McCain to reform foreign policy

ST. PAUL, Minn. | The McCain campaign on Wednesday promised a “shake-up” of U.S. foreign policy that would bolster agencies such as the State Department and USAID, saying that the Republican candidate will “reform” and “rebuild” American diplomacy.

But in a surprise move that hinted at a large foreign policy role in a McCain administration, the message was delivered by the man who was the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential nominee in 2000, Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Mr. Lieberman appeared on a midday panel in the place of John McCain’s chief foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, and spoke authoritatively on what a McCain presidency would look like.

“John’s a reformer,” said Mr. Lieberman, Connecticut independent. “One of the things I don’t think people think of John as a reformer on, but it will happen, he’s going to take a very fresh look at our foreign and defense institutions. I think you can expect a shake-up here.”

“The net result of it is that the State Department and USAID and the public diplomacy part of our government will get a lot more centrality and a lot more support in a McCain administration.”

Though he did not criticize President Bush by name, the comments were a clear repudiation of the president’s conduct in foreign affairs over the past eight years.

One of the McCain campaign’s priorities is to separate itself from Mr. Bush. He is one of the more unpopular presidents in modern history in part because he is perceived as isolating America with a unilateral approach in his first term.

The White House declined to comment.

Mr. Lieberman studiously avoided any mention of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Mr. McCain’s running mate, and her lack of foreign policy credentials, on the day that those at the Republican convention could not think of anyone else.

The conversation about Mrs. Palin’s grip on global affairs took place at a press conference held by senior female Republican leaders, who angrily denounced Democrats and the press for what they perceived as a sexist bias against Mrs. Palin.

Senior McCain adviser Carly Fiorina said she found questions about Mrs. Palin’s qualifications “stunning,” and defended the idea, expressed by other McCain surrogates, that Mrs. Palin would learn from Mr. McCain and rely in the meantime on his advisers.

Mrs. Fiorina, the former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, said that Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama is “clearly … a person who has relied heavily on his campaign staff to advise him on foreign policy matters,” ridiculing the idea that “somehow it’s all so different for Sarah Palin.”

Former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift said that Mrs. Palin’s “toughness” as governor in challenging special interests and oil companies would transfer into her diplomatic approach.

Mr. Lieberman spoke hours after delivering a speech on Tuesday night in support of Mr. McCain that angered several Democratic leaders because of its attacks on Mr. Obama, who he said “has not reached across party lines to accomplish anything significant.”

Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs called Mr. Lieberman’s speech “pathetic,” accused him of telling “lies,” and said the senator “ought to be ashamed of himself.”

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