White House adviser: Obama best for national security

A speaker in the Barco Law Building last night asked the question: ‘Which candidate is better… A speaker in the Barco Law Building last night asked the question: ‘Which candidate is better for national security?’ But there was certainly no doubt in the speaker’s mind. Richard A. Clarke, a former senior White House adviser and coordinator for security and counterterrorism, is a staunch Obama supporter. ‘Whatever you might think about national security, I’d like to ask you to rethink it,’ said Clarke in his speech, which was part of the Matthew B. Ridgway Speaker Series. Clarke said many Americans are skeptical of Obama’s lack of experience in dealing with national security but that that’s not the deciding factor for him. ‘I’m not looking for the best resume, but for the best judgment,’ he said. Clarke said that if a resume were the most significant factor in rating a politician on national security, then vice president Dick Cheney would be considered an expert. He also said a ‘myth’ that John McCain is knowledgeable about national security ‘has penetrated [the] national psyche.’ Clarke said that he thinks McCain has made poor decisions regarding national security since Sept. 11, 2001, when he immediately supported the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq. In contrast, Obama, who was an Illinois state legislator at the time, opposed the war, knowing that it could reduce his chances of becoming state senator, said Clarke. Clarke continued to support Obama. He said that the Democratic candidate realizes the need to bring more American troops into Afghanistan to combat al-Qaeda. McCain, on the other hand, said that Americans will ‘muddle through’ our issues in Afghanistan without providing a specific plan of action, according to Clarke. Clarke said he believes that Obama pays particular attention to the threat that Osama bin Laden poses to America’s security. Obama plans to go after bin Laden if he ends up in Pakistan and Pakistanis won’t or can’t hunt him down themselves, said Clarke. However, Clarke said McCain called Obama’s plan an ‘amateur move’ and said that Pakistanis need to assert their independence without American troops intervening. The last ‘myth’ that Clarke debunked was that Obama doesn’t care about or like the military. ‘The myth that McCain is an expert on national security and cares about the military is just that ‘mdash; it’s a myth,’ said Clarke.