McCain Faults Admin. For Painting Iraq As ‘Some Kind of Day At the Beach,’ Ignores Own Rosy Rhetoric
McCain Faults Admin. For Painting Iraq As ‘Some Kind of Day At the Beach,’ Ignores Own Rosy Rhetoric
The AP reports that Sen. John McCain “faulted the Bush administration for misleading Americans into believing the conflict would be “some kind of day at the beach.”
[McCain] said the administration had failed to make clear the challenges facing the military. … McCain said that talk “has contributed enormously to the frustration that Americans feel today because they were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach, which many of us fully understood from the beginning would be a very, very difficult undertaking.”
McCain appropriately criticizes the administration for painting an unrealistic picture of the situation in Iraq, but he conveniently neglects to mention his own rosy assessments as he was cheerleading the nation to war. While McCain hopes the public will see this as another example of his “straight talk,” here are some quotes that McCain wants you to forget:
Hardball, 3/12/03:
MATTHEWS: Are you one of those who holds up an optimistic view of the post-war scene? Do you believe that the people of Iraq or at least a large number of them will treat us as liberators?
MCCAIN: Absolutely. Absolutely.
MATTHEWS: And you think the Arab world will come to a grudging recognition that what we did was necessary? I mean by that the modern Arab leaders, the people that we have to deal with.
MCCAIN: Not only that, they’ll be relieved that he’s not in the neighborhood because he has invaded his neighbors on several occasions.
Hardball, 3/24/03:
MATTHEWS: Do you think it’s working? Do you think we’ll shake them — shake them to the roots so they will give up eventually and avoid a huge bloodbath of people?
MCCAIN: I don’t know how long they’ll hang out. It doesn’t take a large number of people to cause difficulties in house to house fighting we’ve just seen that in southern Iraq. But there’s no doubt in my mind that we will prevail and there’s no doubt in my mind, once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators. These guys are the real bad guys and they’re telling everybody, we’re going to shoot you and so, of course, we’re not being welcomed cause they’ve got people that will kill them if they do. Once that’s done, I’m confident.
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Lie your ass off and cover your asses….you all kissed up to Dubya and Cheney, broke your vow to uphold the constitution and put your allegiance in the Karl Rove party forever…you should all be fired for not doing your job. Dubya is breaking the constitution and you are part of the problem
Vote all incumbents out in November and remember that McCain kissed up to Dubya after he was Swiftboated in 1999…that would be a spineless snake…in my books.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:23 pmYou really can’t fool all of the people all of the time
An overwhelming majority of voters appear to pin part of the blame for the increased threat on Tony Blair’s policy of intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Ministers – including Mr Blair – have repeatedly denied that there is a connection. But 72%, including 65% of Labour voters, think government policy has made Britain more of a target for terrorists. Only 1% of voters believe the government’s foreign policy has made Britain safer, a devastating finding given that action in Iraq and Afghanistan has been justified in part to defeat Islamist terrorism.
EXPLAIN THIS TO BUSH
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:25 pmThe cracks in the right wing Republican facade are turning into fissures.
The good news – more and Americans are seeing this and their leading candidates like McCain are increasingly looking like hypocritical fools !
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:28 pmMcCain is a tainted candidate. When he was “running” against Then-Gov. Bush, he let “Dubya” walk all over him and refused to fight back. He got castrated and now thinks he’s got a set?
Nope. The American public know Sen. McCain for the pathetic political whore that he’s turned out to be. Sorry, Senator, you’re not man enough to take the fight to our enemies if you can’t stand up against your own party and fight back against the slandering that Rove opened up on you.
Try being a man in your next re-incarnation.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:35 pmIran ‘attacks Romanian oil rig’
A Romanian oil company says one of its rigs stationed in the Gulf has come under fire from Iranian troops.
A spokesman for the firm GSP said Iranian troops had seized the rig after firing from a nearby ship, and GSP lost contact with its 26 workers there.
Radu Petrescu said the Orizont rig had been moored near Kish island since October 2005.
GSP operates two rigs off Kish. The other rig is reported to have been involved in a legal dispute in Iran.
It is unclear whether the incident on Tuesday was related to that dispute.
The shooting reportedly happened as the rig was being taken outside Iranian waters for a mandatory overhaul.
The rigs are operated under a deal signed between Petrom, GSP and Dubai-based Oriental Oil Co.
