Elect Barack Obama and Joe Biden

Published: Thursday October 02, 2008

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Sen. Joseph Biden (D.-Del.), left, talks with committee member Sen. Barack Obama (D.-Ill.), on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 8. AP Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais

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Seldom do we face such a straightforward choice. As we compare the records of the candidates for president and vice president of the United States, we find that, as U.S. citizens and as Armenian-Americans, we have every reason to throw our strong support behind Senator Barack Obama and Senator Joe Biden.

The Armenian-American agenda

On Armenian issues, the contrast between the records and commitments of the two pairs of major-party candidates could not be more stark:

Senator Barack Obama has repeatedly made a clear and unequivocal commitment to recognize the Armenian Genocide and work toward an equitable resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

"As President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide," he pledged in a January 19 statement "On the Importance of U.S.-Armenia Relations." On April 24, he reiterated his strong support for the affirmation of the Armenian Genocide. "It is imperative that we recognize the horrific acts carried out against the Armenian people as genocide," he said in a statement submitted into the Congressional Record.

In his January 19 statement, Senator Obama also pledged to support Armenia's development and supported a settlement of the Karabakh conflict "based upon America's founding commitment to the principles of democracy and self-determination."

Senator Obama's commitment is consistent with his actions in the Senate. As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he asked the ambassador-designate of the United States to Armenia what actions she would take to remember the victims of the Armenian Genocide and how she would work with her counterpart in Ankara to decriminalize discussion of the Armenian Genocide in Turkey.

Senator Joe Biden has a record of more than 35 years of consistent support of Armenian-American issues. He has supported Armenian Genocide resolutions introduced in the Senate since 1990.

On July 29, during a meeting of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he chairs, Senator Biden noted, "Recognition by the United States of the Armenian Genocide is not the final goal. The real goal is the recognition of Turkey - of the Turkish Government - of the Armenian Genocide and the establishment of a common Turkish-Armenian understanding of the events and tragedy that took place."

This level of demonstrated commitment to Armenian-American issues is a rarity on the presidential ticket.

What makes Senator Obama's commitments in matters of interest to Armenian-Americans particularly credible is the candor and confidence with which he has made those commitments, further bolstered by Senator Biden's consistent and long record as an ally of our community. The more we as Armenian-Americans get involved in the Obama-Biden campaign, support the campaign, develop relationships with campaign staff, and help Senators Obama and Biden get elected, the stronger our position to follow up and work with the administration to make sure these commitments are fulfilled in the best possible way.

By contrast, just last October, Senator John McCain publicly opposed the Congressional resolution acknowledging the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide. In 1999 he voted to lift restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan over its blockade of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. In 1990 he opposed the Armenian Genocide resolution introduced by fellow Republican Senator Bob Dole.

In 26 years in Congress, Senator McCain has either opposed or been indifferent to initiatives supported by the Armenian-American community. He did introduce legislation in 1989 supporting a peaceful and fair settlement of the Karabakh conflict, and he initially supported restrictions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan introduced in 1992; but he reversed that position in 1999. He issued a letter to Armenian-Americans this week. But the letter gave no indication that as president he would take a different approach to Armenian-American issues.

And his running mate has no record on Armenian-American issues.

A stronger America

With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States attained such military and economic superiority - and with it, influence over other countries - that many people believed American power, if managed wisely, could remain unsurpassed for generations.

Strong as America was, however, it could never expect to sustain its leadership role through brute force. The countries and peoples of the world expected to see in America a force for the common good, one that would inspire friendship and loyalty. Everyone understood that the United States had to pursue its own interests, but it was expected to define those interests in a way that was inclusive, and could serve as an example and inspiration to others.

Thus, for example, President George W. Bush was able to invoke the leadership role of the United States by speaking out in favor of democracy around the world. He championed the creation of the Millennium Challenge Corporation, which was established at his initiative and from which Armenia is benefiting.

But a succession of actions and inactions over the last several years has served to discredit American leadership and weaken the United States with direct and indirect consequences for Armenia and the U.S.-Armenia relationship. Among these missteps is America's timid response to genocide, first in Rwanda and now in Darfur - and the support of the campaign against recognition of the U.S. record on the Armenian Genocide. Other missteps include the invasion and continued occupation of Iraq, a sovereign state, on a trumped-up pretext; unabashed support for waterboarding, sexual humiliation, and other forms of torture directly and through "extraordinary rendition" - the handing over of suspects to foreign states that have no compunctions about torture; and a refusal to cooperate with the rest of the world in key matters, witness the refusal to join the Kyoto agreement on global warming and the refusal to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.