While U.S. Rep. Connie Mack has been gaining headlines breaking from his fellow Republicans in opposing the new immigration laws in Arizona, the Florida congressman has also criticized President Barack Obama on international issues, saying that the White House has neglected some of America’s leading allies -- namely Israel.
On Wednesday, Mack offered strong words condemning recent actions from Turkey before launching an attack on Obama’s foreign policy.
“The debate about Turkey brings us to the deeper issue: President Obama’s foreign policy has gone from weak to dangerous,” said Mack. “In his desperate attempt to reach out to the Muslim world, Obama has turned his back on one of our nation’s most trusted allies, Israel. Under the current administration, our allies have distanced themselves and we can expect other countries to continue down this path until we stand up for our principles.”
Mack is considered one of the leading experts in the Republican caucus on Latin-American issues -- and he steered the conversation to that part of the world.
“Just look at what’s happening in Venezuela,” said Mack. “We’ve done little to stop Hugo Chavez from quashing free speech and giving aid to terrorist groups like the FARC. Yet our inattention to his dangerous actions only propels him to continue trampling on the rights of the Venezuelan people. The same thing can happen in Turkey if we don’t take a stand now for freedom.”