‘Senior U.S. Official’: McCain’s Plan To Kick Russia Out Of The G8 Is ‘Impossible’ And ‘Just A Dumb Thing’
‘Senior U.S. Official’: McCain’s Plan To Kick Russia Out Of The G8 Is ‘Impossible’ And ‘Just A Dumb Thing’
In his March 26 speech on foreign policy, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) laid out what Newsweek’s Fareed Zakaria calls “the most radical idea put forward by a major candidate for the presidency in 25 years.” McCain, seeking to make “his most comprehensive statement” yet on foreign policy, declared that Russia should be kicked out of the G8, of which it has been a member since 1997:
We should start by ensuring that the G-8, the group of eight highly industrialized states, becomes again a club of leading market democracies: it should include Brazil and India but exclude Russia. Rather than tolerate Russia’s nuclear blackmail or cyber attacks, Western nations should make clear that the solidarity of NATO, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is indivisible and that the organization’s doors remain open to all democracies committed to the defense of freedom.
In his column, Zakaria writes that McCain’s radical idea “lacks any strategic framework” because “we need Russian cooperation” in order to address the “most important security problem[s] that the United States faces,” which is “securing loose nuclear materials” and stopping proliferation by rogue regimes. Now, according to McClatchy, it also appears that it is “impossible“:
The Group of Eight, or G-8, as it’s popularly known, makes decisions by consensus, so no single nation can kick out another. Most experts say the six other countries — Great Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Canada — would never agree to toss Russia, given their close economic ties to their neighbor. A senior U.S. official who deals with Russia policy said that even Moscow would have to approve of its own ouster, given how the G-8 works.
”It’s not even a theoretical discussion. It’s an impossible discussion,” said the senior official, who requested anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly. “It’s just a dumb thing.”
McCain’s plan to boot Russia from the G8 isn’t the first idea proposed in the March 26 speech that has been shot down by reality. In the speech, McCain also spoke of creating a “League of Democracies” to “advance our values and defend our shared interests.”
But, as the Los Angeles Times recently reported, McCain is already backing away from that idea because it was “greeted with alarm by some Republican supporters and wariness by important U.S. allies.”
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Ooooh, you’d better not say that.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:48 pmYou’re going to piss the old coot off.
Apparently “stupid” and “bullshit” simply aren;t in Fareed Zakaria’s vocabulary. He must get paid by the word, otherwise his article would have read:
“John McCain has stupid bullshit ideas. The End.”
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:50 pmSince when did the impossibility of a plan outweigh the emotional kick it gives wingnuts?
Besides, the more impossible the plan, the easier it is to blame its failure on libruls.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:50 pmWhat’s with old men not being able to let go of the past? The Cold War is over. Stop trying to relive it and move on. The world has passed you by.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:50 pmGee , what a shock : a stupid , retarded old fart , coming up with a dumb idea………..
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:51 pm(same goes for old Russian men, too.)
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:51 pmHey! McIIIrd! Make sure you’re wearing golf shoes the next time you trip up and step on your tongue.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:53 pmralph the wonder llama Says:
“Since when did the impossibility of a plan outweigh the emotional kick it gives wingnuts?”
Does that explain this?
Gallup Daily: McCain Moves to 6-Point Lead Over Obama
Some might say that Hillary may be at least partly to blame…
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:57 pmIf McCain wins I just don’t know what I’d do. At first I though it might be time to move to Canada, but, if McCain makes enemies with Russia, Canada would be in the line of fire!
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:58 pmThe phrase “It’s just a dumb thing”, and the name “McCain” goes very well together.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:01 pmWhat’s McStupid saying in the pic ?
Is he holding up his IQ number or the number of “my friends” he truly has in Lindsey Graham ?
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:02 pmNo matter — McCain will be doing a back-shuffle on this one, just like all the rest. Same old dance…
Doin’ the McCain, yeah, doin’ the McCain
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:03 pmDoin’ the McCain, yeah, doin’ the McCain
Of course, this kind of bluster may be a prelude to this:
‘With oil above $100 a barrel and Arctic ice melting faster than ever, some of the world’s most powerful countries — including the United States and Russia — are looking north to a possible energy bonanza.
