Think Progress

Wilkerson: McCain is ‘arrogant,’ his advisers ’scare me.’»

In an article titled “Hothead McCain,” for the upcoming issue of The Nation, Robert Dreyfuss quotes Col. Larry Wilkerson (Ret.) — former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell — saying that with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “[n]o dissent, no opinion to the contrary, however reasonable, will be entertained.” Wilkerson added that McCain is “hardheaded,” “arrogant,” “hubristic,” and “too proud for his own good.” Referring to McCain’s foreign policy advisers, Wilkerson said: They “scare me.” “Scare me.”

UPDATE: In an article in Salon, Mark Benjamin writes that some military officials are worried about McCain:

“I like McCain. I respect McCain. But I am a little worried by his knee-jerk response factor,” said retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004 and is now campaigning for Clinton. “I think it is a little scary. I think this guy’s first reactions are not necessarily the best reactions. I believe that he acts on impulse.”

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52 Responses to “Wilkerson: McCain is ‘arrogant,’ his advisers ’scare me.’”


  1. Mark @ News Corpse Says:

    Well, the military appears to be in agreement that John McCain is “scares” them. That should be the adjective that is permanently attached to McCain’s name: Scary!

    Get your free Pocket BARACK-itizer here.


  2. stewarjt Says:

    Preaching to the choir, TP.


  3. Marcus Aurelius Says:

    McCain has all of the qualities that would make a great tragic figure. We can save this man from himself. For McCain’s sake, don’t vote for McCain.


  4. katy Says:

    “… But I am a little worried by his knee-jerk response factor,” said retired Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004 ”

    wow… ok… impressive creds… valued opinion…

    until i get to this part:

    “… and is now campaigning for Clinton.”

    never mind.
    .


  5. katy Says:

    to make myself clear, it’s the bias…

    - Hussein Katy


  6. woodguy Says:

    Could Eaton’s’ description of McCantankerous sound more like Shrub, my friends.

    Wood Hussein Guy


  7. joe cantwell Says:

    McCain-Feingold
    McCain-Lieberman
    McCain-Kennedy

    Comment by good_golly — March 6, 2008 @ 10:27 pm

    hmmm, let’s see which one doesn’t belong… i know, mccsame-lieberman!

    gg, loyal “outer party” drone, no ball game tonight? did you read about bush’s endorsement on the rnc website? neither did i.

    check it out dude:

    http://rnc.org/

    hey they’ll get around to it. btw, gg you didn’t give these guys any money did you?

    http://www.nytimes.com/ 2008/ 03/ 06/ washington/ 06gop.html?_r=1&ex=1362546000&en=7a88dcd2f2742a49&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin

    hope not.

    ~ joe hussein cantwell


  8. ralph the wonder llama Says:

    Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton, who was in charge of training the Iraqi military from 2003 to 2004 and is now campaigning for Clinton.

    hmmmmmmm… looks like McCain doesn’t have the military vote all signed up after all, eh?


  9. AngryOne Says:

    While John McCain was only too eager to accept George W. Bush’s embrace at the White House Wednesday, eight years ago McCain told him to “take your hands off me.”

    For the details of how John McCain suppressed his seething Bush hatred in his eternal quest for the presidency, see:
    “McCain to Bush in 2000: ‘Take Your Hands Off Me.’”


  10. Marcus Aurelius Says:

    … looks like McCain doesn’t have the military vote all signed up after all, eh?

    Comment by ralph the wonder llama — March 6, 2008 @ 10:54 pm

    He fancies himself a Patton type. Generals probably roll their eyes every time he speaks their lingo.


  11. natisman Says:

    I am amazed that someone named Dreyffus is writing again, Didn’t he have problems with our archenemy France,when he was in the army there. Speaking of France, can we call them French fries instead of freedom fries, again because we just bought a kazilloin dollors worth of planes from a French company.

    opaquehussainman


  12. missmolly Says:

    hmmmmm….. looks like he can work with the other side of the isle after all, eh?

