I was sad to miss this event put on by the Center for Global Engagement in Washington, DC last week.
The event featured General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.) and Admiral Leighton W. Smith, Jr., USN (Ret.) fresh from testifying at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill. According to the Center, the General and the Admiral “issued a call to action to the remaining presidential candidates to elevate support for the use of "smart power." Issued on behalf of over 50 retired senior military officers (page 2), this is the largest endorsement from the military community that non-military tools strengthen America's national security.”
Brian Vogt, a senior advisor at the Partnership for a Secure America, authored an interesting blog post about the event, tying in comments from each of the three US presidential candidates on funding (or lack thereof) of the State Department.
PS: The Center for Global Engagement's website includes handy profiles for each of the three candidates summarizing their positions on key foreign policy issues. Click here to read Clinton's, here for Obama's and here for McCain's.
