CAUGHT ON TAPE: McCain Supported ‘Precipitous Withdrawal’ From Somalia, Haiti
CAUGHT ON TAPE: McCain Supported ‘Precipitous Withdrawal’ From Somalia, Haiti
This morning, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), gave several television interviews in which he vigorously advocated staying the course in Iraq. He told the CBS Early Show, “[T]here is progress being made…we’ve got to at least give this new strategy a chance to succeed.”
McCain further claimed, “I don’t recall a time in history while men and women are fighting and sacrificing that one of our major leaders has said that the conflict is lost.” On two separate occasions during the Clinton administration, however, he argued for the approval of legislation guaranteeing the removal of U.S. forces from foreign engagements, regardless of the consequences:
October 1994 — McCain argued for the precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Haiti: “In my view that does not mean as soon as order is restored to Haiti. It does not mean as soon as democracy is flourishing in Haiti. It does not mean as soon as we have established a viable nation in Haiti. As soon as possible means as soon we can get out of Haiti without losing any American lives.” [Senate Floor, 10/6/94]
October 1993 — McCain argued against giving any strategy the chance to succeed in Somalia: “Mr. President, can anyone seriously argue that another 6 months of United States forces in harm’s way means the difference between peace and prosperity in Somalia and war and starvation there? Is that very dim prospect worth one more American life? No, it is not.” [Senate Floor, 10/14/93]
Watch his statements:
McCain has conveniently forgotten his previous statements. He now calls the position he took in ‘93 and ‘94 “precipitous withdrawal” and “surrender.”
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog Roll
But he wasnt seeing a penny in those cases. Now, it´s a different story.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:48 pmUse the O’Reilly defense
I was misquoted and taken out of context… who cares if its on tape…
April 26th, 2007 at 4:49 pmWho cares, the dude has no chance of becoming president anyway. None of us would vote for him. “Us” being Republicans. Well, maybe 3 or 4 that live in Timbuktu.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:49 pmThat’s what happens when you feel compelled to say whatever you think fits your story at the time without thinking your response through.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:50 pmComment by Jenn — April 26, 2007 @ 4:49 pm
Timbuktu isn’t yet in the USA.
A shiney nickel for you if you’re capable of placing Timbuktu without the help of “the tubes”.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:53 pmI’m sending this to Fox News. They report and let us decide. Do you think they’ll report this? me neither.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:53 pmHe is a loon – so out of touch.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:54 pmWhat do you expect? He’s an old guy, probably can’t remember what he ate for breakfast this morning.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:54 pmSpend all the time you like going after McCain, he won’t be the Republican nominee anyhow. Conservatives don’t like him….Too wishy-washy.
April 26th, 2007 at 4:54 pmThe
April 26th, 2007 at 4:57 pmStraight TalkHypocrite Express keeps a moving along.Nice job, Ryan Powers!!! WTG!!!!!
So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde,
April 26th, 2007 at 4:57 pmAnd that’s it, hanging on the shed.
Comment by Jenn — April 26, 2007 @ 4:49 pm
Timbuktu isn’t yet in the USA.
A shiney nickel for you if you’re capable of placing Timbuktu without the help of “the tubesâ€.
Comment by Evil Spaniard — April 26, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
jenn is just another repuke troll. Timbuktu isn’t on her talking point sheet, she was just being creative. Which means she won’t even be able to find it with a map.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:00 pmLook!
April 26th, 2007 at 5:00 pmUp in the sky!
He’s blowing East!
He’s blowing West!
It’s Weathervane John McCain!
He needs to cut back on publicity for now. Every time he walks he steps on his pr*ck. I wish he would win the nomination though. Now that would be some fun.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:01 pmSuch idiots running for (R) prez…. the neocons know it as listen, when you are around them, who they plan on voting for in the primaries = the least likely Democratic candidate they think will win the presidency.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:02 pmIt is a very sad day for them when all they can do is vote to sabotage.
go ryan powers, guest! … good find!
April 26th, 2007 at 5:02 pmdo you guys have a tote board at TP?
