Secretary Of State Lieberman Endorses ‘Dumb’ Plan To Kick Russia Out Of The G-8
Secretary Of State Lieberman Endorses ‘Dumb’ Plan To Kick Russia Out Of The G-8
Today, the Wall Street Journal joins Sean Hannity and Karl Rove in promoting Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) for Secretary of State in a McCain administration, praising his “first-rate” national security judgment:
Our own view is that Mr. Lieberman would make a fine Secretary of State, and that, given the political risks, making him vice president would probably be too great an election gamble. But Mr. Lieberman’s national security credentials are first-rate, and we’ve known him long enough to remember his opposition to an income tax in Connecticut, and his support for lower capital gains taxes, school vouchers and private Social Security accounts. Liberated from having to run as a Democrat, he might recall those policy instincts.
Today, Lieberman showed exactly what type of diplomacy he’d practice as Secretary of State. Speaking in Poland after a trip to Georgia with fellow McCain ally Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Lieberman proposed kicking Russia out of the G-8:
“We’re not going to let Russia, so soon after the Iron Curtain fell, to again draw a dividing line across Europe,” said Lieberman, an independent from Connecticut and close friend of Republican presidential hopeful John McCain. “It is simply unacceptable.” [...]
“The G-8 should become for a while the G-7 until Russia proves that it is capable of being a law-abiding member of the international community,” he said.
McCain first proposed this idea in October 2007, and again in March. Not only do senior government officials consider this plan to be “dumb,” it’s also most likely “impossible,” as most other developed nations would never go along. In April, the LA Times reported that McCain was beginning to back away from the plan because it was greeted with alarm by his supporters.
Much of the McCain campaign’s condemnation of Russia has been based on hyperpbole and inaccurate facts. On Tuesday, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney blasted Russia for deciding to “act militarily against a sovereign nation.” Last week, McCain declared that “in the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations.”
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“The G-8 should become for a while the G-7 until The United States proves that it is capable of being a law-abiding member of the international community, and stops illegal torture, war crimes, etc.”
Corrected it for you, Joe.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:01 pmDumb & Dangerous?
McDumb & McIsrael?
Holy Joe & Heaven Help Us?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:01 pm“But Mr. Lieberman’s national security credentials are first-rate, and we’ve known him long enough to remember his opposition to an income tax in Connecticut, and his support for lower capital gains taxes, school vouchers and private Social Security accounts.”
______________
How does opposition to a state income tax and support for lower capital gains equate w/ national security? Sweet jeebus… these clowns have gone completely off the rails…
August 21st, 2008 at 1:03 pmUgh! Kick them out for doing the same stuff we did? Not such a good idea in my opinion.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:04 pmAnd just the man to annex America’s 51st state, Israel.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:05 pmI think Secretary of State Richardson might have a different view…
August 21st, 2008 at 1:08 pmHeck, I’d vote for Putin before I’d vote for Busch, McCain or LIEberman.
¶ AIO
August 21st, 2008 at 1:08 pmSecretary of State LIEberman ?
Of Israel ?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:09 pmLast week, McCain declared that “in the 21st century, nations don’t invade other nations…”
(Rest of his statement…)
“Unless, of course, the invaded nation is controlled by swarthy, little, brown-skinned fellas and just happens to sit atop billions and billions of barrels of oil…”
They really shouldn’t take McCain’s words out of context… it so distorts the true meaning of his words.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:09 pmThe only thing Lierberman did for Connecticut was helping to get the New London sub base off the BRAC list, and he is paying that debt back now.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:10 pmWe are at a critical juncture in our relations with Russia. This is not a time for McCain, Lieberman or Graham to be projecting their ideas of policy as though they were speaking for Americans or the policies of the United States. We have a State Department and we have a President. We cannot afford mixed signals.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:10 pmAnd to think I ever had a bumper sticker with his name on my car…
What was Gore thinking? Of course, the Lieberman of 2000 was as different from today as the McStain of 2000.
What’s the opposite of evolution?
PEACE
August 21st, 2008 at 1:12 pm.
“It’s not Isolationism when America does it.”
“It’s not invading and occupying sovereign nations that posed no imminent threat when America does it.”
“It’s not Communistic tactics of TORTURE when America does it.”
“It’s not Fascism when America does it.”
“It’s not war crimes when America does it.”
