McCain: US Must Be Tough But Listen to Allies

John McCain insisted today in a foreign policy address that the US can't abandon its "moral responsibility in Iraq” but that it must do a better job of working with its allies on the world's trouble spots. He distanced himself at times from Bush, rejecting not only brash unilateralism but the inhumane treatment of prisoners, Politico reports, and he called for closing Guantanamo. “There is such a thing as international good citizenship,” he said.

“Our great power does not mean we can do whatever we want whenever we want, nor should we assume we have all the wisdom and knowledge necessary to succeed,” he said. McCain said the US must focus on winning “the hearts and minds” of moderate Muslims, but reserved strong words for China and especially for Russia—which should be dropped from the G-8, he said. (More John McCain stories.)