This prospective scramble for buried Arctic mineral wealth made more accessible by freshly melted seas could bring on a completely different kind of cold war, a scholar and former Coast Guard officer says.’
There’s oil in them there polar regions! Wouldn’t want the Russians and Canadians to get it all now would we?
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:03 pmMCMetal Says:
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:04 pmDon’t forget his other friend, Joe LIEberman.
mary Says:
If McCain wins I just don’t know what I’d do. At first I though it might be time to move to Canada, but, if McCain makes enemies with Russia, Canada would be in the line of fire!
Believe me Mary, the entire planet is wondering the very same things as you are, and they are re-considering the options - just as you are. It would be smart to plan ahead because I think Mrs. Clinton is going to destroy the Democratic chances this year with her slash and burn tactics. The longer she holds onto her faded dream, McSame will grow stronger and stronger.
Sadly, I don’t believe the American people are really all that smart. If they get confused, they run to their blanket of comfort (security).
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pmmisshusseinmolly - I hope you don’t mind but I was at Crooks & Liars and a thread came up about McCain flip-flopping (that term is so last presidential election) and so I let the readers in on your new dance.
I particularly loved this part:
“Claim to be a maverick to show that you are free
Then fall in line and lose your spine to Bush’s GOP”
For those who didn’t see it, the whole song (& dance) can be seen on today’s ThinkFast thread:
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pmMcCain is stuck in the cold war era.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:10 pmmisshusseinmolly - p.s. pissed off patricia loved it! Another poster wondered if the Obama girl might dance it.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:12 pmralph the wonder llama Says
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Some might say that Hillary may be at least partly to blame…
___________________________________________________
Hillary is fighting tooth and nail to keep the Rev. Wright issue burning, because that’s about the only thing she has on Obama that the media are willing to give her some traction on.
She has no hope at this point of winning the Democratic nomination on pledged delegates, and she knows that her only chance is to paint Obama as unelectable as possible so that she will get super-delegates she needs. And she’s going to need almost all of the ones who haven’t expressed a preference yet.
I doubt she is going to pull it off. Once Obama gets the nomination and he is campaigning head to head with McCain, he will do just fine once Wright exhausts his 15 minutes of fame and the media start paying attention to McCain.
These poll numbers are highly subject to change. Much will be happening between now and November.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:13 pmrobbez_92107 Says:
——————————————————————————–
MCMetal Says:
Don’t forget his other friend, Joe LIEberman.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
I didn’t realize puppeteers qualified as “friends”……..
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:13 pmMr. Foreign Policy Expert flunks another test.
And thank God he cant have his ways. The crazy old fool would start another cold war and nuclear arms race with the Russians.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:15 pmWay to conflate the G-8 with NATO McNutbar. Not that I seriously believe that even our morally bankrupt corporate media can get this lying loon elected but should it happen don’t look for the rest of the so-called western nations (bet Japan, and India are perplexed at being lumped into that definition) to be excited about having another dumb rich guy to deal with.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:23 pmat the risk of stating the obvious, McJowls, like Bush, ain’t got the brains that God gave geese.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:25 pmits just so bad rhat the political system in America yields a really ignorant person like McCain.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:28 pmSen. McWar comes up with another brilliant “idea” with a reckless statement about putting Russia out of the G-8.
Heckuva Job, Johnnie.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:55 pmNO MORE DUMB PRESIDENTS. Ever!
Come on people, Vote Smart.
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:55 pmMcSame, McSame….McShame McShame. Now, I know that you know from your friend Georgie, that the American people are easily fooled. If you repeat something enough times, at least 28% will believe it, but…I believe they are smart enough to see through you and your ignorant ideas.
darlineishere
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:57 pmmary Says
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
misshusseinmolly - I hope you don’t mind but I was at Crooks & Liars and a thread came up about McCain flip-flopping (that term is so last presidential election) and so I let the readers in on your new dance.
____________________________________________
Nope — don’t mind at all! Maybe it will catch on like the macarena and we’ll have entire stadiums doing it!
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:58 pmHey, Posters, please don’t blame McInsane’s ignorance on his age. I have a husband who is age 88, served in World War 2 and is more “up to date” on solutions to our problems than McSame. Of course, my husband is a Democrat.