:-)
flippety-floppety
April 26th, 2007 at 5:04 pmMcCain will be blown out by Christmas.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:05 pmThanksgiving, if we’re lucky, and that will be truly something to be thankful for.
Ummm, I thought people grew wiser with age. A lot of Republicans recently seem to be forgetting what they said in the past.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:07 pmMust be Republican groupthink. That is, Alzheimer groupthink.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:11 pmwhat a god-damned shill. a f#cking douche bag of the `nth degree —period. this guy is not a maverick- he is a traitor. a politicized traitor. he makes me sick as he should everyone else.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:11 pmJenn is probably voting for Giuliani the Crossdresser.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:11 pmMcCain further claimed, “I don’t recall….
Sound familiar.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:11 pmHe now calls the position he took in ‘93 and ‘94 “precipitous withdrawal†and “surrender.â€
Well of course he does! There’s a Republican in the White House!
Sheesh! You people!
April 26th, 2007 at 5:14 pm.
The Repukes are doomed in 2008.
Karla Rove once boasted he was going to make the Repubicans “the permanent majority party”.
Looks like they’re going to be the minority for a long time to come.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:14 pmRingo has the hots for Giuliani in a dress.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:15 pmWell, maybe 3 or 4 that live in Timbuktu.
Comment by Jenn
Creationist geography!
April 26th, 2007 at 5:15 pm.
Why call them “conservatives”, if they can’t recall what to conserve?
April 26th, 2007 at 5:15 pmRudy! Rudy! Rudy! Bring on the guy who brought his mistress home while his wife and children were sleeping there! Bring on the guy who the firemen think got a few hundred of them killed! We want Ruuudy! We want Ruuudy!
April 26th, 2007 at 5:18 pmTom Delay is another Repuke hypocrite.
He accused Pelosi and Reid of TREASON for daring to say the war is lost and our troops must come home.
But Delay did the same thing to Clinton during the Kosovo war. By Delay’s own standards, he himself is a traitor.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:19 pmThis pathological collective mindset of “I don’t recall” among republicans is starting to come back to bite them.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:20 pmWhat is it with the GOPer fucks and their memories?
April 26th, 2007 at 5:22 pm“Well, maybe 3 or 4 that live in Timbuktu.”
That’s funny considering Timbuktu was the center for Islam for a time.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:22 pmI highly suggest that we ALL Digg this article to bring it to people’s attention.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:25 pmYa just gotta love them there tubes.
Of course it would be helpful if the “journalists” on the morning “news” shows, the prime time “news” shows, and the weekend “news” shows would confront the likes of John McCain with their words and ask some real questions: “Senator, why was calling for withdrawal ok in 1993 and 1994? What’s different about today’s calls for withdrawal? (and don’t say 9/11)”
April 26th, 2007 at 5:27 pmThe hypocracy of these people is mind boggling. I just wish there was some way to get this information out to the public. But, with the media in the Republic’s back pocket, this kind of information will only come out in political advertisements.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:29 pmTimbuktu (now commonly spelled Tomboctou) is a historic city with beautiful architecture and a thriving if small music scene and I won’t stand for it being slandered in this way!
April 26th, 2007 at 5:39 pmOnce again Think Progress compares apples to watermellons.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:40 pmTimbuktu is the capital of Cleveland.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:45 pmThese wars were different than the war in Iraq on many levels, but it shows that withdrawal is not surrender and can become necessary.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:50 pmNow that I think about it, his statements then and now are actually consistent. In a roundabout kind of way. Then he was arguing for the withdrawal of troops “as soon as possible.” With the way the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, it will not be physically possible to withdraw hundreds of thousands of troops, contractors, civilian employees, equipment, and vehicles for a year or two.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:52 pmSomalia and Haiti don’t have a big pool of oil under them. Just a thought.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:52 pmThe only way to stop these hypocritical SOB’s is for the DEM’s to do exactly what Murtha did today and call them on every poliitcal gaffe that they make and ram their hypocrocy down their throats.
