McCain, Graham Used Iraq War Critics’ Strategy to Increase Pressure on Maliki
McCain, Graham Used Iraq War Critics’ Strategy to Increase Pressure on Maliki
Echoing Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) Iraq speech last week, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) defended the Iraq escalation this morning on Fox News and said that Congress’ efforts to set a withdrawal timeline would do nothing to pressure the Iraqi government to reach a political reconciliation:
The day you set timelines and deadlines, you undo the ability to reconcile, you empower our enemy and give them a road map to defeat us.
But as the New York Times revealed, when McCain and Graham sat down for dinner with Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki during their recent visit to Baghdad, McCain conveniently used those very calls for withdrawal from Congress as a means to “motivate the Maliki government“:
“So how do you motivate the Maliki government? Well, one of the ways is go sit down and have dinner with him like Lindsey Graham and I did last week,” he said, alluding to his Republican colleague from South Carolina. He said that he and Mr. Graham had warned Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki that the patience of the American public was running out. Many members of the Bush administration and other lawmakers have met with Mr. Maliki to make the same point.
“We’re telling you, there’s been votes in both houses of Congress which portend, unless the American people see measurable success, that we’re going to be out of here,” Mr. McCain said, recalling the message he had delivered to the Iraqi leader. “No matter whether I happen to agree with it or not.”
Today, on Fox News Sunday, Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) called out Graham and McCain for their double-talk in harshly attacking war critics publicly and then using their strategy behind closed-doors. Watch it:
This is not the first time war proponents have noted that calls for decreased troop presence have aided in their strategy with the Iraqi government. In February, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used the “restiveness in Washington” as part of her diplomatic strategy to increase pressure on the Iraqi government. Last month, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said he thought the “debate here on the Hill… [has] been helpful in bringing pressure to bear on the Maliki government.”
Transcript:
GRAHAM: My point is that it took us 13 years to write our constitution. Then we had our own civil war. Political reconciliation is moving forward. Did we tell the iraqis while we were there, Senator McCain and myself, they need to get on with it? Yes. Senator Levin understands political reconciliation is necessary to win in Iraq. He has a different way of getting there. The day you set timelines and deadlines, you undo the ability to reconcile, you empower our enemy and give them a road map to defeat us.
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LEVIN: By the way, ironically, according to today’s New York Times, Senator McCcain was using our votes that he voted against, using our votes in Iraq at a dinner with Maliki to put pressure on Maliki to reach a political settlement. Senator McCain and I think Senator Graham was at that dinner, according to the New York Times, told Maliki that those votes portend a reduction in support of Americans for the Iraqis.
WALLACE: Senator Graham, is that true?
LEVIN: I’m glad he used that pressure.
GRAHAM: We — we have been putting pressure on the Maliki government every time I’ve been there. I’ve been there for six trips.
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Um… Wanna buy a rug? I got’em real cheap!
April 15th, 2007 at 10:54 amWell done Senator Levin!
April 15th, 2007 at 10:55 amSouth Korea draws up Iraq pullout plan
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, on a visit to Seoul, said in an interview with the Hangyoreh newspaper that he believes South Korea could start withdrawing its troops “in the near future.”
Now Maliki should ask the Yanks to leave,
92% Sunnis want this ,
79% of the Shias
the problem with polls are the Kurds 67%
America please leave let the Iraqis get on with their lifes and YOU TOO get on with keeping your own house in Order
also thousands of Iraqi have been trained in Iran to kick your asses when Bush starts more trouble
April 15th, 2007 at 10:57 amExactly what do they think they are pressuring Maliki to do? I would think that most Iraqis feel that Maliki is at best a weak leader. and at worst a puppet. He can’t control his own military and he can provide neither security not economic strategy. The best he can do is to advance the oil companies agenda, and I suspect it is this that he he is being pressured to do. There isn’t anything he else he can do.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:07 amNotice the pic of Sen. Graham > he lies so much that his face is becoming distorted. Those who support and defend the Bush Regime, and the Iraq Fiasco War, have become criminally insane and it shows on their faces.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:12 amI agree with Tobey Tall. We should get out of South Korea.
As for Senator Levin, sorry his feelings are hurt but we’re trying to win a war here.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:13 amMcCain, Graham! WTF! Does anybody listen to these douchebags anymore. Please, come next election these two fools are going to need those diebold machines to work overtime.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:19 amMaliki is at best a weak leader. and at worst a puppet
I think you got that right. What is really sad is that the U.S. has the same problem right now. That is the unspoken truth that lies beneath the surface of the current debate over troop withdrawal timelines.
