Obama will undo damage done to America: Bill Clinton

Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington, Aug 28 (PTI) Barack Obama, who was officially
nominated as the US Democratic Presidential candidate,
received strong backing from former President Bill Clinton,
who said he expects him to undo the damage done to America on
the domestic and the foreign policy fronts.

In a stirring speech at the ongoing National Democratic
Convention at Denver, Colorado, Clinton said, "our nation is
in trouble on two fronts. The American dream is under siege
at home and America's leadership in the world has been
weakened."

The former President said that U.S. position in the world
had been weakened by too much unilateralism and too little
cooperation, by a perilous dependence on imported oil, by
refusal to lead on global warming, by a severely burdened
military and backsliding on global non-proliferation and arms
control agreements.

Backing Senator Obama, the former President said he
(Obama) will first use diplomacy in foreign affairs and resort
to force as a last resort -- a classic reference to the
foreign policy of the Bush administration, which he said
over-relied on unilateralism.

"From the Middle east to Africa to Latin America to
central and eastern Europe, the US administration had failed
to use the power of diplomacy.

"Clearly, the job of the next president is to rebuild the
American dream and to restore American leadership in the
world," Clinton said making the point that President Obama
will choose diplomacy first and military force as a last
resort," Clinton told cheering delegates and guests at the
Convention Centre.

Clinton said Obama's grasp on "foreign policy affairs"
and his "diverse background" made him the right man for
America's top job.

"Everything I learned in my eight years as president, and
in the work I have done has convinced me that Barack Obama is
the man for this job. He has shown -- a clear grasp of foreign
policy and national security challenges," said Clinton.

"His family heritage and his life experiences have given
him a unique capacity to lead our increasingly diverse nation
in an ever more interdependent world," he added.

Supporting Obama's choice of Senator Joseph Biden as his
running mate, Clinton said, "With Joe Biden's experience and
wisdom, supporting Barack Obama's proven understanding,
instincts, and insight, America will have the national
security leadership we need."

Clinton expressed hope that Obama will usher in an era,
where America will have "more partners and fewer adversaries".

"He will rebuild our frayed alliances and revitalise the
international institutions which helped to share the cost of
the world's problems and to leverage the power of our
influence," he said.

"He will put us back in the forefront of the world's
fight against global warming and the fight to reduce nuclear,
chemical and biological weapons" the 42nd President of the
U.S., whose wife Hillary, lost out on the Democratic
Presidential nomination race.

"...let's send them a message that will echo from the
Rockies all across America, a simple message: Thanks, but no
thanks. In this case, the third time is not the charm,"
Clinton said referring to Republican nominee John McCain's
camp.