I am hoping that the DNC will start making comercials that are simalar in content to what John Stewaret of the daily show routinely does by running timelines on their statelements.
Here is what he said last week, here is what he said yesterday and here is what he says today it really is an effective way to show just how hypocritical these SOB’s are.
April 26th, 2007 at 5:54 pm#
Who cares, the dude has no chance of becoming president anyway. None of us would vote for him. “Us†being Republicans. Well, maybe 3 or 4 that live in Timbuktu.
Comment by Jenn — April 26, 2007 @ 4:49 pm
Just out of curiousity, who DO you support….and why?
April 26th, 2007 at 5:56 pmI went to school with Tim bucktooth, I’m not sure where he lives now though…
April 26th, 2007 at 6:01 pmbob -
Funny stuff.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:04 pmTimbuktu is where Luke Skywalker wanted to get away from! Long though the fabulous center of the desert, it turned out to be more like three “men and a camel” when “discovered” by English explorers.
Meanwhile, inside the Fox Star:
PROGRESSI: Don’t try to frighten us with your sorcerer’s ways, Lord Voter.
Your sad devotion to that ancient geezer McCain has not helped you conjure
up the stolen constitution, or given you clairvoyance enough to find the
way out of Iraq…
Suddenly Progressi chokes and starts to turn blue under Voter’s spell.
DARTH VOTER: I find your lack of faith disturbing.
OREILLY’IN: Enough of this! Voter, release him!
DARTH VOTER: As you wish.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:06 pmThe saddest thing about everything that McCain said in 1994 is “before we lose any Americans” What kind of joke was that. The Americans went to Haiti in 1994, and restored a democratically elected President without a shot being fired. How the hell was the American going to die. Maybe he was afraid of the Haitian voodoo, but in that case the Haitian people where with the Americans. On the other hand over 2000 lives have been lost in Iraq and are continuing to lose people, and yet he agrees with Staying the course, and even support the “Surge”. McCain is a pure idiot, and a pure racist. Haiti, the first black nation, who needed Democracy more than any other country in 1994 couldn’t get the support f McCain. Let the stupid Republicans nominate him for their party, and watch him get destroyed by either Hillary or Whoever else the democrat would choose.
April 26th, 2007 at 6:23 pmMcCain does not suffer from Alzheimer’s, he sufferes from dementia and pure greed.
April 26th, 2007 at 7:01 pmI think McCain would make a great President, but Rudy is going to win this thing in 2008. Rudy will be a fantastic President.
April 26th, 2007 at 7:01 pm“George Soros paid for ThinkProgress to make this
blog entry! I have a Chart that shows it!”
-Bill O’Reilly
;)
April 26th, 2007 at 7:22 pm“George Soros paid ThinkProgress to make this entry!
April 26th, 2007 at 7:23 pmI have a Chart that proves it!”
-Bill O’Reilly
All Republicans are hypocrites.
McCain is a Republican.
Therefore, McCain is a hypocrite.
April 26th, 2007 at 8:17 pmI think McCain would make a great President, but Rudy is going to win this thing in 2008. Rudy will be a fantastic President. Comment by muckdog — April 26, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
Yeah, and just think, he can dress as the first lady to entertain foreign diplomats! That’ll really make all of the meth and man wh*re contingent of the GOP smile, won’t it son! I’m hoping for a Rudy candidate running for president as well. In particular, I’d love for him to explain why his personal judgment is so poor, he tried to have a mobster installed as the head of homeland security. That’ll just be snorts and giggles! Almost as funny as one of your wingnut tirades on the environment! ;)
April 26th, 2007 at 9:09 pmYes, the Wrong Wing will correctly claim that this is apples and oranges, but they will claim it for the wrong reasons.
They will claim this situation is different because “if we don’t fight ‘em over there, they’ll follow us back home”.
The real difference is that this war has cost a trillion dollars, killed 300+ American, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, swollen the ranks of America haters, and damaged our credibility worldwide. Haiti and Somalia were but trifles compared to this gang bang. A rational human being with a soul would see it’s more important to end the current debacle, not less.
