Letter: Biden rescues U.S. foreign policy

In a 2008 attack ad, Hillary Clinton sows a seed of doubt about Barack Obama’s inexperience. As the screen shows images from a suburban house, the husky-voiced narrator says “It’s 3 A.M. and your children are safe asleep, but the White House phone is ringing.” There’s clearly been a terrible international incident. The narrator asks, “Who do you want answering the phone?”

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfolded, the narrator’s question kept rattling around my head. This was a strategic test because the strongest possible response could escalate into nuclear conflict.

But President Joe Biden’s response to Putin’s war has been marked by creativity. As war loomed, Biden’s administration quietly armed Ukraine to hit Russian tanks and prep for urban combat.

Also, long before Putin’s troops crossed the border, Joe prepared a collection of unconventional sanctions. This avoided the need to cobble together policy and scramble to inform our allies.

Because Biden’s assessment of Putin’s intentions proved to be painfully accurate, these maneuvers helped reclaim the trust of our allies and rescue U.S. foreign policy post-Trump. Working with our allies is still the right approach.

It’s a bravura performance and I find myself grateful that Joe was the person answering the phone.