China
As speaker, strongly supported increased US trade with China. Now warns of consequences for US independence of China holding trillions of dollars of US debt.
Middle East
Supports 鈥渞egime replacement鈥� in Iran and calls country鈥檚 nuclear program only a symptom of a bigger problem of ruling ayatollahs. Insists he could topple regime in a year by 鈥渙vertly sabotaging鈥� it but only using military intervention as a last resort.
Terrorism
Says US is losing war on terror. Blasts Obama administration notion that Al Qaeda is on the ropes. Would grant FBI 鈥渆xtraordinary鈥� tools to take on growing domestic terrorism but says that should not worry law-abiding citizens. Considers counterinsurgency doctrine ill-suited to Afghanistan, but opposes Obama鈥檚 withdrawal timetable as too rapid.
Defense spending
Calls himself a 鈥渃heap hawk,鈥� would target 鈥渂ureaucratic waste鈥� at the Pentagon, and does not rule out defense cuts.
