Graham sounds bellicose note in foreign policy speech

Lindsey Graham (R-SC) earlier in the day.

Tapper, who was moderating the Q&A with Senator Graham, quickly realized that Medea wasn’t simply going to ask the senator about foreign policy, and he tried to refocus her attention as employees at the Atlantic Council attempted to seize her microphone.

The South Carolina senator then become more serious, saying to the Code Pink leader, “I couldn’t disagree with you more”.

“The Republican Senator slammed President Obama on his handling of radical Islamic terrorism”.

In his most extensive policy address to date as a presidential candidate, Lindsey Graham on Wednesday laid out a detailed vision for a muscular national security agenda – the animating issue of his campaign – as he also chided his own party over immigration reform.

As for ISIS, Graham said the Obama administration’s response to the terror group has been insufficient.

“Everybody running except Rand Paul could get a better deal from the Iranians”, Graham asserted, referring to the ongoing negotiations involving the US and Iran over that country’s nuclear capabilities.

A protestor in the audience from the pro-peace group CODEPINK at one point said that Graham’s foreign policy ideas would mean “a prescription for endless war”. “Somebody needs to take the shovel out of Donald Trump’s hand”, Graham said.

Graham spoke extensively on what he called the threat of radical Islam-a term that President Obama has refused to use-and compared the Islamic State’s mission to that of Nazi Germany. “Not one soldier would come home until the conditions warrant”, he said.

Graham also criticized the Obama administration’s conduct during nuclear talks with Iran. Two gunman who opened fire on Sunday at the anti-Islam art exhibit featuring depictions of Muhammad were themselves shot dead at the scene, a local CBS television affiliate and other local media reported, citing Garland police.

“If you’re too exhausted to defend this country”, Graham said, “if you’re too war-weary, don’t vote for me”. “We’re gonna sink your navy and we’re gonna shoot your air force down”. On China: “To our Chinese friends, if you want a good relationship, you can have it. If you want to cheat, hack into our systems, cyberattack this nation, steal property not yours-you’re gonna have a contest”.

Graham is aggressively arguing that the fight against ISIS will only succeed with both increased military and economic investments. Even President George W. Bush backed away from a plan to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities after his advisers warned him it would “stir up Iranian nationalism against the U.S.” and destabilize the entire region. Unlike many of his competitors, Graham does not have to equivocate-not that he would anyway.