Albright speaks at Allen campaign fundraiser

MANCHESTER – Speaking after a Senate campaign fundraiser for Tom Allen, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Friday the country needs to elect a Democratic president and Congress next year in order to restore America’s reputation around the world.

“As I travel around now, I know that America’s reputation is very low,” Albright said after appearing as guest of honor at the campaign event for the six-term Maine Democratic congressman, who is challenging two-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins. “We are feared but we are not respected.”

Without “a real majority,” said Albright, the Senate has been unable to do an adequate job questioning Bush administration policies.

“We can’t get anything done on issues of global importance such as nuclear proliferation or energy policy, or climate change or issues of terrorism unless we get the cooperation of other countries. And at this stage, the United States is viewed basically as a loner, making it very difficult,” said Albright.

“So we need to restore America’s reputation, and I think this can only be done with a Democratic president and a Democratic Congress that works very hard together to change America’s direction,” said Albright, who served in her Cabinet post during the Clinton administration and is now supporting Hillary Clinton for president.

Allen, who has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate, said he’s unconcerned about what polls about his race show this early in the campaign and that he’s confident he can win in November 2008.

Asked about Collins’ 1996 statement in which she said she intended to serve only two terms, Allen said, “If a candidate makes a promise that’s central to her campaign, she should stick to that promise.” Allen noted he does not favor term limits.

Albright attended Friday’s fundraiser at the Augusta Country Club a day after speaking at Colby College in Waterville, where she predicted that the Iraq war will go down in history as the country’s biggest foreign policy disaster, “worse than Vietnam.”

On Friday, she was asked about a resolution adopted by the Senate in September that proposed reshaping Iraq according to three sectarian or ethnic territories with a limited central government and a power-sharing arrangement.

The U.S. Embassy said the resolution, which is nonbinding, would seriously hamper Iraq’s future stability.

“To some extent it is a sign of what the reality is in Iraq,” said Albright. “People do not … want Iraq to totally disintegrate, so I think it is viewed to some extent as a way of recognizing more autonomy while keeping the central government together.”

Albright said she believes the United States does have some responsibility to give ideas on Iraq’s future, “but it’s a delicate line in terms of telling them what to do because they are a sovereign country and we want them to stand up on their own two feet.”