    Comment by good_golly — March 6, 2008 @ 10:27 pm

    McCain actually has a distinguished record for bipartisanship on domestic issues — in fact (before he had to morph himself into something the far right would accept), he was fairly moderate on a number of issues, such as campaign finance. (McCain-Lieberman doesn’t count — they’re BOTH Republicans).

    His ability to “work with the other side” on domestic matters isn’t the issue here. What scares the crap out of us is the thought of his foreign policy being conducted in knee-jerk, arrogant, hot-head fashion.

    ~ Miss Hussein Molly


  13. Xisithrus Says:

    Those durn Mavericks will turn and bite.


  14. Xisithrus Says:

    Just look what McMaverick did to that fine upstanding honest hardworking republican Abramoff.


  15. Mr. Evil Says:

    McCain’s going to lose it sooner or later before the election. He’s going to be called out on several issues that he doesn’t have a clue on and go berzerk on national television. A human meltdown that will be sad of course but, I’ll enjoy it!


  16. katy Says:

    yea, but, you know what?
    seems hillary clinton would prefer mcSAME as president
    over another democrat, especially if it’s barack obama…

    if she can’t have it, then obama can’t have it…

    how in-fu(king-credible is that? … i would never have thought…
    but, from now on, i think all good democratic citizens should shout:

    SHAME ON YOU, HILLARY CLINTON!

    SHAME ON YOU.

    STOP THE BULL SH!T RIGHT NOW.


  17. Mr. Evil Says:

    Comment by katy — March 7, 2008 @ 12:23 am

    Hillarity lost me for good when the going got tough for her campaign and she started using fear and inuendo to attack Obama. So far he’s carried himself like a gentleman and I hope he continues to do so. She’s tied to so many questionable entities also. I’ll probably go with Barack Obama. Definitely if he would get rid of that Skull & Bones member that is his economic advisor. Any ties, no matter how remote, to Bush can be considered a detriment.


  18. DieNowForPeace Says:

    …”I didn’t spend 6 years in evil medical school to be called mister.”


  19. Merlin Says:

    #2 Comment by Mark @ News Corpse — March 6, 2008 @ 10:08 pm

    Well, the military appears to be in agreement that John McCain is “scares” them. That should be the adjective that is permanently attached to McCain’s name: Scary!

    You are extremely right on here!

    If the Dems don’t get to the emotions of the American public McBush will have a chance at winning. Their game plan, for the last 30+ years has been just that. While Dems win the debates with reality and facts, the rethugs appeal to the emotions and win!

    Rather than pointing out how bad McBush is with facts, call him scary and arrogant etc. Much better approach, as emotions win while facts lose.


  20. shaun Says:

    who are mccain’s foreign policy advisors?


  21. republicans hate facts Says:

    yea, but, you know what?
    seems hillary clinton would prefer mcSAME as president
    over another democrat, especially if it’s barack obama…
    if she can’t have it, then obama can’t have it…
    how in-fu(king-credible is that? … i would never have thought…
    but, from now on, i think all good democratic citizens should shout:
    SHAME ON YOU, HILLARY CLINTON!
    SHAME ON YOU.
    STOP THE BULL SH!T RIGHT NOW.
    Comment by katy — March 7, 2008 @ 12:23 am

    You know you shouldn’t be complaining about McCrazy, when you SOUND LIKE ONE OF HIS SUPPORTERS! What is up with you CRAZY HOPIUM ADDICT OBAMA SUPPORTERS! Calm down, and STFU you whiny annoying drama queens! Last time I checked, Obama said that Hillary was no more qualified than McCain, so your hypocritical whining is just tiresome! Tell Bilbo, yourself and the rest of you crazy hopium addicts to calm down and stop trashing Hillary! And while you’re at it, look at their actual platforms, instead of fantasizing about his d**k, will you? Hillary’s platform is far more progressive, and your TACTICS are so ROVIAN they’re making me puke! If Obama is nominated, I’ll certainly vote for him, but after dealing with you INSANE HOPIUM ADDICTS, I’ll REALLY HAVE TO HOLD MY NOSE TO DO IT!


