John McCain on Wednesday sought to portray himself as an international tough cop with a soft, understanding side needed to navigate increasingly choppy international waters.

In a speech before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, McCain renewed his vows to continue the fight against radical Islamic extremists, brushed off new criticism lobbed his way by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, defined success in Iraq, and wagged a finger at international powerhouses Russia and China for curbing liberties of their citizens.

But he also pushed for lofty, good-cop goals like a repeated call for a “League of Democracies” to strengthen ties between non-dictatorship countries that abide by the rule of law; an approach to winning the War on Terror that uses not only “smart bombs” but also scholarships; a more aggressive approach to climate change; and a pledge to eradicate malaria from Africa.

In his remarks, McCain attempted to distance himself from — without naming — the current administration by paying homage to the will of other free countries that might disagree with the United States.

“We need to listen to the views, and respect the collective will of our democratic allies. When we international action is necessary — whether military, economic or diplomatic — we will try to persuade our friends that we are right. But we, in return, must be willing to be persuaded by them,” McCain said.

But the presumptive Republican presidential candidate made no bones about refusing to cooperate with dictators and tyrants.

“Someone noticed here that (Venezualan) President (Hugo) Chavez had some very unkind remarks about me yesterday,” McCain told the audience during a question-and-answer session. “I’m a bit flattered.”

On Tuesday, Chavez told a group of foreign reporters that “McCain seems to be a man of war too. He said yesterday that Bush has been very tolerant with Chavez. He’s gone to Iraq to offer more weapons and more dollars - and more war. … God save us — and beyond God, may the people of the United States save us from greater madness.”

Critics at home and abroad have accused Bush of employing a go-it-alone foreign policy in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when the administration spurned international calls for caution and led the invasion into Iraq. Democrats have derided McCain as offering the same foreign policies as Bush, whose support is at a low point as the public craves change.Mindful of a need to lay out his own vision for the future and distance himself from the existing administration policies, McCain voiced a more collaborative approach.

“The United States cannot lead by virtue of its power alone,” McCain said. Instead, the country must lead by attracting others to its cause, demonstrating the virtues of freedom and democracy, defending the rules of an international civilized society and creating new international institutions to advance peace and freedom, he said.

“If we lead by shouldering our international responsibilities and pointing the way to a better and safer future for humanity … it will strengthen us to confront the transcendent challenge of our time: the threat of radical Islamic terrorism,” said McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war who has decades of foreign affairs experience in the Senate.

McCain only made one outright reference to Democratic rivals Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, saying their plans for withdrawal from Iraq would lead to long-lasting repercussions for the United States and the world.

“I believe a reckless and premature withdrawal would be a terrible defeat for our security interests and our values,” McCain said, noting that Iran would “see its influence in the Middle East grow significantly.”

“These consequences of our defeat would threaten us for years, and those who argue for it — as both Democratic candidates do — are arguing for a course that would eventually draw us into a wider and more difficult war that would entail far greater dangers and sacrifices than we have suffered to date,” McCain said.

McCain also drew applause for his definition of success in Iraq and Afghanistan, which he said “is the establishment of peaceful, stable, prosperous, democratic states that pose no threat to neighbors and contribute to the defeat of terrorists … It is the triumph of religious tolerance over violent radicalism.”

McCain said the United States’ goal in fighting Islamic extremists should be “to win the hearts and minds of the vast majority of moderate Muslims who do not want their future controlled by a minority of violent extremists.

“In this struggle, scholarships will be far more important than smart bombs.”

After the speech, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said McCain’s remarks were nothing more than “empty rhetoric,” and that despite McCain’s efforts, Bush and McCain’s policies are innately linked, according to a DNC release.

“John McCain’s empty rhetoric today can’t change the fact that he has steadfastly stood with President Bush from day one and is now talking about keeping our troops in Iraq for 100 years,” Dean said.

“His new appreciation for diplomacy has no credibility after he mimicked President Bush’s misleading case for a unilateral war of choice when it mattered most. Why should the American people now trust John McCain to offer anything more than four more years of President Bush’s reckless economic policies and failed foreign policy?” Dean asked.

McCain’s campaign billed the foreign policy speech as a major address, the first of several scheduled in the coming weeks as the GOP nominee-in-waiting seeks to reintroduce himself to the general public and outline his stances on a range of issues.

Among other proposals, McCain said the United States should lead a global nuclear disarmament effort as he called for a renewed commitment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

He said Russia should not be a part of the G-8 group of leading global economic powers, but India and Brazil should be, criticizing Russia for “nuclear blackmail and cyber attacks.”

Regarding China, McCain sounded an optimistic note, saying the United States and China “are not destined to be adversaries,” but he called on them to be more transparent of their military buildup and to work with other nations “to isolate pariah states such as Burma, Sudan and Zimbabwe.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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