For Second Day In A Row, McCain Cites The Non-Existent ‘Czechoslovakia’
For Second Day In A Row, McCain Cites The Non-Existent ‘Czechoslovakia’
Yesterday, ThinkProgress noted that during a press availability, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said that he’s been concerned by “a couple of steps that the Russian government took in the last several days,” including “reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia.” Of course, “Czechoslovakia” dissolved into two independent countries 15 years ago and now, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are member states — separately — of the European Union.
Slip of the tongue? Perhaps. The McCain campaign even scrubbed the transcript of the event. However, he did it again today. Touting his “League of Democracies” idea to garner support for action against Iran’s nuclear program during a town hall meeting this afternoon, McCain cited a recent example of Russia working against American interests:
McCAIN: And I regret that and I regret some of the recent behavior that Russia has exhibited in I’ll be glad to talk about that later on including reduction in oil supplies to Czechoslovakia when they agreed with us on a missile defense system.
Watch it:
This is at least the fourth time in the last year that McCain has harkened back to the old days when the Iron Curtain divided Europe. But his forgetfulness has more history. McCain referred to the non-existent country — once in 1994 and another time in 1999 — which caused then Gov. George W. Bush to question McCain’s cozy relationship with the media:
“I don’t think there is any plot; I hope there isn’t,” Bush said. “But it’s an amazing phenomenon, I’ll tell you that. It’s like the flap over the foreign-leader deal. A guy gets up and quizzes me — it’s my fault for trying to answer — but John McCain says something about the ‘ambassador to Czechoslovakia.’ Well, I know there is no Czechoslovakia (there’s a Czech Republic and a Slovakia), but yet it didn’t make the nightly national news. I’m not going to gripe about it, but the media question is starting to pop up.”
But “McCain is running on his supposed foreign policy superiority” and as MoJo blog points out, he “really shouldn’t be making these mistakes…[he] can’t possibly be ignorant of the basic state of the world.”
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Perhaps if his handlers started working with McCain with flashcards?
July 15th, 2008 at 5:11 pmI for one am looking forward to the day when John McCain is elected the Governor-General of the Thirteen Colonies of The New World
July 15th, 2008 at 5:12 pmRethugs everywhere had better start worrying, packing bags, getting passports and visas to Paraguay.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pmSlightly O/T:
How to win wars, John McCain style, in seven steps:
First, graduate in the bottom 1% of your class at the Naval Academy.
Second, get your Naval “wings.”
Third, crash three Naval jet-fighters during training.
Fourth, be involved in an aircraft carrier fire in which over one hundred sailors died.
Fifth, try to bomb a Vietnamese power plant, which is a war crime.
Sixth, get shot down and captured and be held for five and a half years as a POW.
Seventh, get released, come home, dump your disfigured, but loyal wife, and then marry a beer heiress almost twenty years younger.
Now you can assert that you “know how to win wars”…
July 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pmhe] can’t possibly be ignorant of the basic state of the world.”
Ummmm, yes, he can and is, has been and will be.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:14 pmJames K., not OT (Old Testament!!) at all, but spot on.!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:15 pmNo sense being ignorant unless you show it.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:15 pmIf it’s gotten to the point where even a dim bulb like Dubya can see that the media are all kissing McCain’s butt, it’s gone way too far.
Tim Russert promised us that “in time” McCain would receive the same media scrutiny Obama’s been getting:
http://thinkprogress.org/ 2008/ 05/ 07/ russert-mccain-scrutiny/
Unfortunately, Tim’s no longer around to ensure that will happen even if he wanted to. But surely other media can pick up the ball and run with it. Surely it’s time.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:16 pmOnce again, his senility rears its ugly head. Pretty soon he’s going to talking about how we need to seek revenge for the bombing at Pearl Harbor.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:17 pmI think that McCain is going to announce tomorrow that he plans to repeal Prohibition.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:19 pm“You may have geography. But I have the geography.”
July 15th, 2008 at 5:19 pmJust what century is McCain living in?
The possibility that this man could actually become president scares the bejeesus out of me!!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:20 pmOval - You’re disparaging St. John’s military service; which as we know is a war crime and qualifies you to be a treasonous terrorist. Do it more often and louder, so you may be quoted by the right wing blogs, and maybe the MSM, even as they condemn you (and in the process get the information out)
Also: Please stay in touch, to let us know they haven’t taken you away, yet.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:21 pmDoes he actually think Cap’n Crunch is a naval officer?