.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:15 pmJerusalem Joe strikes again. Striking fear into the hearts of all people who want the world to stay in one piece for the next four years, minimum…
August 21st, 2008 at 1:16 pmThe media keeps hyping that McCain has great foreign relations chops. I have never seen one thing, other than some committee work, that would give him any great credentials. MSM has done such a great job of hyping him that polls favor McCain for being able to deal with the events in Georgia. That is just insane.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:16 pmAmen and thank you, RS. you just saved my hands a good bit of typing.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:17 pmMax-1 Says:
“It’s not war crimes when America does it.”
“Of course, this disease is horribly crippling, and always fatal – but doesn’t it look great on me?”
August 21st, 2008 at 1:19 pmIdiots, Russia killed hundreds of thousands in Chechnya before any of the nonsense you spout.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:22 pmIdiots it was the Serbia war that detached Kosovo which really put the Russians off their rocker.
Idiots the Russians have been spouting “a gathering of the lands” for centuries to explain their absorption of neighbors.
Idiots Russia is behaving exactly as they have whenever they had to muscle to do it.
Idiots, Russia was put in the g-8 out of fear for its 20000 nuclear weapons and the hope they would transition into something else.
Idiots, Russia is an authoritarian petro state the makes up for democracy by throwing throwing journalists out windows and the like.
Not so idiotic, the point that maybe we should wait to kick them out of the g-8 as a last straw to prevent worst behaviour. I am not sure.
idiots?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:24 pmIts pintresting to see so many of you share Pat Buchanan talking points.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:25 pmhuh?
i mean seriously… HUH?
fukin-a!
August 21st, 2008 at 1:25 pmdbadass Says:
idiots?
He’s got a full head of steam – but where’s he headed?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:26 pmIts pintresting to see so many of you share Pat Buchanan talking points.
Which ones, specifically?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pmrobert verdi Says:
——————————————————————————–
Its pintresting to see so many of you share Pat Buchanan talking points.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:25 pm
And it’s boring and hilarious to see you share McDepends’ talking points ………Are you 300 years old , too ?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pmRobert, you’re not very good as a Concern Troll. You don’t seem to have what it takes.
Can you explain how kicking Russia out of the G-8 would “prevent worst behaviour”?
Since when does membership in a yearly economic summit curb a nation’s militaristic goals?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:28 pmJoe’s just mad cause the Russians took out the Israeli plans to attack Iran from Georgia.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:32 pmrobert verdi Says:
Idiot, the US has been violating international law and committing war crimes, so we do not have a moral leg to stand on the criticize anyone else now.
Also, in the Georgia incident, Georgia attacked first and killed over 2000 civilians before Russia intervened.
Idiot.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:33 pmRalph,
August 21st, 2008 at 1:35 pmMaybe we can use their membership as some leverage. That should be clear to you. By the way one of the key points of economic summits is that nations make money of each other, hence lose the urge to so shoot missles at each other. Something along the lines of what France and Germany accomplished with their economic intergration. I guess such a line of thought is above your pay-grade.
robert verdi Says:
Idiots, Russia blah blah blah… blah blah blah…
____________
Uh… having just read Robbie’s demented screed, I just had to double check for myself. NO OTHER POSTER made any of the comments that he claims we did.
NO ONE. Nothing about Chechnya, or Kosovo… or defended Russian behavior… is this idiot babbling to himself at this point?
BTW, what’s “pintresting” mean?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:36 pmHow come we never wanna have economic summits with Iran, North Korea, etc? Is it that we like the urge to launch missles?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:37 pmWayne,
August 21st, 2008 at 1:37 pmyeah georgia attacked first, its own territory that was being being detached by separatists gangsters who recieved support for Mother Russia. Idiot.
“The G-8 should become for a while the G-7 until Russia proves that it is capable of being a law-abiding member of the international community,” he said.
Then I guess he needs to advocate our dropping out of the G-8 because we are so far from a “law-abiding member of the international community” it isn’t funny.
Actually when you think about it, it’s more likely that the US would be kicked out than Russia. We have invaded two countries without provocation (well..maybe with Afghanistan) and we are saber rattling at two more.
The other members of the G8 must be laughing their a$$es off at us. It’s so embarrassing.
You will notice that McBush has stopped talking about the Russia-Georgia conflict. That’s probably because most of the a$$umptions that he made have turned out to be false.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:38 pmStupid,
August 21st, 2008 at 1:40 pmYes I can see all of the posters are pointing their fingers at Russian and not at Americans.
