Kristol Suggests McCain Adopt ‘A Reformist Surge’ To Change ‘The Whole U.S. Government’
Kristol Suggests McCain Adopt ‘A Reformist Surge’ To Change ‘The Whole U.S. Government’
Yesterday on Fox News Sunday, Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol said that since wrapping up the Republican nomination for president last March, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has used his time only “moderately effectively.”
To beef up his candidacy, Kristol suggested that McCain model his domestic policy after “the surge” because, according to Kristol, the surge was about “changing the way the U.S. military works” and it “succeeded.” Speaking as a revolutionary, Kristol said McCain needs to advocate “a reformist surge” against “the whole U.S. government”:
KRISTOL: [McCain] could say, “Look, I was a great proponent of the surge. What was the surge about? It was Dave Petraeus changing the way the U.S. military works, and it worked. It succeeded. Why can’t we do this for the rest of the U.S. government? Lots of the U.S. government is broken. We need, in effect, a surge, a reformist surge, for the whole U.S. government.“
Watch it:
It is entirely unclear what Kristol is talking about. But following his Iraq “surge” analogy to its logical conclusion, it seems Kristol is advocating for either 1) an escalation in domestic government staffers to “reform the U.S. government,” 2) more domestic agencies, or 3) a Petraeus-like czar to oversee a government surge.
But isn’t Bill Kristol — a staunch conservative — an advocate of “limited government?” It is odd then that he would suggest such a domestic “surge” for McCain, given that expanding government to change the government is the complete opposite of that philosophy.
All this proves is that Kristol just “really, really loves the surge.”
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
71 Responses to “Kristol Suggests McCain Adopt ‘A Reformist Surge’ To Change ‘The Whole U.S. Government’”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Register
RSSLogin
Topic Cloud
ArchivesBlog RollAbout Think ProgressContact Us
Donate
All this proves is that even a smug, elitist empty suit like Kristol recognizes that the Republicans have f@#$ed everything up so badly that their only hope is to come up with another BS slogan to try to fool the sheeple one more time. You have to be truly shameless to play the “change the whole government” card when your boy has been in the White House (when not on vacation) for the past seven years.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:02 pmA czar, huh?
Perhaps Mr. Kristol ought to take a moment to recollect what happened to the last real czar, Nicholas II…
May 12th, 2008 at 2:03 pmI’m going to forego my standard “Why does anyone STILL pay any attention to what Bill Kristol says” response in order to express how amusing I find his trashing about in search of relevancy.
William the Bloody is utterly bankrupt of useful political ideas (as this article demonstrates) yet he still thinks he can make a comeback. And he doesn’t seem to audit his thoughts very effectively, as if convinced that, because they occur to him, they must be intriguing to others.
He’s like the political world’s Kevin Smith.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pmOh, and Billy?
You’re an ass.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:04 pmHe probably meant “purge”. He thinks we’re all Hamas, too.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:05 pm…
I would recommend a “reformist escalation”
yeah, that’s way better.
can dems please stop using the word surge now?
escalation, escalation
….
May 12th, 2008 at 2:06 pm“Reform” must test well with conservative test audiences; reform is change on the cheap. But after the money blown in Iraq, reform really means rubberstamping another republican president’s half-baked schemes.
I think the public has lost it’s taste for bullsh*t bon-bons.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:09 pmJust go away, your a idiot Kristol, just go the f**k away.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pmYeah, good idea nut job! The original “surge” in Iraq worked so well (US soldiers killed on the rise) - might as well try it here.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pm“Kristol Suggests McCain Adopt ‘A Reformist Surge’ To Change ‘The Whole U.S. Government’
You are sure going to get one too, it is called “A DEMOCRATIC SWEEP & BARAK OBAMA AS PRES” and the surge will be corrupt politicians & Bush appointees out the door, and it just so happens that most of those will be Republicans.
You can start with the AG, seems how we don’t seem to have one right now.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pmHeres that dumbfck who has a problem with Pros again. Why does he call Pros Stupid? Or is he just referring to the Stupid Pros that Bush hires, like Jeffy Lube.