  22. republicans hate facts Says:

    Hillarity lost me for good when the going got tough for her campaign and she started using fear and inuendo to attack Obama. So far he’s carried himself like a gentleman and I hope he continues to do so. She’s tied to so many questionable entities also. I’ll probably go with Barack Obama. Definitely if he would get rid of that Skull & Bones member that is his economic advisor. Any ties, no matter how remote, to Bush can be considered a detriment.
    Comment by Mr. Evil — March 7, 2008 @ 12:43 am

    Then who you gonna vote for, because Obama uses just as much fear an innuendo if not more! While you’re asking him to shed supporters, why not get rid of the homophobic and racist characters that run much of his campaign? Obama reminds me of Bush (cult of the personality, limited experience, elitist background, overly religious, sense of entitlement from an inexperienced politician) far more than Hillary does, and if you think it’s an accident he appeals more to REPUBLICAN VOTERS - it isn’t!


  23. Merlin Says:

    Comment by republicans hate facts — March 7, 2008 @ 2:19 am

    Hillary’s platform is far more progressive,

    I disagree that Hillary is progressive. She is solidly a DLC person. Their position is definitely right of center regarding foreign policy.

    It is interesting that when Bush, in his SOTU stated that the surge was working, Hillary stood up and applauded (along with the whole other side of the isle.) The Democrats, meanwhile sat on their hands. So, IMO all her talk about Iraq is nothing but that, talk.


  24. Mr. Evil Says:

    Not to mention she’s a little too cozy with Rupert Murdoch for my liking. And why would she favor McCain over a fellow democrat regardless of the issue (the 3 AM phone call to the White House thing)? If it’s Hillary, I’ll vote for her. If it’s Obama, I’ll vote for him. McCain, no and HELL NO!


  25. esoteric227 Says:

    http://www.panicpanda.com/think-progress.shtml
    Think progres manipulates search engines.


  26. republicans hate facts Says:

    I disagree that Hillary is progressive. She is solidly a DLC person. Their position is definitely right of center regarding foreign policy.
    It is interesting that when Bush, in his SOTU stated that the surge was working, Hillary stood up and applauded (along with the whole other side of the isle.) The Democrats, meanwhile sat on their hands. So, IMO all her talk about Iraq is nothing but that, talk.
    Comment by Merlin — March 7, 2008 @ 2:43 am

    That doesn’t change the fact that her platform is more progressive, and your entire post has completely disregarded that reality. And if you’re going to complain about Iraq, don’t forget that Obama and McCain are the only candidates that have advocated bombing more countries (Pakistan & Iran). As for her talk, her voting record is nearly identical to Obama’s on virtually every issue, so either you think he’s also DLC, or once again you’re ignoring reality.


  27. republicans hate facts Says:

    Merlin, have you even compared their platforms, or did you just kneejerk and ignore them entirely and vote on ‘personality’ like you accuse the GOP voters of doing?


  28. Theresa Says:

    …with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) “[n]o dissent, no opinion to the contrary, however reasonable, will be entertained.” Wilkerson added that McCain is “hardheaded,” “arrogant,” “hubristic,” and “too proud for his own good.” Referring to McCain’s foreign policy advisers, Wilkerson said: They “scare me.” “Scare me.”

    McScary is BushBot 2.0


  29. Bobwurst Says:

    “And if you’re going to complain about Iraq, don’t forget that Obama and McCain are the only candidates that have advocated bombing more countries (Pakistan & Iran).

    republicans hate Diane facts (Diane is her middle name)”

    You’re wrong here. Obama isn’t “advocating” the bombing of any country he responded to a specific scenario and said that if he had actionable intel he would bomb a specific terrorist target inside another country. it’s one of those facts that republicans hate. And leave Obama’s pecker out of the discussion if you want to pretend that you’re the rational one around here. really.