A statement on GSP’s website, signed by company president Gabriel Comanescu, said the Iranian action was a “flagrant breach of all the international rules”.
It said that since Monday, Iranian military helicopters and ships had been “trying to intimidate the Romanian crew aboard the rig”.
Then early on Tuesday “an Iranian military cutter boat opened fire against the Orizont rig, in the stern crane” and Iranian troops occupied the rig, the statement said.
“We do not know if anyone is hurt,” it added.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:36 pmYears ago,I sorta liked McCain.
That ignorance has been overwhelmed by the facts.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:38 pmMcCain sold whatever principles he had down the neocon river for his chance to “sit in the big chair” in Washington. Iraq will be the albatros hung around the neck of every Bush ass-kissing GOP candidate this November. America wants out of Iraq–anyone who thinks or says otherwise is as out of touch with the world as GWB and Joe Lieberman.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:43 pmGod I am scared of seeing a Hilary vs. McCain match up for president. They are almost the same person. Purely political and worthless. If that is the match up, I won’t vote!
The Dems need to have Obama for Pres (since he would actually win)
The Repugs should just walk away from the 08 election if the Dems have Obama as there man. If the Dems are morons and put Hilary, Kerry, or Gore, then I say the Repugs put up Condi Rice. Not that she is the best canidate, but the fact that Kerry, Hilary, and Gore will lose to anyone, Condi is the perfect choice. The Repugs would be able to say they had the First Black American and the First women as president. It would ruin the Dems.
Past that rant, I hate McCain and Hillary. Please God you guys, put someone on the ticket we can vote for!!
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:48 pmHA HA HA HA READ THIS
Nine days on, nobody has been charged with any crime. For there to be no clear evidence yet on something that was “imminent” and would bring “mass murder on an unbelievable scale” is, to say the least, peculiar. A 24th person, arrested amid much fanfare on Tuesday, was quietly released without charge the following day.
Media analysis has been full of information from police and security sources. By and large journalists are honourable in this kind of reporting. Their sources, unfortunately, are not – viz the non-existent ricin, the Forest Gate “chemical weapons vest”, or Jean Charles de Menezes leaping the barriers. Unlike the herd of security experts, I have had the highest security clearance; I have done a huge amount of professional intelligence analysis; and I have been inside the spin machine. And I am very sceptical about the story that has been spun.
None of the alleged terrorists had made a bomb. None had bought a plane ticket. Many did not have passports. It could be pretty difficult to convince a jury that these individuals were about to go through with suicide bombings, whatever they bragged about on the net.
What is more, many of those arrested had been under surveillance for more than a year – like thousands of other British Muslims. And not just Muslims. Like me. Nothing from that surveillance had indicated the need for early arrests.
Then an interrogation in Pakistan revealed this amazing plot to blow up multiple planes. Of course, the interrogators of the Pakistani dictator have ways of making people sing like canaries. As I witnessed in Uzbekistan, you can get the most extraordinary information from people desperate to stop or avert torture. What you don’t get is the truth.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:48 pmRoger,
John Edwards is the ticket — much more authentic than Hillary and he’s acknowledged being wrong on Iraq.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:52 pmDon’t politicians know we have those new fangled recording devices now so we can hear in their own words what they said in the past? I used to have respect for McCain (even though I don’t share his political philosophy) but he has shown himself to be dishonest and pandering. Flip-flop, indeed! I hope the Democrats find a candidate who has shown consistency in his philosophy OR will at least admit to past mistakes in reasoning. No pandering, no flip-flopping, no poll-tested rhetoric.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:56 pmMcCain gives two shits about the reality of the war. He, like Hagel, who have been key enablers for this bloody neocon atrocity, are only backing off now that their pollsters tell them it’s their only chance to run as president.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:58 pmJack,
While Edwards would be far from my first choice, he is a much much better canidate then Hilary. I still say you put up Obama and you win in a landslide. Plus you get the big kicker as the party that elected the first african American. You can’t buy that type of hype and you better get it done before the Repugs and Rove beat you to it.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:58 pmF**k that guy…he pretends to be better than other repugs…. he’s just as bad if not worse.
The only thing that pushed to ban torture, was the fact that he was subjected to it. That’s the only difference between him and Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld.