One confused punk that one.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pmI thought Krystol died…Didn’t he.? He look’s dead, sound’s like mcnutty, lie=berman, and cheer=toff…Damn, these guy;s all look and sound the same just like the nut matthew’s on Tv…Or maybe I’m thinking of the fleck beck..Are they all related.?..Blessings
May 12th, 2008 at 2:10 pmIt is entirely unclear what Kristol is talking about.
It’s always entirely unclear what Little Billy is talking about.
And McNumbNuts is the last person on earth who can fix the U.S. government. He is one of the chief reasons it’s so screwed up in the first place.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:11 pmHuh? A “reformist surge”? How would that work, exactly?
I think you’re right, TP — Kristol just likes the way the word “surge” sounds. Whether or not it makes sense is immaterial.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:12 pmBloody Bill deserves to be shipped to cuba and “interrogated”
bring back the fairness doctrine by enacting the national initiative. http://ni4d.us
I just made a video addressing Neil Cavuto and the Obama Girl.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:13 pmneil down on this
I’m a little surprised that Kristol didn’t trot out Newt’s “Contract with America” that was supposed to “reform” the Federal government, but I suspect that’s what he was getting at. It’s even more delusional than ordinary for him, though, because that was supposed to be new, pure Republicans cleaning up the Democratic corruption . . . it’s a pretty tough sell to have one of the crusty Republicans claim to be cleaning up the, er, Republican corruption. Kristol doesn’t get it; the “conservatives” and the Republicans had their chance and they screwed the pooch.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:15 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
I think you’re right, TP — Kristol just likes the way the word “surge” sounds. Whether or not it makes sense is immaterial.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
_____
Which pretty much sums up this entire neocon administration. It doesn’t matter if the policy makes sense or is advadvisable or beneficial or even feasible. As long as it sounds good and makes for a good photo-op, it’s policy.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:15 pmMOTHER OF GOD
THAT’S REPUGLICAN CODE FOR MARTIAL LAW
May 12th, 2008 at 2:17 pmwe DO NEED REGIME CHANGE at home, preferably by peaceful elections, if not, than by whatever means necessary…up to and including armed revolt.
those who make peaceful revolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable- John F. Kennedy
May 12th, 2008 at 2:20 pmMartial law? Why stop there??How about a dictatorship? Banana republic? King Richard Cheney, maybe?
May 12th, 2008 at 2:20 pmAnd who will be the next contestant to lose at playing “Don’t Feed the Troll?”
[Tick, tock…]
May 12th, 2008 at 2:20 pmIt’s clear what WillyCrystal is suggesting. Send American troops into D.C. and take the capitol by force. Then destroy the water and electical infrastructure to make sure that the citizens of D.C. know what an occupation feels like.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:21 pmblackdued- FLAGGED!!!!
May 12th, 2008 at 2:24 pmIs he talking about the U.S. government or has he been reading too much of the Jerusalem Herald? Olmert has his own Culture of Corruption going on and the investigation is soiling the 60th year independence celebrations.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:26 pmI think little Billy has gotten the U.S. and Israel confused again.
A surge like the one in Bagdhad? Is Kristol suggesting building huge walls to separate Republicans from Democrats? Hasnt Republicans already started that surge?
May 12th, 2008 at 2:27 pmA surge of b ullshi t simply means more, more aggressive b ullshi t.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:27 pmRUCerious Says: Send American troops into D.C. and take the capitol by force. Then destroy the water and electical infrastructure to make sure that the citizens of D.C. know what an occupation feels like.
And station a carrier group off Virginia, to send ‘em a message…
May 12th, 2008 at 2:28 pmIsn’t this asswipe one of the PNAC traitors?
May 12th, 2008 at 2:30 pmExit Stage Left Says:
It really does show, doesn’t it? There’s just no hiding your PNAC.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:32 pmI think this is the beginning of their pivot - “government is so broken, it can’t be fixed”. Never mind that they broke it.