But the Undead Express has a different agenda.
April 26th, 2007 at 9:46 pmI apologize for my last post, I was just projecting. My therapist has been working with me on it, I guess I need to up my med dosage.
April 26th, 2007 at 10:47 pm#53 Nice namejack, a$$hole.
April 26th, 2007 at 10:52 pmI apologize for my last post, I was just projecting. My therapist has been working with me on it, I guess I need to up my med dosage. Comment by ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus namejacked by Valiant Venus — April 26, 2007 @ 10:47 pm
Ah, namejacking – just the sort of sad, pathetic act I expect from you valiant venus. You know, for a 24 year old little girl, you sure do have a lot of issues! What a st*pid, miserable little c*nt you are.
I suggest you stop *projecting* so much, and go to a therapist. They most certainly SHOULD up your med dosage – Minnie Aphrodite…
April 26th, 2007 at 11:53 pmMcCain is a nut. And a LIAR as well. And he certainly doesn’t read very well.
“And as long as we follow the President’s path in Iraq, the war is lost. But there is still a chance to change course – and we must change course.” Harry Reid
McCain must have flunked out after the 5th grade to not understand what another US Senator was saying.
SHAMEFUL. Republicans = liars.
April 27th, 2007 at 4:47 amSomalia and Haiti:
1) Never threatened their neighbors, nor sought / produced WMD’s.
2) Never advocated “wiping Israel off the map”.
3) Never had strategic security / economic significance for the US.
4) Are not part of the overall roadmap of the War On Terror (WOT).
You cannot compare the them to Iraq. Moreover, it is cowtowing Dems who keep wanting to go to these countries, in hopes of shoring up the support of their black voters here in America. At least Reps have real reasons to intervene in the middle east.
April 27th, 2007 at 8:41 amI see no inconsistency whatsoever. Haiti and Somalia are about saving people. Iraq is about oil. McCain knows which side of the barrel is greased.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:06 amAre you the “jdw” that retired from Middletown to Sarasota or thereabouts? Inquiring minds want to know.
April 27th, 2007 at 9:08 amAh, namejacking – just the sort of sad, pathetic act I expect from you valiant venus. You know, for a 24 year old little girl, you sure do have a lot of issues! What a st*pid, miserable little c*nt you are.
I suggest you stop *projecting* so much, and go to a therapist. They most certainly SHOULD up your med dosage – Minnie Aphrodite…
Comment by ValiantVenusGrewFromUranus
I apologize for the post above. It was one of my other personalities and we don’t always communicate with one another. I know that I am the one projecting. Why does it take so long for the pharmacy to fill perscriptions?????
April 27th, 2007 at 12:08 pmAh, namejacking – just the sort of sad, pathetic act I expect from you valiant venus. You know, for a 24 year old little girl, you sure do have a lot of issues! What a st*pid, miserable little c*nt you are.
I suggest you stop *projecting* so much, and go to a therapist. They most certainly SHOULD up your med dosage – Minnie Aphrodite
I really need to stop projecting so much. You see what happened was that one of my other personalities typed the above post without discussing it with me first. My head is full of different people and they just don’t communicate properly. Again I am sorry for projecting so much.
April 27th, 2007 at 1:47 pmif he had been talking about the same situation, in the same country, at the same time…then this might be more relevant. i must say, i’ve had different opinions in SIMILAR situations. And by SIMILAR, i mean NOT THE EXACT SAME.
just something to consider.
April 27th, 2007 at 2:13 pmtalking out both sides of your face is one of the party membership requirements the GOP has.
no excuse for it.
no defense of it.
and, no, it is NOT exactly the same as the Democrats do – never has been and the proof is conclusive, so save the trollpoop to share with your trollpals, ya ig’nint troll sob’s.
April 27th, 2007 at 5:13 pmI enjoy this. Thanks for the article.
April 27th, 2007 at 5:43 pmfunny
April 27th, 2007 at 5:43 pm