Joe Klein: ‘McCain, Whether You Agree With Him Or Not, Has Been Entirely Consistent About The War’
Joe Klein: ‘McCain, Whether You Agree With Him Or Not, Has Been Entirely Consistent About The War’
The New York Times reported this weekend, “Seven years ago, [Sen. John] McCain charmed the news media and the public with his Straight Talk Express bus tour.” In Feb. 2000, Joe Klein wrote a New Yorker article entitled “The Fascinatin’ John McCain.” For Klein, the McCain charm has yet to wear off:
McCain, whether you agree with him or not, has been entirely consistent about the war.
Just because Sen. McCain has called for an increase in troop levels for three years does not mean he has had an “entirely consistent” position on Iraq. Here are just a few recent examples of McCain’s inconsistencies:
– McCain called for sending “another 20,000 troops” to Iraq. He endorsed Bush’s escalation strategy, but later claimed, “I would have liked to have seen more” troops on the ground.
– McCain claimed the Iraq war has been “easy,” except that he also “knew it was probably going to be long and hard and tough.”
– McCain claimed he “bitterly disagreed” with the Iraq strategy from the beginning, except that he previously said, “We will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.”
– McCain was for withdrawing U.S. troops to the border of Iraq if escalation failed, but then later backtracked, saying he would only consider redeployment if “we have the situation under control.”
– McCain wants to establish benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet, but “can’t tell you” what they are.
– McCain said that escalation could not bring about results in “a few months,” but then claimed, “I think in the case of the Iraqi government cooperating and doing what’s necessary, we can know fairly well in a few months.”
To Joe Klein, a record like that is entirely consistent.
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“bartender, i’ll have one of whatever he’s drinking”
February 5th, 2007 at 12:46 pmMr. Klein, you can’t be that dumb.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:47 pmhacker bob, this one’s for you
hillary’s gotta make sure those center of the road independents don’t vote for mccain
February 5th, 2007 at 12:48 pmConsistent with the war is the very reason he is “toast” as a candidate for president. “Toast” is why I hope is the GOP nominee for president.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:48 pmJoe, just STFU. You have nothing to offer. You are beyond clueless. Please stop polluting the atmosphere with your idiocy.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:49 pmMcCain has been “Entirely consistent about the war’….!!! McCain changes his words and postions at least once a week,so how can he be consistent for years…?!!
February 5th, 2007 at 12:51 pmKlein is full of crap, because McCain is a flip-flopper and a warmongering fruitcake too.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:56 pmI’ve tried to forget all about Time Magazine, since I ended my subscription. However, my memory is that Mr. Klein is far from the paragon of consistency. So, with himself as a yardstick, McCain may measure up as highly consistent.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:56 pmSince no improvement is being made on the Iraq War, we need to spend our resources on other issues such as global poverty in order to discourage more terrorism and wars. According to the Borgen Project, in reality only .16% of our federal budget is spent on poverty reduction, the least among wealthy nations. We should let our representatives know that we want change.
February 5th, 2007 at 12:57 pmConsistently constant in his incredulous inconsistency……
February 5th, 2007 at 12:58 pm(is that what you mean, Joe?)
A vote to fillibuster the non binding anti surge resolution is the same as voting against the resolution. Lets see how the 2008 GOP Senate candiates vote…
State Name Party Seniority Election
AK Ted Stevens R Sr 2008
February 5th, 2007 at 1:00 pmAL Jefferson Sessions R Jr 2008
CO Wayne Allard R Sr 2008
GA C. Saxby Chambliss R Sr 2008
ID Larry Craig R Sr 2008
KS Pat Roberts R Jr 2008
KY Mitch McConnell R Sr 2008
ME Susan Collins R Jr 2008
MN Norm Coleman R Jr 2008
MS Thad Cochran R Sr 2008
NC Elizabeth Dole R Sr 2008
NE Charles Hagel R Sr 2008
NH John Sununu R Jr 2008
NM Pete Domenici R Sr 2008
OK James Inhofe R Sr 2008
OR Gordon Harold Smith R Jr 2008
SC Lindsey Graham R Sr 2008
TN Lamar Alexander R Jr 2008
TX John Cornyn R Jr 2008
VA John Warner R Sr 2008
WY Michael Enzi R Jr 2008
gotta propogate the propoganda… that’s all…
February 5th, 2007 at 1:05 pmtypical shill…
Here is Time Magazine’s FAX number: 1-212-522-8949. Send a FAX to Time editor demanding that Joe Klein be terminated from employment!