Most Congressmen would probably tacitly agree that either (1) the Iraq invasion was a stupid idea in the first place or (2) badly bungled from an occupation and security standpoint.
GDumbya is like a little two-year-old who is wandering around the house banging holes in the walls with a hammer. Right now, everyone seems to be debating about how to patch the walls when we should just plain take his hammer away.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:19 am“I think it’s also important for the president to lay out a timetable as to how long they will be involved and when they will be withdrawn.â€
April 15th, 2007 at 11:19 amMaliki is at best a weak leader. and at worst a puppet
I think you got that right. What is really sad is that the U.S. has the same problem right now. That is the unspoken truth that lies beneath the surface of the current debate over troop withdrawal timelines.
Most Congressmen would probably tacitly agree that either (1) the Iraq invasion was a stupid idea in the first place or (2) was badly bungled from an occupation and security standpoint.
GDumbya is like a little two-year-old who is wandering around the house banging holes in the walls with a hammer. Right now, everyone seems to be debating about how to patch the walls when we should just plain take his hammer away.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:21 amMcCain says there is no plan B. Hope is not a plan.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:26 amAnd McCain says he doesn’t have a plan B. Hope is not a strategy.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:28 amMeanwhile, back in DC:
Nothing Improper
By Alberto R. Gonzales
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/14/AR2007041401010.html?nav=hcmodule
April 15th, 2007 at 11:38 amComment by Tom — April 15, 2007 @ 11:19 am
Good analogy. But taking away Dumbya’s toys mens taking them away from Dick and the rest of the neocons. It’s those people that the Dems are scared to take on.
Short of genocide, there will never be united Iraq in the forseeable future. Cheney, et, al. know this, and don’t care. They are just trying to salvag something, and that something is access to the oil reserves. Why they think this is a doable thing in a country where everybody is armed to the hilt and hates Americans is beyond me. The RNC is trying to salvage something to, namely, the tatters of there rule over America, which was supposed to last for decades, and now may not survive the next election.
Both parties are willing to sacrifice more servicemen and women to accomplish this. Apparently the Dems are too. The only parties calling for a real end is the Greens and the Libertaians, and they have been carefully engineered out of power by a half century of bogus campaign and election “reform” designed to entrench the Demo-publican party.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:42 amAny one else still having site, posting problem’s.? Like in the past when ever thing’s were changed at TP my computer is going into melt down…Have a good day….Blessings
April 15th, 2007 at 11:45 amThey use the tactics that the Dems advise, but they condemn the Dems for the same tactics.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:46 amThey have no plan other than to continue the war, but they condemn the Dems for planning to end it.
They talk from both sides of their mouths; they want it both ways; they are unbelievably hypocritical.
Tom I posted a repsonse but TP deleted it, for some reason.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:51 amI agree with gogreen (4.). The arrogance of both factions of the war party in the US is really breathtaking. “Pressuring” Maliki? Excuse me? We invaded the damn country for no reason, now we think we can tell them what to do? WTF?
April 15th, 2007 at 11:51 am#13 – Briseadh na Faire
If Abu Gonzales is breathing, he’s lying.
I can’t wait for him to lie under oath….
April 15th, 2007 at 11:52 amThe war mongers are always speaking of winning a war that they have already lost. They have had no plan, they have no play and they will never have a plan. This war is over and it was lost by the same war mongers. Why would any thinking human being think that those who lost a war, now have a plan for success? If you believe anyone who supports Dubya, you are a compleate, unadulterated fool…just like he is. The worst President, with the most corrupt administration in the history of the United States of America. Stand firm. stand tall and stand against the evil Bush Crime Family. Bring our troops home and take our country back from these fascist thugs.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:56 am“we have been putting pressure on the Maliki government every time I’ve been there. I’ve been there for six trips. ” BUSTED!!! I hope that the Faux news crowd noticed that Mr. Graham didn’t answer the question Levin asked him. Must mean that it is true. The amount of hypocrisy in the Republic side of the government is breathtaking.
April 15th, 2007 at 11:57 amIran trains ‘thousands’ of Iraqi insurgents
Thousands of Iraqi Shias are being trained in advanced guerrilla warfare tactics at a secret camp near the Iranian capital, according to militants who say they have spent time there.
We were taught how to attack the Americans, we learned all the modern ways to shoot down helicopters and destroy tanks and armoured vehicles. It is preparation for the time when we will have a big battle with the occupiers.”
