Speech at 2008 CPAC conference: on War & Peace


Dick Cheney: Our new strategy in Iraq has succeeded by careful planning

It’s been a year since Pres. Bush’s new counterinsurgency strategy, backed up by a surge in American forces, to secure that country and to set the conditions for political reconciliation. Now we can see the effects: The new strategy is succeeding, the surge is working, the forces of freedom are winning. Our new strategy in Iraq has succeeded by careful planning, and by close attention to changing conditions on the battlefield. The same will be true of any drawdown of troops.
Source: Speeches to 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference Feb 7, 2008

John McCain: Costs will be far greater should we fail in Iraq

I intend to win the war, and trust in the proven judgment of our commanders there and the courage and selflessness of the Americans they have the honor to command. I share the grief over the terrible losses in its prosecution. There is no other candidate for this office who appreciates more than I do just how awful war is. But the costs in lives and treasure we would incur should we fail in Iraq will be far greater than the heartbreaking losses we have suffered to date. I will not allow that to happen.
Source: Speeches to 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference Feb 7, 2008

Mike Huckabee: Islamofascism must disappear from the face of the earth

It is right for us to be on the offense against Islamofascism, and not wait until they attack us on our soil. Unlike any war we have ever fought in this nation, this is not a war for soil. It is a war for our soul. We will either win it or we will lose it. This nation must rally to the point where we recognize there is no compromise. There is no alternative. We must win; they must lose. Islamofascism must disappear from the face of the earth, or we will.
Source: Speeches to 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference Feb 7, 2008

Mitt Romney: To Jihadists, democracy is blasphemous since people make law

Let’s consider the greatest challenge facing America--and facing the entire civilized world: the threat of violent, radical Jihad. In one wing of the world of Islam, there is a conviction that all governments should be destroyed and replaced by a religious caliphate. These Jihadists will battle any form of democracy. To them, democracy is blasphemous for it says that citizens, not God shape the law. They find the idea of human equality to be offensive. They hate everything we believe about freedom just as we hate everything they believe about radical Jihad.

Barack and Hillary have made their intentions clear regarding Iraq and the war on terror. They would retreat and declare defeat. And the consequence of that would be devastating. It would mean attacks on America, launched from safe havens that make Afghanistan under the Taliban look like child’s play. About this, I have no doubt.

Source: Speeches to 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference Feb 7, 2008

Ron Paul: Voted for going after Al Qaeda, not invading Iraq

We are not threatened by a military operation. They’re incapable--we have more weapons--we probably have twice as many weapons as all the other countries put together. Nobody’s going to invade us. We are not weak, and we shouldn’t act like we are weak. But here we are, we are frightened by what might happen, and of course we have to deal with the issue of terrorism. When the terrorist attack occurred, I voted for the authority and the funding to go after the Al Qaeda. But bin Laden, who used to be our ally, is still free. We chased him over into Pakistan; we dropped the ball at Tora Bora... So what did we do?--we taxed the American people, or we borrowed the money from China, took another ten billion dollars, and hired a military dictatorship by the name of Musharraf to go after bin Laden, which he did not do, and now we still have a mess. We won in the year 2000 by campaigning for a humble foreign policy: no policing of the world, no intervening! And now we are doing the very same thing.
Source: Speeches to 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference Feb 7, 2008

Ron Paul: Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11; Al Qaeda was not in Iraq

Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11. There were no WMDs, no Al Qaeda there. It is the policy of intervention that I object to so strongly. One time they’re our friends, the next time they’re our enemy. Bin Laden was a freedom fighter when we gave him weapon and equipment to fight the Russians and the Soviets. Saddam Hussein, we propped him up & got him into power & he was our friend & we encouraged him to invade Iran. But it’s this on-again-off-again stuff that continues to haunt us and keep coming back. But you know what? The truth of the matter is that bin Laden likes our foreign policy. He likes our foreign policy because it’s a tremendous incentive for him to raise, his group of Al Qaeda to join. He says: We are going to do to the US, exactly what you and us, together, did to the Soviets. We are going to drain you; we are going to humiliate you. Therefore we don’t even need to come over here. We have fallen into the trap; we have victimized ourselves; we have encouraged him.
Source: Speeches to 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference Feb 7, 2008

  • The above quotations are from Speeches to Conservative Political Action 2008 Conference.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on War & Peace.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Mitt Romney on War & Peace.
  • Click here for more quotes by John McCain on War & Peace.
2016 Presidential contenders on War & Peace:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Dec 01, 2018