Having all but given up on President Obama, Senate Armed Services Chairman Sen. John McCain said Thursday that he is laying the groundwork for changes to the Pentagon and defense spending to hand deliver to the next president, even if it is Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Addressing the Center for Strategic and International Studies, McCain detailed a series of changes and reforms he is pushing, in addition to ending sequestration, to be ready for the next administration.
“I am not sanguine about the president’s willingness to chart a new course at this point. That must be a job for his successor,” said McCain, adding that he is trying to put enough changes into place “so that he or she can quickly adopt better national security policies.”
AP Photo
While McCain didn’t name names, he has said in the past that Clinton will be a tough candidate to beat. He told CBS last July, “I respect Hillary Clinton. I may not agree with her.”
During her 2008 campaign, some military brass favored her over then Sen. Barack Obama, who was seen as not knowledgeable on military policy issues.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