July 15th, 2008 at 5:24 pmFor Second Day In A Row, McCain Cites The Non-Existent ‘Czechoslovakia
Wow, maybe thats where Iraq hid all the WMDs.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:27 pmTHATS why they couldn’t find them….
judyinnm Says:
Oval - You’re disparaging St. John’s military service; which as we know is a war crime… blah, blah, blah.
Someone has just taken stupid to a new level.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:29 pmI guess his “people” don’t know any better either. His gaffe mistake made the most popular blogs, which his staff should be monitoring, as well as a few TV news shows, but he is either unteachable or doesn’t care.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:31 pmMore and more, he demonstrates how similar he is to Bush.
But, I am sure this, too, will be scrubbed from reality, and the majority of the people will never know it. Plus, I bet most Repugs don’t know about the Czech Republic change either.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:33 pmWill Someone on McInsane’s staff Please make sure he takes his meds? It’s bad enough watching him when he’s reasonably close to sanity!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:34 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
judyinnm,
July 15th, 2008 at 5:34 pmOval was stating facts for all to see - you seem to prefer to remain blind.
MissMolly: please don’t hold your breath waiting for the slavish, sycophantic “librul media” to cover McMadCow’s incredible gaffes, errors, lies and flip-flops.
We need you here. ;o)
~A
July 15th, 2008 at 5:34 pmMcClueless is so confused he forgets that he was never an Admiral. That was his father and grandfather. They’re probably the only reason he wasn’t given a dishonorable discharge and thrown out. Today he tell us he knows how to win the war. Well what’s he been doing all this time. Why didn’t he tell his butt buddy W how to win the war. And how does he know. Has he ever been in command of anything. He’s never even been able to command his libido why is he allowed to act like he was a general in Iraq?
July 15th, 2008 at 5:36 pmCue cards?
July 15th, 2008 at 5:36 pmApparently he cannot read a teleprompter; he gets his facts mixed up when he’s off script.
Where is LIEbermann when you need him? Or maybe a high school history teacher.
When will McCain acknowledge the growing threat from The Grand Duchy of Fenwick? He’ll also need to engage our Allies in Freedonia. I understand McCain is close buds with Rufus T. Firefly.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:37 pmThey have been talking about this latest gaffe on MSNBC all afternoon. Of course the McCain voters are all watching Faux News and will never hear about it.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:39 pmPssst, guys, I think JudyinMN was being snarkish…
Just sayin’.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:39 pmMore and more, it is becoming clear that McDepends would have to be spotted 3 grades to have a chance of competing in “Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader”.
The Repugs must be SOOO proud of their last two “roads” scholar candidates, Johnny Boy and dubya.!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:40 pmIt’s just like GWB and nuke-you-lar. Never admit your wrong. Never change and say the correct thing. Instead repeat the mistake over and over until the wrong becomes acceptable. What a culture!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:43 pmO. T sorry.Kucinich to present on C-Span now…..Blessings
July 15th, 2008 at 5:43 pmIsn’t there a game show called:
Are you dumber than a sack of granite?
McIIIrd would make an awesome contestant.
First prize is a chance to catch the sack falling from six stories!
July 15th, 2008 at 5:45 pmRelax, folks, I’m sure McCain will put all this behind him when he releases his plan to capture Tojo, Kaiser Wilhelm, and the Abominable Snowman, and make the world safe for democracy once again.
Is anyone on McCain’s staff interested in getting this guy familiar with the 21st Century? I can’t believe the Republicans aren’t embarrassed by this guy’s constant mistakes on what is supposed to be his strongest issue.
July 15th, 2008 at 5:46 pmso many senior moments,
so little time.
*
good luck.
@
July 15th, 2008 at 5:49 pmIt’s just more evidence of his increasing senility and his handlers are trying to cover it up, much like the press covering up for Ronnie Regan in his Alzheimer years….
July 15th, 2008 at 6:00 pm.
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.