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2449980.ece
April 15th, 2007 at 11:58 am“As for Senator Levin, sorry his feelings are hurt but we’re trying to win a war here. Comment by Jose Chung”
Senator Levin’s feelings were not hurt. He simply spoke the truth. And he asked Graham a question that he did not answer.
Jose…please describe for me what “winning” means. How will we “win” this war (other than getting the Iraq parliament to sign the bill that steals 70% of Iraq’s oil for 30 years…that’s the win Bush is after).
April 15th, 2007 at 12:02 pmIn order for a political solution to emerge in Iraq, the Government has to 1. Divide the oil revenues equally, to the satisfaction of all.
April 15th, 2007 at 12:04 pm2. Re enfranchise the Sunni’s by restoring former Bath Party Members into the Government and the Military
3. Ammend the constitution to protect the rights of all Iraqis.
4. Restore the infrastructure.
The Government of Iraq has made NO PROGRESS on any of these matters. The Democrats message to Bush and The Iraqi’s is that TIME IS RUNNING OUT!
And the notion that timetables will allow the terrorists to bomb us with suitcase Nukes is nonsense. How will stretching our military to the breaking point, and borrowing the money to pay for all this from the Chinese stop an attack on our Homeland.
Lets not talk about the manipulation by fox – lets just focus on the graham method of sticking to the talking points. It is embarassing that the fraud of “free speech” exists any longer in this country. (if it ever did) Grahams’ job was to spew out the concept that there is successes occuring on all three levels -military, political, and who the hell remembers the third lie!
April 15th, 2007 at 12:19 pmIf we can just focus on the Liar then they can’t succeed. Tuesday – April 17th– if gonzo shows up. The future of this country might just be hannging on what comes out of the hearing!!
When there’s noone left to kill, the killing will stop. Simple.
April 15th, 2007 at 12:41 pmI worship at the Church of the Holy Trinity:Chicken, Biscuits, and Gravy!!
April 15th, 2007 at 12:49 pm[...] McCain’s remarks encapsulated the contradictions wracking the US ruling elite. [...]
April 15th, 2007 at 12:54 pm3299 tommoro the headlines will hide this fact
April 15th, 2007 at 1:01 pm14, yes, we’re all having problems.
the tag buttons don’t work for some reason. NSA maybe?
Ever notice that the uglier the news gets, the less likely it is for TP to work properly?
April 15th, 2007 at 1:13 pmSo, since they ARE public figures, can we start calling them “White Neocon hos” now?
/sarcasm — just asking!
April 15th, 2007 at 1:15 pmI have a brilliant idea!
When Wolfowitz gets canned next week at the World Bank, GDumbya should offer him that “war czar” job that all the retired generals have turned down.
That is sure to get things on track!
Heck, GDumbya could even offer Wolfie’s little fvck-buddy a high-paying job, too.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:21 pmCareful Tobey, you see that word ‘independent’ in your link? that means the MSM won’t touch it!
April 15th, 2007 at 1:23 pm14, yes, we’re all having problems.
the tag buttons don’t work for some reason. NSA maybe?
Ever notice that the uglier the news gets, the less likely it is for TP to work properly?
Comment by Briseadh na Faire — April 15, 2007 @ 1:13 pm
We’ve put up with these problems for 7 months now. This crap started back when discussions of Path to 9/11 were being posted here. We keep seeing messages every now and then from the administrators telling us that the problems are being addressed, but we still have the issue with the basic postings: notes taking a long time to appear, or not appearing at all.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:45 pmMccain is fast losing credibility among US voters because of his out of date stand on Iraq pullout issue. He has lost my support.
April 15th, 2007 at 1:55 pmMcCain and Graham are whores.*
*Apologies to whores.
April 15th, 2007 at 3:29 pmThe Democrats are showing some guts.
On these talk shows, week after week, Republican commentators will interrupt and re-direct a conversation or run the clock out by tying sentences together one after another, with no way to politely interject.
I think that perhaps the viewing public is becoming more aware of these types of rhetorical “cheats” and is increasingly turned off by them.
Democratic reps are finally learning to respond by 1) not allowing themselves to be interrupted mid-sentence and 2) refusing to allow a red herring to be thrown into the middle of a discussion.
It’s a start.
April 15th, 2007 at 3:56 pmLindsey Graham Ceeracka…
…is a criminal Bushite worshipping TRAITOR…
…just like all conned’self-serving Repulsivescum…
…I pray we get to HANG them all…
…by taking their personal assets, making them poor, and disgraced…
April 15th, 2007 at 4:39 pmL. Graham made a jackass of himself today. He was practically hysterical in his zeal to denounce Democrats and challenge Levin.