  30. Bobwurst Says:

    I said pecker hehehe.


  31. Bartolo Says:

    McCain’s obsessive, revenge-for-viet-nam-seeking personality prohibits him being qualified to be president


  32. leftcoast Says:

    Officials Lean Toward Keeping Next Iraq Assessment Secret
    By Walter Pincus and Karen DeYoung
    Washington Post Staff Writers
    Friday, March 7, 2008; Page A07
    A new National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq is scheduled to be completed this month, according to U.S. intelligence officials. But leaders of the intelligence community have not decided whether to make its key judgments public, a step that caused an uproar when key judgments in an NIE about Iran were released in November.


  33. Kay Says:

    This world is doomed if McBomb gets in office.
    “It’s the end of the world as I know it and I feel fine”


  34. leftcoast Says:

    McCain may be a fine man, but he does not have the skill sets to lead this country forward; its just plain and simple.


  35. toasterhead Says:

    who are mccain’s foreign policy advisors?

    Comment by shaun — March 7, 2008 @ 2:12 am

    PNAC’s Christmas Card list, according to The Arizona Republic.

    • Henry Kissinger - Former U.S. secretary of State.

    • William Kristol - Editor of the Weekly Standard, a Washington-based political magazine.

    • Robert Kagan - A senior associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a columnist on world affairs.

    • Randy Scheunemann - Consultant who was defense and foreign-policy coordinator to McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign. Like Kagan and Kristol, he also is listed as a director of the Project for the New American Century, a non-profit conservative organization whose self-stated goal is to promote American global leadership.

    • Gary Schmitt - Senior fellow at the conservative Project for the New American Century. He is an author and served under President Reagan as executive director of the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.

    • Stephen Biegun - Ford Motor Co. vice president and former national security adviser to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. He also served as executive secretary of the National Security Council at the White House from 2001 to 2003.

    • Brent Scowcroft - National security advisor under President George H.W. Bush and fellow board member with McCain on the International Republican Institute, a democracy building organization that McCain chairs.

    • Colin Powell - Former secretary of State and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

    • Niall Ferguson - A professor of history at Harvard and prolific author.

    • Barry McCaffrey - Retired Army general and former White House drug czar under President Bill Clinton.

    • Robert Zoellick - Former Deputy Secretary of State and former U.S. trade representative.

    • Richard Armitage - Former deputy secretary of State..

    • Eliot Cohen - Conservative professor of military affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University.

    • Robert Kimmitt - Deputy secretary of the Department of the Treasury; former ambassador to Germany.

    • Andrew Krepinevich - Retired Army officer who is now executive director at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments that focuses on defense spending and planning.

    • Ralph Peters - Retired Army office and author.

    • Charles Larson - A retired Navy admiral, who twice served as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. He ran unsuccessfully as a Democratic candidate for lieutenant government of Maryland in 2002 and now serves on the board of directors of the Northrop Grumman Corp., a defense company.

    • Bernard Aronson - Former assistant secretary of State for inter-American affairs.

    • Lorne Craner - President of the International Republican Institute. He served as assistant secretary for democracy, human rights, and labor under Secretary of State Colin Powell.


  36. toasterhead Says:

    - Hussein Toasterhead.


  37. impeachcheneythenbush Says:

    Katy, you are 100% correct about Clinton’s odd statements about herself and McCain both having the necessary experience to be commander in chief, while Obama only has a speech. Sounds as if Obama wins the nomination, she’ll endorse McCain…or go so far as to ask for his VP slot. I knew I didn’t trust the woman but couldn’t quite put my finger on “why.” She certainly lost my vote in the primary when she voted yes on the resolution declaring Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a “terrorist group.” She obviously doesn’t learn, because she’s given the Bush administration a wide-open door to attack Iran. But this nonsense of comparing herself AND McCain favorably against Obama really reveals her ambition and her mendacity.


