Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

I join the Leader and other Members in extending sincere congratulations to US President-elect, Barack Obama. Senator Obama is a particularly charismatic leader and has huge passion for the vision he has placed before the American people. It is evident that, irrespective of their political leanings, he has succeeded in uniting them. The latter was clear in the context of the cross-party voting that took place.

I concur with Senator Alex White's comments regarding those of us who have consistently questioned elements of American foreign policy. We are not — and never were — anti-American. We are pro-American and that is why we questioned that policy. American foreign policy was questioned in this Chamber when it was not popular to do so and when the vast majority of US citizens still had not come to realise what said policy had done to their country's status on the international stage. Many of America's economic woes may be traced back to the amount of money it has been obliged to spend on the wars in which it is involved.

In many ways, the spectre of terrorism has not been diminished and continues to lurk not only in countries targeted by the US but elsewhere as well. I am somewhat confident that the US President-elect is keenly aware of that fact. The same was true of President Clinton. If one rereads some of his speeches, one will discover that he also questioned American foreign policy when it was not popular to do so. President Clinton remains highly regarded.

I concur with the man I was about to identify as President Quinn.