April 15th, 2007 at 6:01 pmI think he was embarrassed by the publicity of his stupid remark last week of “I got 5 rugs for $5.” Ha ha. At one time, I gave him the benefit of the doubt – with his being a JAG officer and all, but I have come to the sad realization that he is a loyalist who will even sell his own soul for Bush&Co.
BTW, It’s about three months now — we were supposed to know if the surge is working within two to three months.
Yet, we hear that more troops are on their way; the surge is extended to well past September, and present troops are under stop-loss.
Apparently the verbal offal of “the surge is working” is empty rhetoric.
And the bombings go on.
Comment by Marie #36
…Is this…
…”Groundhog Day”…
…the movie?
April 15th, 2007 at 6:05 pmThey keep telling us they need a little more time – the old Tom Friedman line of “6 more months” – but that was a mockery so they said the surge needed 2 – 3 months.
April 15th, 2007 at 6:15 pmWe’re there guys – and it’s still SSDD.
Just like Groundhog Day, big papa.
As for Senator Levin, sorry his feelings are hurt but we’re trying to win a war here. -Comment by Juang Chang
Ah Mr. Juan “Iraq is no more dangerous than Brazil” CHang..
Please explain to me which political party it is that are the “good guys” we are supposed to help “win”?
the Iranian backed SCIRI? Sadr’s Party who wants us out? The Sunni political parties? please, give me the details of your brilliant plans on “winning”…
April 16th, 2007 at 1:59 amPls stay in Iraq, pleassse stay in Iraq, pleassssee stay in Iraq.
Pls don’t build new schools or roads or rebuild New Orleans or improve health care.
Pls just stay in Iraq and become a failed state back home. Better still fight Iran!
hahaahahahahahahaah
April 16th, 2007 at 5:47 amBTW…Hilary Benn, the British International development secretary was in NYC today giving a speech warning that the term “war On Terror” can actually strengthen insurgent groups “by letting them feel part of something bigger”.
April 16th, 2007 at 6:13 amIn December, the UK Foreign Office instructed cabinet ministers to stop using the phrase, and sent out advice to UK diplomats around the world that it should be avoided.
No. 41. Royston Vasey
Thanks for the update. This is fantastic news! If this catches on in this country it will destroy the most powerful talking point BushCo has in its arsenal!.
April 16th, 2007 at 10:40 amSadly the MSM will have to be on board and I don’t see a strong chance of that… Maybe the progressives in Congress could jump start awareness??? Maybe we should all write letters to them regarding this issue. What do you all think?
Arianna has an interesting column @ HuffPo. An excerpt:
“I see dead people.” So Nora Ephron told me earlier this week. And no, she wasn’t having a supernatural experience. She was talking about people like Don Imus, Alberto Gonzales, Paul Wolfowitz, Karl Rove, Isiah Thomas, and John McCain.”
Yes, IMO they are dead men walking! No doubt with more to come as the multifarious neo-con and Republican scandles come to light.
April 16th, 2007 at 11:00 amWOW!!! This is really bad news for BushCo! When those who used to be your strong supporters come out publically with a vote of no confidence in the way you are handling business its time to start sweating. Talk about “Dead men walking.”
Conservatives to Bush: Fire Gonzales
Read the article here
Excerpts:
In what could prove an embarrassing new setback for embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on the eve of his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, a group of influential conservatives and longtime Bush supporters has written a letter to the White House to call for his resignation.
Signatories to the letter include Bruce Fein, a former senior official in the Reagan Justice Department, who has worked frequently with current Administration and the Republican National Committee to promote Bush’s court nominees; David Keene, chairman of the influential American Conservative Union, one of the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots conservative groups, Richard Viguerie, a well-known GOP direct mail expert and fundraiser, Bob Barr, the former Republican congressman from Georgia and free speech advocate, as well as John Whitehead, head of the Rutherford Institute, a conservative non-forit active in fighting for what it calls religious freedoms.
April 16th, 2007 at 11:12 amI especially like the idea of taking all their wealth and possessions, but also they should loose all benefits and privileges afforded to gov’t employees, and go to prison These people are actually criminals, they are at least traitors, and liars, as well as war profiteers.
Let’s not forget the Dems. have to share a lot of this as well, they voted for the war and the Patriot Act. I say let’s do a clean sweep next election, and try some new blood all around.
April 16th, 2007 at 7:51 pm