Rice, McCain criticize Obama foreign policies without mentioning bin Laden

The U.S. military and allied forces aided rebels who overthrew Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi last year. Prodded by Congress, Obama has imposed tough sanctions on Iran amid recent hints of a cyberwar against Tehran. The president has ended the war in Iraq and taken steps to draw down U.S. forces in Afghanistan after more than a decade of fighting.

Romney insisted Wednesday that Obama has been less than forceful.

"For the past four years, President Obama has allowed our leadership to diminish," the Republican presidential candidate told the American Legion in a speech in Indianapolis. "In dealings with other nations, he has given trust where it is not earned, insult where it is not deserved and apology where it is not due."

Rice was pressed repeatedly during an interview on "CBS This Morning" to provide specific examples of where Obama has failed on foreign policy. She declined to offer any examples.

"It's a question about what a President Romney would do," she said. "There is no doubt that the United States' voice has been muted. When the United States' voice is muted, the world is a more dangerous place."

A group of Democrats countering the Republican line argued that the ticket of Romney and Paul Ryan is the least experienced on national security of any Republican presidential duo in decades.

National security "is a strength of President Obama's," said former Democratic Rep. Tim Roemer, who cited the "litany of achievements and accomplishments of the Obama administration," including the killing of bin Laden, the fall of Gadhafi and aid to Israel for the "Iron Dome" system to intercept shorter-range rockets that might be launched by Palestinian and Hezbollah militants.

"No wonder Republicans don't want to talk about national security when the president has a spotless record," Roemer said.

Republicans are convinced, however, that they can make political inroads with cuts in military spending even though they voted for the reductions last summer.

"The Obama administration is set to cut defense spending by nearly a trillion dollars. My administration will not," said Romney, a former Massachusetts governor.

In fact, some $500 billion in cuts are over 10 years and were part of the deficit-cutting plan that Obama and congressional Republicans backed in August 2011. Romney's running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, and McCain voted for the reductions.

If Congress fails to agree on another plan to slash the deficit, an additional $500 billion in cuts would kick in during January 2013.

Republican Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said Wednesday that he'd "like to see the governor beat up on the president" over the looming cuts.

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Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.

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