Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney issued a sweeping indictment of President Barack Obama's conduct of foreign policy, including a charge that the White House sought political gain by leaking classified details of the military raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The stunningly sharp attack on Obama, issued Tuesday in a Reno, Nevada, speech to the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, sets up Romney's journey this week to Britain, Israel and Poland, key American allies.
Romney is seeking to boost his foreign policy credentials. A lack of specific proposals has exposed him to a flurry of criticism from Obama and his surrogates. Just over three months from Election Day, the president's team has dug in on its efforts to cast the Republican as a national security lightweight while trying to capitalise on Obama's strength on such issues.
Romney's campaign has swatted away that criticism, but it's also shown few signs that the presumptive Republican nominee will offer more specific areas of contrast with Obama when he meets with world leaders overseas. Instead, Romney has continued with broad jabs casting Obama as a timid leader who has stood by as Washington lost global supremacy and leadership of the free world. "If you do not want America to be the strongest nation on earth, I am not your president. You have that president today," the former Massachusetts governor told the appreciative audience of veterans.
In a close race that has so far focused almost entirely on the sluggish economy, Romney also criticised Obama over potential cuts in the defence budget and critiqued his handling of Iran's nuclear threat, the violence in Syria and relations with Israel during an appearance at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention.
Following Romneù's speech Tuesday, Vice President Joe Biden said the Republican candidate "reflexively criticises the president's policies without offering any alternatives." The most serious charge among Romney's many allegations against Obama was the accusation of leaking secrets for political gains. Romney demanded that a special independent counsel be assigned to investigate to ensure that those involved are "exposed, dismissed and punished. The time for stonewalling is over."
Attorney General Eric Holder has appointed two federal prosecutors to get to the bottom of the leaks, but Romney suggested that wasn't good enough. The White House has rejected calls for a special prosecutor, saying there is no need for one.
Romney stopped short of accusing Obama specifically of leaking information that includes details of the mission that killed Osama bin Laden last year. During a news conference last month, Obama called the leak accusations "offensive" and "wrong." White House spokesman Jay Carney responded Tuesday by saying that Obama "has made abundantly clear that he has no tolerance for leaks and he thinks leaks are damaging to our national security interests."
The foreign policy fight was expected to continue as Romney arrives in Europe on Wednesday to begin a six-day, three-country tour and Obama pushes on with fundraising events at home. The president was jetting from Seattle, where he raised money Tuesday night, to New Orleans for more fundraisers and a speech to the National Urban League.
In an election year dominated by the economy, it could be the last phase of the campaign focused on foreign policy. That could be good news for Romney, who polls strongly on the economy but has been unable to cut into Obama's advantage on national security issues. The Obama administration's counterterrorism fight against al Qaida and especially the killing of bin Laden has undercut longtime Republican efforts to cast Democrats as soft on defence.
An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published Tuesday showed Romney leading Obama 43 percent to 36 percent on which candidate is seen as better equipped to improve the economy. But the same poll showed Obama is seen as a better commander in chief, 45 percent to 35 percent. Last week, a CBS News/New York Times poll found 47 percent of voters said Obama would do a better job handling foreign policy, while 40 percent chose Romney.