June 11, 2008

Pivot Point: Afternoon Keynote by Senator Lindsey Graham

Senator Lindsey Graham gave the afternoon keynote speech at the Center for a New American Security’s Pivot Point event.  Senator Graham’s remarks focused on the security challenges the next president will inherit and the opportunity that America will have to lead the world in the years ahead.  

The presidential election every four years offers America a new chance with the world, an opportunity we must seize.  Senator Graham gave a positive assessment of the recent developments in Iraq, arguing that Iran and Al Qaeda have been the two biggest losers of the surge.  The next president must follow through on recent success and convince the world that Iraq is not an American problem but the entire world’s problem.  To succeed in the future, the next president must fight for the moral high ground and empower moderates around the world.  Senator Graham suggested that global leadership must start at home with the recognition that we make mistakes but that America will succeed because it fights for the rule of law.  Senator Graham concluded his remarks by noting that although America’s challenges are daunting, America has on its side the greatest force of all, our value system.

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