August 22nd, 2006 at 3:59 pmI think Obama’s a great VP candidate this time around. My litmus test is Iraq. The only ones that pass it are Feingold and Edwards. Kerry had his shot.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:02 pmMcCain being disingenuous? Wha–? You mean the same John McCain who was complicit in a violation of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform package…
Lincoln Chaffee’s TV ad “[featured] none other than John McCain endorsing [Chafee] … was illegal under the McCain-Feingold law”
http://www.wonkette.com/politics/john-mccain/on-the-dangers-of-naming-bills-after-oneself-195669.php
say it ain’t so…
#4 –excellent summary, then cap that off with McCain’s giant hug of the guy who smeared his family during bush’s reelection campaign…geez.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:10 pm#3 – I think the fissures have matured into a yawning canyon!
These reichwingers are living in a paralell universe of their own making, with the full complicity of their harem of media whores. It is hard to imagine how willingly McCain and Powell were to squander their hard-earned integrity and legacies on the likes of an effing Shrub. How these people come to be the power brokers in this country is the biggest mystery and tragedy of all. History will not look at this period kindly, and we all allowed this to happen on our watch.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:17 pmBut Bush_Is_a_Fool, freedom is on the march and there’s a freedom agenda and freedom fries and stuff…
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:21 pmThese guys on both sides say things knowing there will be no accountability and minimal follow up. Thank God for blogs and Media Matters.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:29 pmIf Bush had been honest he wouldn’t have gotten his supposed little 100 day photo op War He needs to be taken out of office if thats the only way to get our troops home then lets do it by what ever means necessary. What goes around comes around so if I supported this man or his lies I’d be sweating too John McCain and all the rest of the spineless Congress and media. You’ll get your day too bad it’s so late for our troops and all the innnocent Iraquis.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:30 pmWhore
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:32 pmHA!!! Ol’ Johnny’s quite the crystal baller, isn’t he?? Good thing for him and the other wingnut politicos that the vast bulk of their supporters have ADD and can’t remember last week, let alone 3 years ago.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:34 pmAt this point, I am so sick of all current politicians I want to puke. I would honestly vote for someone I completely disagreed with on every single issue IF I truly believed that man or women would go to washington and actually do what they said. Today, Repug and Dems are all talk and no walk.
The love to scream about the huge Social issues come election time so people like you and me can argue and get excited. Then we elect them and they go off to washington and don’t do anything they said. Today, our 2 political parties stand for 1 thing, POWER. Neither party actually cares about what we think.
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:35 pmthe guy is looney – Mr. Sunday Morning Talk Show / Mr. Beady Eyes — Jon Stewart should quit having him on — it just promotes him as some sort of straight talker. Somebody save us from these bizarre human beings
August 22nd, 2006 at 4:53 pmAfter polls show the public overwhelmingly opposed to the war and just in time for his presidential run, McCain finally finds his spine!!!
I used to think McCain was the one man in the Republican party with integrity. Now I know that the last honest Republican was Dwight Eisenhower.
August 22nd, 2006 at 5:06 pmMcCain sings a different song every time he is in front of the camera.
August 22nd, 2006 at 5:11 pmHe has supported Bush every step of the way.
Now that Bush is foundering, he is reiterating the cautionary tone he adopted before the war.
If he was opposed to the war, then he should not have praised Bush and excused his mistakes over the past three years.
McCain is the consummate politician – looking out for #1.
Forget McCain in ‘08. HE’S TOAST!!!
August 22nd, 2006 at 5:43 pmI’m not trying to defend McCain, but if there were any quotes from him other than 3 years ago this post would hold more water. While McCain is certainly trying to play the political field, at least he’s coming to some good conclusions. I’m sure every senator who voted to give Bush force in ‘03 was thinking of it as rosy based on the Administration’s assesments to get all the senators to vote. Can we at least acknowledge McCain changing his mind for the positive? Otherwise, we’re no better than the “flip flopper” callers of the ‘04 campaign. Instead-HOORAY FOR PEOPLE COMING TO THEIR SENSES!!
Disclaimer-I am not a McCain fan.
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:00 pmJason, your point is well taken, but McCain’s pathetic appearance on MTP last Sunday is more indicative of why he is despised here.
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:16 pmHe supports GW, but he admits horrible mistakes.
He would dump Rumsfeld, but he supports GE’s keeping him.
And contradiction after contradiction for 30 minutes; not going back three years for quotes, but merely hearing him speak in the present.