I’m afraid we’ll hear more and more of this. When we can’t make things better RIGHT AWAY, they will say “it never worked” and do their best to kill it. If we don’t balance the budget RIGHT AWAY, they will say “the budget can’t afford it” and do their best to kill it. They will all claim that they are the epitome of fiscal conservatives, despite the fact that they SINGLE HANDEDLY broke the bank.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:32 pmKRISTOL: [McCain] could say, “Look, I was a great proponent of the surge. What was the surge about? It was Dave Petraeus changing the way the U.S. military works, and it worked. It succeeded. Why can’t we do this for the rest of the U.S. government? Lots of the U.S. government is broken. We need, in effect, a surge, a reformist surge, for the whole U.S. government.“
Seems to me like William the Effeminate is advocating making DC a “Green Zone” area , replete with a colossal embassy and a useless amusement park ; with constant daily bombings of it…………Wonderful idea.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:32 pmHere’s a professional black Pro:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claude_Allen
May 12th, 2008 at 2:35 pmIt’s pretty obvious that he means a surge to replace loyal Bushies with McCainiacs. A whole new corrupt Orwellian crowd, who will create their own, new, expensive realities, unhampered by the baggage of past republican mistakes. A clean slate, on which to draw new, grandiose, taxpayer-financed fantasies. Oh, and shovel buttloads of money to the rich - but that’s a given in any republican administration.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:37 pmBob Barr to run for president as a Libertarian
May 12th, 2008 at 2:39 pmLos Angeles Times - 1 hour ago
The former GOP congressman from Georgia accuses the government of irresponsible spending. He says McCain can’t call himself a true conservative.
Barr announces Libertarian presidential bid Reuters
Bob Barr seeks Libertarian nomination for president Atlanta Journal Constitution
The Associated Press - CBS News - Washington Times - Boston Globe
all 337 news articles »
Why is this pathetic, sad little NeoCon on TV, in the NYT, and being quoted as ‘relevant’?
May 12th, 2008 at 2:43 pmHe & LIEberman should be walking the streets of Baghdad, begging for bread crumbs like the stale, burned out toast they support?
We need, in effect, a surge, a reformist surge, for the whole U.S. government.“
I don’t know which is more delusional, that the “surge” produced any kind of real change in Iraq or that Third-Bush-Term-McCain is the man to reform our government.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
May 12th, 2008 at 2:45 pmMan, this guy sure likes to hear himself speak doesn’t he? Doesn’t even seem to matter if what he says makes sense or not - he just loves the sound of his own voice.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:48 pmNo, you’re taking him out of context! You left out the part where Kristol is thinking to himself that he doesn’t mind if neocons remain in Washington for 100 years, as long as there are no casualties (at the ballot box).
Typical…
typical.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:49 pmlol, William the Effeminate… good one McMetal.
I want a surge too, to purge all the neocons from our government! They’re never right, they’ve led us down a bad path and their loyalties are not to this country first.
In short - never listen to a neocon!
May 12th, 2008 at 2:50 pmI think what it means is he wants to pull an Alberto Gonzalez and get rid of unsuitable people
May 12th, 2008 at 2:51 pmWhy is it that when people on the right tout the “success” of the surge, even when they measure it in terms of how many fewer casualties there were during that time, they never bring up Muqtada al Sadr’s call for a cease fire? Don’t they know that this was one of the reasons violence decreased so much? I’m not saying Sadr deserves ALL of the credit, but to ignore his role in the decrease in violence is to deny reality.
And if the surge was such a “success”, Mr. Kristol, then why do we still need the troops there? Olbermann was right - the only purpose for the war in Iraq is that there always be a war in Iraq.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:54 pmIs Billy Krisco suggesting ‘De-Bushification’ in Iraq?
Or, are he & Chertoff still trying to proxy for Israel?