February 5th, 2007 at 1:05 pmI must disagree with #1, I don’t want any of what he is drinking.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:08 pmhope the mental health authorities have their eye on this one, for it clearly can’t read, hear, or see. does it drive?
Joe Klein, STOP giving John McCain the benefit of the doubt! McCain is an unmitigated scoundrel, a lunatic opportunist, a psychoceramic(i.e., CRACKPOT), a lying, yellow-bellied, FLIP-FLOPPING coward and UN-American a knave as they come! McCain ought to SHUT THE HELL UP and keep his diseased, vile yap-trap CLOSED with regard to Iraq–not only is he sending our brave American soldiers to die in Iraq for the sake of the jingostic demagogue fascists headed by CHIMPya, Torticola Cheney and the neocons, he is sacrificing American lives for the sake of his own political gain, i.e., the repugnant-repub(aka republican) nomination for president in 2008! McCain WILL BURN IN HELL FOREVER for his betrayal of the American People, along with CHIMPya, Torticola Cheney, and the neocons!
February 5th, 2007 at 1:08 pmSure! His stance has always been consistently changing.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:09 pmI agree with Klein. Mc Ping-Pong has consistently flip-flopped about the war.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:10 pma psychoceramic(i.e., CRACKPOT)
LOL I am so glad that I was not taking a drink at the time I read this or I’d need a new laptop.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:18 pmis the name of his column called “Man Crush”?
February 5th, 2007 at 1:18 pmJoe Klein just put the final nail in Flipper McCain’s “coffin”! His campaign is all but finito!!
February 5th, 2007 at 1:21 pmMaybe when Time fires Joe Klein he can become McCain’s illustrious already-railroaded campaign manager??
February 5th, 2007 at 1:22 pmJoe Klein has such drag queen eyebrows. I guess that’s one reason to like him.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:25 pmcould you find a pic of klien that makes him look less like a desperate aging gay hustler?
February 5th, 2007 at 1:27 pmdoes anyone even really listen to what this guy has to say anymore?
February 5th, 2007 at 1:37 pmKlein is as dumb as a post.
He writes this: “I disagreed with him [McCain] about going to war in 2003…”
Thing is, Klein’s already been busted for this lie. Atrios I think, dug up the relevant quote. So yeah, it’s dumb to try the same debunked lie in any walk of life – but it’s especially dumb in the blogosphere.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:40 pmJoe Klein is a lousy columnist. Molly Ivins who just passed away was so better than Klein could ever dream to be. Time magazine should look for a replacement for him immediately.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:41 pm#
Here is Time Magazine’s FAX number: 1-212-522-8949. Send a FAX to Time editor demanding that Joe Klein be terminated from employment!
Comment by Jay Randal — February 5, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
Jay, I agree with you on most of your posts, but I can’t on this one. Progressives can’t be seen as people wanting to interfere with freedom of the press. That has been, and should remain, the domain of the far-right.
February 5th, 2007 at 1:46 pmHere are some more things McCain said about the war that I am sure he would rather forget, from his speech at the 2004 Republican Convention:
Only the most deluded of us could doubt the necessity of this war….
That is not just an expression of our strength. It’s a measure of our wisdom. That’s why I commend to my country the re-election of President Bush, and the steady, experienced, public-spirited man who serves as our Vice-President, Dick Cheney…..
President Bush made the difficult decision to liberate Iraq. Those who criticize that decision would have us believe that the choice was between a status quo that was well enough left alone and war…..
For his determination to undertake it [the War in Iraq] and for his unflagging resolve to see it through to a just end, President Bush deserves not only our support, but our admiration.
February 5th, 2007 at 2:06 pmYeah, consistently indecisive.
February 5th, 2007 at 2:26 pmPS – if needless conflict is an “expression of wisdom,” I’d hate to see ignorance…
February 5th, 2007 at 2:27 pmPost 27 impeachcheneythenbush > Time magazine is not representative of the free press. Time has decided to back the Bush Regime and Joe Klein is one of the defenders of the GOP and Bush as well.
