Foreign Policy

The "tea party" agenda in the midterm election focused largely on domestic issues. But the Republican gains in Congress that the movement fueled will have profound foreign policy consequences. Bipartisanship in foreign policy has all but disappeared, and the first victim is likely to be the Obama administration's New START treaty with Russia. This agreement, which is both modest in its cuts and extremely favorable to U.S. concerns, has been the centerpiece of President Obama's attempts to reset U.S.-Russian relations.

In a campaign dominated by talk of jobs and the economy, the Republican presidential field has settled on a unified approach to foreign policy: Ignore it for the most part, unless forced to discuss. Then criticize President Obama. Part of that is reflex. As the opposition party, Republicans are inclined to oppose anything the president says or does, even if they applaud the outcome, like, for instance, the ouster of Libyan dictator Moammar Kadafi. But their silence also reflects the political reality.

While jobs and the economy remain their primary concerns, a strong majority of voters in the swing states of Ohio and Florida say they are interested in America's relations with other countries heading into Monday night's foreign policy debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney, according to a new survey. The poll found that 61% of Florida voters called foreign affairs one of the most important or a "very important" issue, while 59% of Ohio voters reached the same conclusion.

President Obama and his Republican rival, Mitt Romney, tangled over their varying approaches to foreign policy in dueling “60 Minutes” interviews that aired Sunday, with the president brushing off Romney's charge that he has been weak on national defense and charging that if Romney “is suggesting that we should start another war - he should say so.” The debate on the campaign trail is likely to turn to foreign policy once again this week...

WASHINGTON -- In a blistering attack on the Democrats' leadership abroad, Paul Ryan charged that President Obama has failed to show “steady, consistent American leadership” in the face of recent violence in the Arab world while accusing his administration of treating Israel with “indifference bordering on contempt.” The Republican vice presidential nominee, known primarily for his role in setting his party's course on domestic fiscal policy,...