran--without conditions. On Sept. 20 Kissinger said, “I actually have preferred doing it at the secretary of state level... I do not believe that we can make conditions for the opening of negotiations.”

After the McCain-Obama debate, however, Kissinger issued a statement saying he doesn’t favor a presidential meeting, saying, “I would not recommend the next President engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level. My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain.”

Hillary Clinton: FactCheck: Accomplished but exaggerated foreign experience

1. Clinton claims she "negotiate open borders" in Macedonia to fleeing Kosovar refugees. But the Macedonian border opened before she arrived.
2. Clinton's activities "helped bring peace to Northern Ireland." Irish officials disagree on her contribution, but agree that she wasn't directl involved in any actual negotiations.
3. Clinton has repeatedly referenced her "dangerous" trip to Bosnia, but fails to mention that the Bosnian war had officially ended 3 months before her visit.
4. Hillary claims she privately championed the use of US troops to stop the genocide in Rwanda. That conversation with Bill Clinton left no public record, & US policy was explicitly to stay out of Rwanda.
5. Clinton's tough speech on human rights delivered to a Beijing audience is as advertised.

Joe Biden: FactCheck: McCain did not refuse to sit down with Spain

In a Sept. 17 interview, McCain appeared confused when asked whether he would meet with Pres. Zapatero of Spain. He responded that "I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are our friends and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion," but then started talking about leaders in Latin America. He did not commit to meeting with Zapatero, but it wasn't clear he'd understood the question.

But the McCain campaign denied that their candidate was confused, responding by email, "Senator McCain knew exactly to whom the question referred. Senator McCain refused to commit to a White House meeting with Pres. Zapatero in this interview." That's not a refusal to meet with Zapatero, as Biden said. It's simply a refusal to commit himself one way or the other.

John McCain: FactCheck: Obama sought restraint in Georgia; so did Bush

It's true, as McCain said, that during the conflict between Georgia and Russia, Obama said, "Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war" in his first statement on the conflict. But so did the White House. Press secretary Dana Perino said on Aug. 8, "We urge restraint on all sides--that violence would be curtailed and that direct dialogue could ensue in order to help resolve their differences." We pointed this out when New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani mischaracterized Obama's response to the crisis during the GOP convention.