Source:
Associated Press(01-14) 15:48 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --
A confidant of the man Barack Obama defeated in November said Wednesday that the president-elect has earned enormous global good will and "a moment in time" to re-engage other nations with the United States.
The assessment by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., was noteworthy because he is a conservative Republican and one of Sen. John McCain's closest friends. Graham campaigned vigorously against Obama in last year's presidential race.
Noting himself that he had been "one of the chief opponents" of Obama, Graham pronounced himself now "very pleased" with the president-elect's attitude and policies toward the countries they visited.
Graham appeared Wednesday with Vice President-elect Joe Biden at Obama's transition headquarters. Biden and Graham were there to brief Obama on what they learned during a just-completed five-day, bipartisan fact-finding mission to Kuwait, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq.
"I cannot tell you how much enthusiasm we saw in Pakistan for this new president," Graham said, sitting in a chair to Obama's right. "There is a moment in time here for this country to re-engage the international community, to make sure that we have international support to stabilize Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq."
He added: "This president's popularity and the respect that he has earned throughout the world gives America a chance to re-engage not only in the region, but in a way that will in the long term make this job easier, take some pressure off our troops. And that's a compliment to you and the way you have campaigned."
Biden and Graham gave Obama an initial report on their trip and will later present the president-elect with a more detailed accounting, including recommendations. Reporters weren't allowed into the meeting, but the trio talked to reporters brought in after it was over.
Biden said "things are going to get tougher in Afghanistan" before they improve. Graham agreed, predicting that "casualties are likely to increase" in Afghanistan as the number of U.S. troops there goes up this year.
The U.S. is rushing as many as 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan, seeking to the turn the tide in fighting that has seen al-Qaida-linked militants and the Taliban make a comeback after initial defeats in the U.S.-led invasion in 2001.
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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/01/14/national/w134532S26.DTL
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