Senator Biden talked about the Bush Administration’s handling of reconstruction in Iraq, and offered some of his own ideas on foreign policy issues. The senator argued for a foreign policy of "enlightened nationalism", which would recognize the value international cooperation but not shrink from unilateral action when it was in the national interest. He said that Saddam Hussein’s loss of power in Iraq was a positive development, but criticized the Bush Administration for making faulty assumptions prior to the invasion and not being more forthcoming about the human and monetary costs of reconstruction. Following prepared remarks, Senator Biden responded to questions from the audience.