Politicians who take office in January must work to improve America's standing in the world through emphasizing mutual goals between America and other nations, Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., said at a Kennedy Political Union event Tuesday.
| Chuck Hagel InterviewHOWIE PERLMAN / THE EAGLE |
"The next leaders of America are going to be required to build on what our great leaders did for the world after World War II and that is to engage," he said. "You engage through a structure of enlightened, relevant coalitions of common interest. Only then can you build a platform ... to deal with the differences."
The victor in Tuesday's presidential election will need to face the challenge of improving U.S. foreign policy strategies to strengthen America's ability to work with other nations, he said. The next president could help accomplish this through imposing more limits on the use of preemptive strikes on nations or other entities suspected of threatening American interests, Hagel said.
Some nations have felt America's use of this tactic has been excessive, and America's relationship with these nations has weakened as a result of this perception, according to Hagel.
"Every country has the right to defend itself, and implicit in that is a certain amount of preemption, but I don't think you should write that as a doctrine, essentially saying, as the Bush administration did, 'We will go anywhere and bomb anyone at any time based on what we think is a threat,'" he said. "If you do that, and we've been doing some of that, you're going to find yourself isolated in the world, and we're very close to that in a lot of areas. That's part of what the next president is going to have to rebuild, that trust in confidence that the world has lost in us."
Zachary Lancet, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, asked Hagel a question that prompted Hagel's commentary on the use of pre-emptive warfare.
"He's a great man; he's a great American, and he represents bipartisanship," Lancet said. "Sen. Hagel would make a great secretary of defense ... because he's a moderate and not one of those left-wing or right-wing crazies."
Hagel said he would be open to the idea of helping either Republican presidential nominee John McCain or Democratic nominee Barack Obama in some capacity, even if this did not include serving in a cabinet position.
Seth Rosenstein, a freshman in the School of Public Affairs, said Hagel is an inspirational figure.
"Having Sen. Hagel on campus today was truly fantastic because he's a maverick in the Senate," he said. "As a Republican, it is great to see another person who strays from partisan politics and has a great vision for the future of America."
Young Americans may soon take an unprecedented step towards fighting for the better American future that Hagel has fought for during his 12 years in the Senate, Rosenstein said.
"Part of the good news this year, in particular, I believe will result in the most significant, largest turnout of young people in a presidential election ever," Hagel said. "That's where we're headed; trend lines show it, early voting shows it."
AU has special significance for Hagel's family because his wife, Lilibet, earned both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from this college, the senator said.
You can reach this staff writer at hperlman@theeagleonline.com.