February 5th, 2007 at 2:43 pmMethinks Mr. Klein…
…be a Joe Lieberman (AIPAC-Independent)…
February 5th, 2007 at 2:53 pmBAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA!!!!!!!!!!!
February 5th, 2007 at 3:14 pm#
Post 27 impeachcheneythenbush > Time magazine is not representative of the free press. Time has decided to back the Bush Regime and Joe Klein is one of the defenders of the GOP and Bush as well.
Comment by Jay Randal — February 5, 2007 @ 2:43 pm
It would make more sense (and energy) to work with your representatives in Congress to break up corporate control of the media and reform the FCC. THAT reality is the real threat to a free press, not an individual newspaper, news magazine or reporter. Impossible to defeat an enemy if we can’t identify who they really are.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:23 pmJoe Klein, put down the tweezers and back away — slowly!
Oy.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:39 pmKlein give me a damn break already. Between Klein and Matthews I don’t know who’s head in up Mc-Goffballs ass further. McCain, all you need to know about the war hero is this, “2000″ republican smear job on his family by Bush and company and he is the front man for this administration.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:44 pmJoe Klein is a political Zelig always trying to catch a ride on the newest star. Being a good columnist is not about being an admirer and sycophant then but looking at FACTS and forming an opinion …not the other way around.
February 5th, 2007 at 3:46 pmNow who’s being sarcastic? No one could be THAT sardonic and not be looking for even a remote chuckle. As crude as Lenny Bruce could be, even HE had scruples, compared to … what’s this guys name?
February 5th, 2007 at 4:18 pmAw, c’mon guys. This is about two things:
1. You know McCain is the likely pick, so you’re going to lambaste him in any way you can, even when it’s a fairly weak shot like this post.
2. You’re still upset about how effective the Kerry “flip flopping” barb was, and have been (Mother) Jonesin’ ever since for a Repub you could pin that moniker to.
McCain is a hawk, and if it’s possible for anyone to have earned it, he’s earned it. I will absolutely grant that he’s been forced to shill for the Neocons, which kind of sickens me. I will also grant that he has had evolving opinions about HOW to prosecute this war. But he’s probably been one of the most consistent voices on this conflict all along. If the quotes you dug up are the worst you could find, I could probably find many contradictions just as bad from your favorite libs.
I know you want to bust Johnny’s chops, but this ain’t the issue. Bust him for being a hawk when you like peace. Bust him for being anti gay marriage. But McCain flip-flopping? On the WAR? You’ll get nowhere on that one.
- Unaffliated Kit
February 5th, 2007 at 4:59 pmA foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
He may be 100% wrong, but by God he will stick with it to the end.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:11 pmKit, McCain flips and flops so hard that if he were a democrat, his career would already be over. Recently, as documented by this site, he actually went on This Week and flip-flopped in a record 47 seconds.
As far as Kline is concerned, the record shows he was obsessed with Clinton’s cock and now he obviously has a bad case of man-love for the cowardly, flip-flopping McCaine. I still say that for McCaine to embrace the very people who trashed him and his wife in North Carolina is the act of a cowardly phony.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:12 pmIncidently, Kit, for at least two months now, Hillary Clinton consistently has beaten McCaine head-to-head in polls when people are asked which one they’d prefer as president. So, fine. Let’s have the cowardly flip-flopping politician who is obviously devoid of values as your nominee. That will be fun. Let’s have the guy who backed the “surge” against the will of 65% of the American people.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:15 pmConsistently flip-flopping.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:15 pmIs Joe sipping at the sherry in the pantry? Where has he been – certainly he’s not listening to McCain.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:29 pmIs Joe sipping at the sherry in the pantry? Where has he been – certainly he’s not listening to McCain.
Comment by Marie
He’s been at the salon — having his eyebrows “done.” Oy.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:32 pmHitler was just as committed to his war too, Klein you shit-for-brains.
February 5th, 2007 at 6:41 pmKit,
I don’t know why you think that McCain will be the pick. His position on the war started whipsawing all over the map after he saw his poll numbers slaughtered in New Hamshire when he came out in favor of escalation. McCain is causing himself enormous damage right now, and I for one will celebrate if the GOP makes him the nominee.
Wake up and smell the coffee, Kit. McCain is toast.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:14 pmJoe Klein is a poster child for the toxic effect that Washington “values” have on the press.
February 5th, 2007 at 8:16 pm