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His mistakes are not carried on the msm. They just keep eating his donuts, and smiling at the oid man.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:05 pmWhen reporters don’t report obvious errors, the public is no better informed than 8 years ago.
judyinnm
July 15th, 2008 at 6:06 pmIf your remarks are supposed to be snarky, they are vague and you may have to clue us in on the sarcasm. :)
John, just keep repeating:
Istanbul WAS Constantinople
July 15th, 2008 at 6:11 pmIstanbul WAS Constantinople…
Like Bush he doesn’t see that a lack of knowledge may possibly interfere with making policy (or even the claim to be the world politics maven). Like Bush he can’t remember what he said earlier this morning. Like Bush, ……………
July 15th, 2008 at 6:17 pmLike 43, Senator McCain is defined by ambition and a lack of discipline.
The President learned to overcome (some) of his weakness when he stopped drinking. I sometimes wonder if the Senator is in a twelve-step for his anger. His tell is easy to spot - he clenches his jaw, his eyes get hard, and he speaks very, very softly.
I also wonder when we’ll get footage of a McCain “you can’t handle the truth” moment.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:29 pmMcMadCow and Chimpy: twin retards.
*sigh*
I want a smart president.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:32 pmWTF, didn’t his handlers tell him he made that mistake? And he does it again the next day. Wow, he’s in worse shape that I thought he was in. They need to assign Holy Joe to accompany him 24/7.
July 15th, 2008 at 6:47 pm40. Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says
* * *
He might need Lindsey Graham, too. Plus, Lindsey will deliver that huge repressed homosexual wing of the Republican base.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:27 pmIt’s getting now so that whenever I look at McCain, I’m reminded of Professor Stephen Falken’s question to the two high school kids on his land (in “War Games”), “Is either of you a paleontologist? I desperately need a paleontologist.”
July 15th, 2008 at 7:57 pmSenile dementia?
July 15th, 2008 at 9:14 pmSomebody ask McSame is the Hittites are Shia or Sunni.
July 15th, 2008 at 10:13 pmThe McCain campaign even scrubbed the transcript of the event.
Scrubbing statements is not a luxury afforded a president when sitting among world leaders in delicate negotiations.
The global leadership and integrity of America has taken a hard hit in the last 7 years. We simply can no longer suffer ineptness or ill-thought out statements of positions by any of our representatives.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:47 pmmmchimpy would make a fine war-in-chief. he adores wars. he will sort the small stuff out later like the silly names of countries, the differences/sameness of cultures and others’ history.
he will use the same old and failed methods to run the US and war. he’s constantly in a state of self-debate, and he looses.
also he talks about shit that happened too long ago and he gets that wrong too. why would repugs put another disaster in the WH? they do hate America.
he’s an insane man looking for his last hooray.
July 16th, 2008 at 12:01 amObama has been to 57 of the 58 States of our great country. He knows his shit, I want him in office! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpGH02DtIws)
July 16th, 2008 at 12:11 amYossarian
how does that affect our economy?
how does that end chimpy’s war?
how can that lower food prices?
how can this save the people instead of big business?
yep. Sen. Obama making that bigggg mistake will surely cause the world despair.
repug troll are idiots
July 16th, 2008 at 12:18 am-Game of Life
July 16th, 2008 at 12:34 amI find it funny that McCain referring to Czechoslovakia is a big deal, yet you shrug off Obama’s saying that we have 58 states is not. Geez, take it easy; both McCain and Obama are human, both have their slip ups, and both should be held to the same level of accountability.
And about McCain’s mention of Czechoslovakia…
“how does that affect our economy?
how does that end chimpy’s war?
how can that lower food prices?
how can this save the people instead of big business?”
All that you wrote is completely irrelevant to my comment… And you call me the idiot.
.
Senator McSpeak doing what he does best…
.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:17 am.
Hey, I hear the McMedia loves them some McBabyback Ribs.
.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:19 amYossarian:
It means the mcdummy is suppose the “foreign expert.”
It means he doesn’t know shit. Shia vs Sunni, al Qaeda vs. Taliban. he doesn’t know our enemy which can kill assh.
Oh yeah the 57 bs is totally invisible compared to mcchimpy’s whoppers. GTFOOH.
mcchimpy isn’t fit to be a senator. mmchimpy is the best the repugs can do. pathetic.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:29 amleave the old coot alone, he’s finally made it into the 20th century and has other things on his mind…like his campaign to make hawaii and alaska states.
July 16th, 2008 at 6:50 amReminds me of the movie “Groundhog Day” with Bill Murray. Only McCain is stuck somewhere in the Cold War era.
July 16th, 2008 at 7:50 am