Truth be told, as many Israelis want their government changed as Americans do. No, you won’t hear this on the MSM, but more people support peace than war.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:55 pmMr. Kristol is no military scholar. For the last 3 years we have heard of unprecedented strains on our military from our military leaders. We have seen the unbalanced and ill thought out deployment of Nat’l Guard and Reserve units take a toll on all involved.
I’ll add not taking Kristol’s advice on the military in with the others.
May 12th, 2008 at 2:56 pmyeah, I’m sure most Israelis love their current government as much as we love our current administration!
May 12th, 2008 at 3:00 pmI don’t know why no one called Kristol on this (well, obviously, because he was on FoxSnooze): What was the surge about? It was Dave Petraeus changing the way the U.S. military works, and it worked.
WTF is he talking about “changing the way the military works”? I thought all that happened was that they sent in more troops. Nothing terribly revolutionary about that, especially given that the military would have preferred to do that in, oh, 2003.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:00 pmI thought that was exactly what Obama and Clinton were doing. Does the fool want McSame to convert to the Democratic party?
May 12th, 2008 at 3:01 pmKristol Suggests McCain Adopt ‘A Reformist Surge’ To Change ‘The Whole U.S. Government’
How many troops will that take, Bill?
One thing’s for sure, in the heat of the battle, Bill will be a REMF….
Cheers,
May 12th, 2008 at 3:02 pmKRISTOL: “What was the surge about? It was Dave Petraeus changing the way the U.S. military works…”
No dipsh1t! The surge was about giving the Iraqi government time to fix it’s internal problems, create needed legislation and train it’s police/army. There has been NO PROGRESS! Hence Mr. Kristol, the surge, much like every single prediction and idea you have made, was a total failure! If HIS surge is to mimic the Iraq surge, it’s already succeeded. The do-nothing obstructionist RepubliCON machine is on a par with the Iraqi Gov’t in it’s lack of conviction for it’s nation and it’s people, it’s wasting of American lives and money, it’s daily corruption and willingness to serve no one but themselves.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:04 pmY’spose we could crush his PNACs in a bench vise? That’d give him a ’surge’.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:07 pmso what, this surge was a military experiment for Petraeus? Like the Iraqis are a bunch of lab rats for them to practice new tactics???
May 12th, 2008 at 3:07 pmThe more these surge idiots talk, the further their foot goes down their mouths
May 12th, 2008 at 3:11 pmkaty Says:
——————————————————————————–
Bob Barr to run for president as a Libertarian
Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago
The former GOP congressman from Georgia accuses the government of irresponsible spending. He says McCain can’t call himself a true conservative.
Barr announces Libertarian presidential bid Reuters
Bob Barr seeks Libertarian nomination for president Atlanta Journal Constitution
The Associated Press - CBS News - Washington Times - Boston Globe
all 337 news articles »
May 12th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Barr can always cite his leading the charge to have Bill Clinton impeached as being the pinnacle of his career……
May 12th, 2008 at 3:13 pmmisshusseinmolly, et al:
No doubt a reformist surge will be coming in November, a Democratic majority in both houses working with President Obama will do wonders, for not only the citizens of this country, but for the citizens of all the world.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pmninique Says:
yeah, I’m sure most Israelis love their current government as much as we love our current administration!
This is true. I read that 60% of the citizens in Israel want a government that will negotiate and find a way to peace rather than the bellicose government they currently have, much like the citizens of this country and the citizens of Iraq. It doesn’t seem like many governments don’t give a flying frig what their people want.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pmninique Says:
The more these surge idiots talk, the further their foot goes down their mouths
This bunch tends to have more than their foot in their mouth…
May 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pmWas the “Surge” in Iraq so effective that they really want to bring it up ?
And McCain has been in DC for how many years ? My point being that if he hasn’t done something already, it seems kind of late to paint himself as a reformer.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pmHi folks. I haven’t been around much lately, I’m still mostly boycotting TP because they won’t cover the presidential race. But, I must congratulate on your new strategy for dealing with trolls. It seems to be working very well. Good on you!