  38. tarazan Says:

    Why Hillary then keeps giving McCain the good credentials to be Commander In Chief, and herself,of course…while trashing and belittling Obama…by saying ‘Obama only made one speech’…?????
    McCain does not have the patience not to pull the trigger for another bigger war….that’s what we should look at before voting for McWars.

    Hillary might not be as fast in pulling the trigger…but she is party of the same war club.
    We need a president who has common sense,and not a reactionary president. A president who will able to listen to different views other than his own circles and gives the room for such views; a president who looks to solve world problems peacefully,and war will be his last resort…and not his first option..


  39. DieNowForPeace Says:

    Labor Department says employers slashed jobs by 63,000 in February, the most since March ‘03. Unemployment rate dipped to 4.8 percent

    Two lows, both within the Dumbya’s reign of stupidity.

    Mission Accomplished.


  40. theswan Says:

    And the only one that can belittle mccain at will is a little george w bush who sherked his responsibilities as a member of the military. Go figure.
    Just watching these two men standing on the whitehouse steps, each blowing out his chest for the cameras, made for a good laugh.


  41. Lefty Patriot Says:

    Comment by good_golly — March 7, 2008 @ 8:56 am

    wrong again. you’re never right, you’re either telling lies or getting your facts wrong. No wonder you only rate $.05 per post.


  42. Tstatguy Says:

    Comment by good_golly — March 7, 2008 @ 8:56 am

    GiGi, Lieberman is as much a Democrat as you would be if you were a Senator and had a D after your name.

    Tstat Hussein guy


  43. NoMoreBush Says:

    Well, Hillary believes he, like her, has passed the Commander in Chief threshold and certainly has the experience to answer the red phone at 3am (never mind that he would need to be aroused out of his Geritol-induced stupor to do so); therefore, according to her own campaign soundbytes for him, it seems we should be voting for him because he will keep us safe. I mean, Hillary is never wrong. [tongue now out of cheek and sarcasm button turned off]


  44. Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:

    Wow, another great political advertisement. Quote everyone on the right who has said something about McCain’s temper.


  45. missmolly Says:

    Comment by good_golly — March 7, 2008 @ 8:56 am

    I did not mean that Lieberman was officially a Republican, and you know it. Please do not insult my intelligence with your wikipedia links. I’m fully aware of his situation.

    But his ideology tends to be as Republican as any GOP Senator, with the exception of a few (but not all) domestic issues. My point was that “McCain-Lieberman”, which you gave as an example of “reaching across the aisle”, really isn’t.


  46. nanlichi Says:

    “hardheaded,” “arrogant,” “hubristic,” and “too proud for his own good.”

    Dejafckingvu


  47. MCMetal Says:

    who are mccain’s foreign policy advisors?

    Comment by shaun — March 7, 2008 @ 2:12 am

    Goofy and Pluto ……………


  48. RUCerious Says:

    “[n]o dissent, no opinion to the contrary, however reasonable, will be entertained.”

    Geebutz, he really is JUST LIKE BUSH!

    ~ RHUseeinCerious ~


  49. progresivo Says:

    No more infighting, don’t give the enemy 4 more years, Obama & Hillary the winning ticket !!!


  50. republicanSScareme Says:

    Thank God for our military men who are willing to speak out against these ten dollar Republican thugs. The American people are depending upon our military men to do the right thing and not serve evil men or take orders from evil men.

    Their description of John McCain sounds a lot like the description of Heinrich Himmler.


  51. nightslider Says:

    McCAIN, McCAIN
    YOU ARE A PAIN!
    PATENTLY INSANE
    SO ONE CAN SEE MOST PLAIN
    THAT YOU ARE THE VOTERS’ BANE!
    SO HURRY AND FLUSH YOURSELF DOWN THE TOILET DRAIN!!!!

    you really should put this on a poster, and sell it, very salient, and funny.


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