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Senator Obama (D-ILL)
First of all the Senator has been very vocal regarding US Policy towards
Zimbabwe. He referred to the Goverment of Robert Mugabe as "Illegitimate and lacks any credibility." He Also called upon the
African National Congress the ruling party in neighboring South Africa to call for Diplomatic Action to stop the Repression.
He Co-Sponsored the March 2007 Bill along with Senator Dodd (D-CT) to amend
the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to bolster Public Health Efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has been a vocal supporter of
PEPFAR. If he is elected he plans to expand it by an additonal $ 1 Billion per fiscal year.
He worked the Phone Lines during the fiasco after the Kenyan Presidential
Elections this year. He called the GNU a "vital step forward" but urged those in the coalition to "make an eduring committment
to democracy,cooperation and national unity."
Which Candidate has the better ideas for African Policy? We
will find out shortly.
Senator McCain (R-AZ)
He sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee along with Senator Obama
but he has seen things differently.
In a speech this past March the Senator said that the US " Must strongly
engage on a political, economic and security level with friendly governments across Africa, but insist on improvements in
transparency and the rule of law.
He actively supports a no-fly zone in Darfur. And He also has been critical
of the Mugabe Government in Zimbabwe to the point of issuing a statement of support when Morgan Tsvangiari pulled out of the
July Run-off.
He states that he wants to give AFRICOM the tools that they need to properly
do their job.
This is a decision that the Citizens of the United States must make.
But it appears that for a change the US will have Proactive Leadership regarding a grossly underreported region of the world.
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