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:02 pmMcFlip-Flop apparently thinks that his League of Democracies (aka his new best friends) can be used to start or continue his wars since NATO and the United Nations are not in the mood for such nonsense.
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:03 pmMcCain made these INCREDIBLE Comments in a Los Angeles speech billed as his most comprehensive statement on Foreign Policy.
These were NOT off the cuff comments to a voter at a town hall meeting.
My question is: Doesn’t he run these things past some campaign advisers or foreign policy people.
AND ..if he does…WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE??
Will he have to EAT his words???or does he really want to rekindle the Cold War???
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:11 pmmisshusseinmolly on the possibility of her “doing the McCain” dance going viral:
“Nope — don’t mind at all! Maybe it will catch on like the macarena and we’ll have entire stadiums doing it!”
I see a youtube video in your future! Know any good dancers?
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:18 pmUnfortunately, it would not be surprising, at the rate that the Democrats are currently imploding, to see McCain become president of this country. As Ralph Nader correctly pointed out, if the Democrats cannot win in a landslide against a warmonger like McCain, then they should pick up their marbles, head back home, and start all over again.
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:46 pmIs anyone else surprised McIIIrd didn’t call it the Gee18?
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:54 pmWell, maybe people or the MSM will begin to see that old McSame is not fit to be president…just his line of old time thinking is not going to help things on bit.
McSame’s big idea is to Piss off Russia, smart thinking there feller.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:32 pmWhat scares me is the level of incompetence shown by McCain’s statements. Remember,McCain’s strong point is suppose to be his foreign policy and national security background. This was suppose to be a keynote speech on his foreign policy. The mistake is just plain amatureish bordering on incomptetence. The mistaken confusing of Sunni’s and AQ being supported by Iran really places his mental competence into question.
The Democrats should get a brain and start to sling this stuff back at him. Imagine the following TV commercial - based on the McCain health care commercial with the side bar calling him President:
Backs of two heads before a large screen with the McCain ad designating him president:
Voice One: Ah, Senator McCain, I think you have to be elected President first, before you can say you are president.
Second Voice (sounding like McCain rising out of a deep and confused sleep): Oh, do I HAVE to?
Film starts: McCain’s statement that he would kick Russia out of the G-*
First Voice: Ah, Senator, we do not have the authority to do that.
Second voice: Damn, I thought I knew foreign policy. Isn’t economics I do not know?
Film starts again: McCain’s statements on Iranian’s training Sunni’s
First voice (sounding like Lieberman): Ah, didn’t we go over this several times already? Sunni’s and Shiites do not get along.
Second voice: Ah, shucks. Maybe we ought to view that other ad we are doing. You know, about how I should answer the phone at 3PM. First voice with extreme exasperation: That’s 3AM.
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:11 pm#4 J:
What’s with old men not being able to let go of the past? The Cold War is over. Stop trying to relive it and move on. The world has passed you by.
Exactly. Not sure whether McCain’s this stoopid (or senile) himself, or whether he’s pandering to the nutzo extreme RW foamer contingent … or both.
Maybe he’s listening to Rove’s advice: “You can’t lose by running to the right!” That’s it, McCain, you can try to nail down the solid support of the ERW (but they still aren’t gonna trust you, nosirree….). You’ll have the 50% of the 28% dead-enders that bother to vote after their real Christofundie candidates have dropped out … for a solid 14% loony fringe of the U.S. electorate. That’s the ticket!
Cheers,
May 2nd, 2008 at 8:14 pmMacImbecil is stuck in the past!
May 3rd, 2008 at 2:52 amWTF? Don’t these people know that much of Europe is dependent on Russian natural gas for heat energy during the winter? Don’t they know that most of this gas is piped through the Ukraine and that the Ukraine is dependent on Russia for almost all of its natural gas? Don’t they know that Putin was just in Italy signing more deals for gas and other trade? Are these people just pig-ignorant or are they actually well-informed but terminally stupid? Though it may sound like it, this is actually not a rhetorical question.
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:22 am.
Nobody does it better…
Than McBush.
Isolationism 101…
Create enemies.
.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:55 pm