Sunday I was listening to an NPR story by Sylvia Poggioli about the European reaction to a Kerry candidacy. (Scroll down the page to "European Poll Shows Desire for U.S. Leadership Change.") The essence of it is that Kerry is Europe's man for president. They think he is more "European" in his views, more "global" in his policies and less interested in pushing the "American" agenda than a "world" agenda. is should give pause to anyone considering Kerry for president. If Kerry will give deference to Europe over the American people, America will be the worse for it.

While it is important that we as a nation take into consideration the opinions and needs of the rest of the world, when it comes "push to shove,” we must do what is right for America. While it may not seem so at first, what is right for us ultimately will be beneficial for the world. America did not become the last remaining world super power by kowtowing to the weak of heart. The ability to assemble a coalition does not always make right the cause. Sometimes, maybe even often, the coalition, the herd if I may, are wrong. It takes strong leadership to strike ahead and do what is right rather than what is safe.

A member of the Italian left was quoted as saying that if Kerry is elected president, they will vote to send Italian troops to Iraq to "secure the peace." Is this supposed to be some kind of carrot? Some kind of blackmail? Italy will get involved only if Bush is pushed aside? And should that happen; I wonder how long those Italian troops will be in Iraq. Until the first kidnapping of an Italian citizen whose life is threatened unless they pull out? Spain, the Philippines and others have set the bar for that.

The difference between those nations and the US is that our leadership knows that the right thing to do is rarely the easy thing to do.

The other thing to consider in a European preference for Kerry is that France and Germany, leading members of the European Union, have gone on record that they see said union as a challenger to US strength in the world arena. Obviously they must think a Kerry presidency will promote that agenda, weakening the US, while a continued Bush presidency will continue to stymie their bid for dominance. Now the question, do we as the American people want our leadership to weaken us as a world leader, diminishing our strength, power and influence as a nation and as a people?


Certainly we do not want to dictate to the free societies of the world what they should do. Neither do we want to be a lap dog of Europe and Asia, formulating our domestic and world policies at their pleasure. It seems Europe thinks that will be the case in a Kerry administration, and they are gleeful at the thought.

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