This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 31, 2011 - Former Sen. Christopher "Kit" Bond, R-Mo., may be out of office -- but he's not out of opinions.
Bond, who in the Senate made U.S. military activities a specialty, said Wednesday night that he's concerned that President Barack Obama is sending the public at home and abroad "a total mixed message'' about his intentions in Libya.
"I think the president had a very important choice to make," Bond said. "It's within his power. He could have decided that we were going to stay out, provide moral support, managerial assistance and other non-uniform military assistance. ... Or he could decide to go for regime change."
But after declaring "that Moammar Gadhafi has to go" and setting up the "no fly zone," Bond said that the president then said "we were going to withdraw," raising questions about the U.S. commitment to either option.
The president unfortunately picked "doing the worst of both," Bond said. "Our reputation is on the line making sure that Gadhafi goes, but we're not following it up."
Bond also faulted Obama for doing little to support opposition in Syria and Iran, two countries that Bond said are more important to U.S. interests.
"There's some inconsistency," Bond said, but emphasized that Obama "has the right to do it" without congressional approval -- although the former senator thought it might have been wise for the president to have sought out more congressional advice and views.
"We hope it turns out well," Bond concluded.
Bond laid out his observations in an interview after addressing top naval officers from 48 countries in St. Louis for Wednesday night's Naval Command College dinner. The two-day stop in St. Louis is part of a 10-month curriculum conducted at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island.
"It's a very significant and prestigious group," said retired Rear Admiral Daniel Kloeppel, president of the Navy League of the U.S. - St. Louis Council. About half of the attendees at the annual program reach the ranks of admiral or higher, and close to 20 percent end up as the leaders of their nation's military.
At the command college, "we teach them communication skills, we teach them ... how to work with us," Kloeppel said. "In my view, the overarching importance is the personal relationships" that develop during the 10 months.
Having top naval officers around the world with personal knowledge of each other can help avert international misunderstandings and foster peace, Kloeppel added.
Bond's speech focused on his belief that "smart power" was the best way to forge global understanding and bridge religious and cultural differences. "National borders no longer insulate us," he said.
Bond asserted that "prudent foreign policy" can resolve many international conflicts and avert military action.
But he emphasized that patience is often needed. "You can't 'surge' trust, you have to build it over time," Bond said.
Plane politics
Afterward, in the interview, Bond made clear that he prefers to focus on government -- not politics.
Bond declined to discuss the political controversy facing "my old friend (U.S. Sen.) Claire McCaskill'' over her use of a plane co-owned by her family for senatorial travel, and her family's failure to pay property taxes on the plane to St. Louis County. "I think my old friend Claire had some airplane turbulence, and I experienced the same last Saturday landing at Lambert, so I sympathize with her," he quipped.
Bond did fly once on McCaskill's plane and noted Wednesday that he paid her his share of the travel costs.
Bond did predict that he expects the Republican field of potential rivals to McCaskill to expand before the 2012 election. "I think there will be far more people in it," he said. So far, there are two contenders: former state Treasurer Sarah Steelman and St. Louis lawyer Ed Martin.
Bond emphasized that "I'm not doing politics" and that he's "too busy" to encourage any people to get in the race. "If anybody did call me, I wouldn't comment on it," he added with a chuckle.
