By Lahle Wolfe

Lacking experience is not a desirable trait in any president, but neither is hypocrisy and unpredictability. McCain’s public positions, on many issues of foreign policy, directly conflict with his voting record and previous statements. Does McCain really mean what he says this time? Let's look at some examples of things that voters should consider.

“And we need to increase funding for our own non-proliferation efforts…” John McCain, Press Release, May 27, 2008.

John McCain helped to block the ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1999, which became the first U.S. security-related treaty to go down to defeat in 80 years. Even after many U.S. allies have ratified the Treaty, including Britain, Germany, and France; he still will not support it.

McCain now also claims to be against the “bunker buster,” a project Congress blocked funding to three years ago, but at that time McCain showed open support of President Bush and voted to fund this new nuclear weapon. It is hard to believe that he really has taken a 100% about face on the bunker-buster issue, when you consider his obvious contempt for Russia.

“In close consultation with our allies, I would also like to explore ways we and Russia can reduce – and hopefully eliminate – deployments of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe.” John McCain, Press Release, May 27, 2008.

Yet, McCain's suggested reorganization of the G-8 is not only unimpressive, it is downright scary, from a nuclear arms point of view. In October 2007, McCain said he would not only like to expel Russia, but also create a rival body to the U.N. – and exclude Russia from that as well.

“While I have welcomed U.S. offers to work with Russia on this system and share in its benefits, I was disappointed in Russia's reaction to the announcement.” McCain Statement from his website on U.S.-Poland Missile Defense Pact, August 18, 2008.

However, in another statement just a little over two months ago, his position was not so accommodating: “The first thing I would do is make sure that we have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia [sic] and Poland, and I don't care what his [Vladimir Putin's] objections are to it."

I will not condone Russia’s forces in Georgian territory. But I will also not put too much stock in McCain’s ability to improve the situation as president given his “bull-in-a-china-shop” approach to politics and because his actions simply do not reconcile with his promotional rhetoric.

Will a McCain President be more consistent with how he has behaved in the past? Or with the talk we are now hearing? At the present, I have yet to see anything in his recent show of colors that has me thinking they are truly in the best interest of the three most important colors: red, white, and blue.

This week's previous posts (most recent first): Georgia, Looking Abroad.