It’s very difficult to have respect for a person who has been besmirched, denigrated and accused of being mentally unstable; whose wife has been personally attacked; whose adopted child has been labeled a love child of McCain’s mixed race affair – and after all that, McCain stands on the stage and hugs Bush, defends and supports him.
McCain has made a deal with the devil. Ever read Faust?
I blogged on this story today, because the hypocrisy and doublespeak displayed by McCain is mind-numbing.
Apparently McCain only has an issue with the fact that Bush uses bad communication skills on his deception.
If this was a nation-building mission we would never be there in the first place, and now, McCain agrees that we can’t leave.
Plus, look at his PAC site and you will see he barely mentions Iraq.
What a fraud.
My take on both sides on McCain’s mouth is at:
http://scootmandubious.blogspot.com/2006/08/senator-mccains-doublespeak-on-iraq.html
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:32 pmShould McCain vie for presidency in 2008, the words he uses today and in the past, will haunt him; he has unwittingly provided any opposing party with enough ammunition to ensure his failure. For that, we should all be grateful.
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:41 pmI used to think McCain was the one man in the Republican party with integrity. Now I know that the last honest Republican was Dwight Eisenhower.
Comment by War4Sale
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:47 pm————–
My thoughts exactly,War4Sale.
Forget McCain in ‘08. HE’S TOAST!!!
Comment by Ho Chi Minh
August 22nd, 2006 at 7:51 pm————
Yes.
McCain–out
H. Clinton–out
McCain–out
H. Clinton–out
Comment by Steve53
Yes, please…
August 22nd, 2006 at 8:30 pmInstead of acknowledging the candidates that are on the ballot we should just find ourselves a candidate we can all agree on and just write that person in. We don’t have to accept the ones that they have decided to hand us. Besides that, with the corrupt machines that they now have us all voting on, I’m assuming that they have them fixed so that if you vote for the candidates that are on the ballot already, anytime one voted for the Democrate on the ballot it would atomatically be flipped in favor of the Repugnican. So by adding our own candidate we might actually have a small chance of getting someone of our own choosing elected.
August 22nd, 2006 at 8:39 pmAs an aside I am beginning to wonder if the Repugnicans are hedging their own bets by placing fifth columnists into the Democratic Party with the intention of seeing to it that no matter what happens their guys always win. That is my suspicion based on what I am seeing given examples like Zell Miller, Joe Lieberman and Hillary Clinton.
Hiya Zooey! Do you sleep well after seeing ‘Snakes”? No nightmares? Afraid of planes yet? I hate snakes. Brrrrr. Can’t watch the movie.
August 22nd, 2006 at 8:42 pmCan one even do a write in on a Diebold machine?
August 22nd, 2006 at 8:43 pmHiya Zooey! Do you sleep well after seeing ‘Snakes� No nightmares? Afraid of planes yet? I hate snakes. Brrrrr. Can’t watch the movie.
Comment by Ho Chi Minh
Like a baby, Uncle Ho. Snakes are our friends — they take care of stupid people in god-awful, but super fun movies!
August 22nd, 2006 at 8:59 pmdixie
August 22nd, 2006 at 9:13 pmYes, the machines are notoriously “hackable.” But I have not heard how one can do a write in on a machine.
Like many who have posted here, I, too, used to like McCain. But haven’t you heard? All that torture in Vietnam made him CRAZY! I know that because George the Presidunce told me so – and we all know that he would NEVER, EVER lie! If the Republicans could beat John Kerry with the “flip-flop” mantra, how much easier will it be to paint McCain as the “Pong” candidate? He is now prone to contradicting himself in the same interview!?! Sad … really … Sad!
August 22nd, 2006 at 9:55 pmThats a decieving post. First of all the McCain qouteon Hardball was taken from March of 2003. Secondly, he has been one of the more critical members of the blunders in Iraq. We should also thank are lucky asses we have a hardworking public-servant such as McCain who does his best to save tax-payers as much money as possible.
I also want to comment on some people’s suggestion that we turn US oil companies over to the State, as well as the drugs and hospitals so we can have “free healthcare”.