May 12th, 2008 at 3:16 pmThat non-sequiter occurred to me, too, gum. But then I just chalked it up to William the Bloody blathering on again with no tether to reality.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:21 pmKristol Suggests McCain Adopt ‘A Reformist Surge’ To Change ‘The Whole U.S. Government’
William the Effeminate wants gay translators fired ?
Who will he have at night to ‘pillow talk’ with ?
BTW
McStupid has changed the whole US government , just not by himself.
He and the entire GOP have brought it to the level of an extremely bad joke ; they set out to prove the government is terrible and doesn’t work , and they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams…………
May 12th, 2008 at 3:21 pmHow does this guy stay employed when he’s basicly wrong every time on the issues.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:22 pmIf the MSM wants to feature right-wing commentators, they’re pretty much destined to employ people who are wrong 100% of the time.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:30 pmWhy do we only see him on Sundays? He’s like an old suit dragged out of the closet every week, dust-covered and remarkably plain.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:34 pmMay 12th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
techsong Says:
How does this guy stay employed when he’s basicly wrong every time on the issues.
28% of your fellow Americans believe and listen to him. He is not wrong in their eyes; we just haven’t killed enough furriners yet and we haven’t destroyed the Constitution yet. Some of our citizens love the idea of a king. The low information citizen doesn’t read, doesn’t think, and surely doesn’t like the fact that you and I might vote for someone other than a republican.
May 12th, 2008 at 3:42 pmThanks, Bill. We need reform. Too bad you inconviently forget to mention that the GOP have cereated about 90% of the problems we face. Additionally, MyCane is no vote to reform- he the poster child of another four years of Bush policies.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:10 pmWho is better equipped to enact real reform? Hmmmm, let me think….. adoddering old coot who will sworn in wearing depends or a younger man with an ability to think outside the box?
….awaiting moderation……..what?
May 12th, 2008 at 4:11 pmSorry for my typos.
May 12th, 2008 at 4:12 pm>Second snetence created.
>Last sentence- “a doddering old coot who will be sworn in wearing depends….
Wouldn’t it be great to round up all the Kristols, Liebermans,Hannities, Coulters and let them go to the front line in Iraq. I mean really, they all have the answers !!
May 12th, 2008 at 4:49 pmBut bring the real soldiers back first, who wants the above in the Humvee with them.
that’s not quite right.
the surge was about winding down the clock on the bush administration by postponing even the talk (much less the planning and implementation) of our eventual and necessary withdrawal from iraq.
seeing as how that’s now going to be barack’s problem, i’d say that bush can consider the so-called “surge” to be a righteous success.
May 12th, 2008 at 5:14 pmGod, what an idiot. Let us look at the problems with Kristol’s statements.
1. The surge was necessary because the United States did not deploy sufficient number of troops to maintain public order after the invasion. Sort of a nation wide surge at the very beginning before there was any trouble. You know, like the generals suggested before the war. You know, like the initial plans called for and the troops in the pipeline.
2. The surge was necessary because Rummy blocked the military from developing detailed plans for the occupation as it had wanted to do.
3.. The surge was necessary because Rummy and his friends failed to recognize the gathering unrest and violence for what it was and take adequate steps to prevent a full fledged insurgency from developing.
4. The surge was necessary because of a bumbling president and Bremmer who disbanded the Iraqi military as opposed to following the precedents set during WWII with Japan and Germany of using the defeated power’s military to provide some security.
5. The surge was necessary because of the incompetent, childish and totally retarded handling of the domestic issues involving Iraq by a President of the United States who has neither the intellect, the experience or morality to be left alive let alone govern a country.
Yes Mr. Kristol, the god damned innovation and reform of the god damned surge was to go back and listen to those military leaders that were excoriated by President Bush and the bafoons
May 12th, 2008 at 6:09 pmthat he appointed to lead this nation into war. Kristol is fool trying to rewrite history. I am sick and tire of this fu__ing country. To hell with it.
I’m pretty convinced that Willian Kristol is a psychopath. I wonder how he would do in a Psychopath vs Great Thinker poll?
May 13th, 2008 at 7:05 am