August 22nd, 2006 at 10:01 pmFirst of all if stateism worked the Soviet Union would still be around & North Korea would be the greatest country on earth. State control does nothing and is simply an argument for communism. State owned oil companies are one of the main reason’s why we have a lot of the enviromental/ supply shortage problems today. Venezuala, Mexio, and Norway are all producing less oil than they were a few years ago. Mainly , becuase of poor state management. Russia’s state contolled oil companies also committed numerous enviromental accidents, and there are actually pond sized puddles of oil throughout Russia.
“Should McCain vie for presidency in 2008″. — huh?? You don’t think they promised McCain the top sport on the ticket in 2008 when he sucked up to Bush iin 2000 and again in 2004. They’re gonna stuff McCain and Condelezza Rice down our throats in 08.
August 22nd, 2006 at 10:22 pm[...] Fuck John McCain [...]
August 23rd, 2006 at 12:40 amThe CYA similarities between McCain and Lieberman are pretty evident. The only difference the two is that Leiberman must turn public opinion in his favor withihn the next two and one half months. McCain has two and one half years.
August 23rd, 2006 at 2:42 amWatched the NBC evening news last night. They reported McCain’s criticism of Bush. Not suprisingly they didn’t report that McCain has made similar statments. What an absolute joke. I’ve run out of words to describe my disdain for the corporate media. How does Brian Williams look himself in the mirror? How does he accept his paycheck with a clear conscience?
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:14 amAhh, ‘Cheeks’ McCain does it again.
August 23rd, 2006 at 9:17 amIf he’s not dancing with Bush, he’s pretending
to be something he’s not.
John…you’re not anything but an asskissing
flip flopping spineless politician.
Get over it.
#13 – Obama would win in a landslide? Read what you just said. 30% of the country would get out of bed in the middle of the night to vote against him. 30% would stay home.
The Dems couldn’t win in a landslide if they nominated Oprah Winfrey.
It’s time to start thinking about a 3rd party.
August 23rd, 2006 at 10:44 am“How does Brian Williams look himself in the mirror? How does he accept his paycheck with a clear conscience?” it helps immensely that it’s a mighty big paycheck
August 23rd, 2006 at 12:08 pm“paul miller we all do respect but do you blow brian?” — what kind of comment is THAT? if you can’t figure out an ironic comment it doesn’t mean you have to go in the gutter, brother.
August 23rd, 2006 at 5:23 pmMcain being a ex veteran should know about fighting somebody war in VN and siding with crazy Bushy/Cheney/Rum would inflame more anger as Bush say himeself that Saddam was not involved in 9/11 and still refuse to claim that he misled the Whole World that WMD were in Iraq. Impeached the War Present and bring him to heel before more damage been done to American Integrity World Wide. Whoever is elected, please get to the roots of the present crisis. These President have not make any intention and has abandon its Road Map and further infuriate by Hamas being elected by its People. Bush claim Democracy but does he justify ignoring the Palestian Pride and lately what happen to Lebanon. Wish US foreign Policy to get back to its feet and regain the trust and love of all nationalities.
August 24th, 2006 at 10:23 pmLooks like McCain needs to go back to the factory and get regrooved, sounds like the Manchurian Candidate is thinking on his own again.
August 24th, 2006 at 10:44 pmWhen he was a prisoner of war and was tortured I think they kicked him in the head to many times.
During the 1999 presidental primarys the idiot was taken down by stacks of lies and then turned into Bushs lapdog. And now he’s running for pres again. Something stinks in Washington besides Bushs’ Farts.
The world knows Bush & co are awful! The Democrats could put Michael Moore and Donald Duck on the 2008 ticket and should still win. Bush may not have sold his soul to the devil but he’s certainly sold his soul to China. How do americans think this farcical war on terror has been financed? All the Chinese have to do is sell all their T bills and the US is f#$*ed.
August 25th, 2006 at 11:15 amAlso, China and Russia will never let Bush bomb Iran because both are big trading partners with Iran. If the US do bomb Iran, the dollar will sink like a proverbial stone and gas prices will sky-rocket. Bye bye Empire!
The US empire peaked on September 10th, 2001. From then on it’s all been downhill.
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March 18th, 2008 at 6:56 pm[...] And from the man who claims his judgment qualifies him to be Commander-in-Chief: “I believe that the success will be fairly easy.” (9/24/02) – “We’re not going to have a bloodletting of trading American bodies for Iraqi bodies.” (9/29/02) – “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily.” (1/22/03) – “[T]here’s no doubt in my mind, once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators.” (3/24/03) —Senator John McCain [...]
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