Lieberman’s finished in the Senate, what else can this little war-monger from the liberal State of Connecticut to do, except to hitch has wagon to the old warhorse, McCain?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:40 pmWhat would be the result of kicking Russia out of the G8? They would suddenly change their ways and play nice with everyone? Or would it just give them more provokation to do whatever they wanted? I think the latter. Also, considering that Russia just signed a huge multi-billion dollar contract to build power plants in Iraq, do we really want to worsen our relationship with them even further? Iraq has an $8 billion/year trade deal with Iran that includes Iranian oil being refined by Russian-built refineries in Iraq. To throw Russia out of the G8 would only complicate matters in the Middle East even more than they already are.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:41 pmrobert verdi Says:
——————————————————————————–
Wayne,
yeah georgia attacked first, its own territory that was being being detached by separatists gangsters who recieved support for Mother Russia. Idiot.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:37 pm
And you can prove this ………….I wanna’ see that
August 21st, 2008 at 1:41 pmRalph,
Maybe we can use their membership as some leverage.
By publicly endorsing a plan to kick them out of the G8?
Since you’re so well-versed in Russian-style geopolitics, when was the last time this sort of blatant nose-twisting achieved anything positive with the Russians?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:42 pmKick them out for doing exactly what we did…???
Joe: “We’re the USA, so do as we say not as we do.”
McSame & LIEbermann, both unqualified for dog catcher, they should just retire to the old folks home and quit embarrassing us.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:43 pmrobert verdi Says:
Stupid,
Yes I can see all of the posters are pointing their fingers at Russian and not at Americans.
Well, I’m seriously considering pointing one finger at you…
August 21st, 2008 at 1:43 pmofficials consider this plan to be “dumb,” it’s also most likely “impossible,”
Since when have those two qualities stopped something from being a campaign promise ?
And for McCain, why don’t we just skip over the preliminaries and nuke Russia now rather than waiting a few years ?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:43 pmrobert verdi Says:
Wayne,
yeah georgia attacked first, its own territory that was being being detached by separatists gangsters who recieved support for Mother Russia. Idiot.
On Sunday 12 November 2006, South Ossetians went to the polls to vote in a referendum regarding the region’s independence from Georgia. The result was a “yes” to independence, with a turnout above 95% from those among the territory’s 70,000 people who were eligible to vote.[2] There was also a vote in favour of a new term for South Ossetia’s president, Eduard Kokoity.
90% of the people in Ossetia consider themselves Russians and hold Russian passports. Who knew that they are all gangsters.
And, yes, the people of Ossetia receive support from Russia.
The people of Georgia receive help from the USA.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:43 pmrobert verdi Says:
Ralph,
“…blah, blah, blah…I guess such a line of thought is above your pay-grade.”
I was willing to ignore you as “green” (with envy? nausea?) but I will not sit by and let you try to insult Ralph!
Until you have some bonafides, please don’t speak until spoken to.
PEACE
August 21st, 2008 at 1:44 pmrobert verdi Says:
Wayne,
yeah georgia attacked first, its own territory that was being being detached by separatists gangsters who recieved support for Mother Russia. Idiot.
I guess you think those 2000 unarmed civilians were separatists gangsters, eh?
I don’t support russia or georgia, but I definitely think we should keep our nose out of it, because both sides are wrong.
And before we go telling other countries how to act, we need to clean up the mess Bushco has created, by making us the new nazis. We have lost our moral authority because of the criminal behavior of the Bush MalAdministration.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:44 pmstupid?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:44 pmrobert verdi Says:
Stupid,
Yes I can see all of the posters are pointing their fingers at Russian and not at Americans.
______________
The topic of the thread is Joe Lieberman’s delusional rantings, not Russia’s behavior. So far, the Botch Admin’s response to this situation would appear to be somewhat akin to tossing gasoline on an open fire… doin’ lots and lots of good.
Lieberman’s confused comments don’t help this any, nor do yours.
If you want to discuss Russia’s behavior, start your own blog… I’d expect you to be very, very lonely over there, but hey, you could be right all the time…
BTW, it was Botch who decided the US should back out of treaty after treaty, not Putin.
What does “pintresting” mean???
August 21st, 2008 at 1:46 pmLuis M Says:
Well, I’m seriously considering pointing one finger at you…
__________
And which finger might that be, Luis?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:48 pmbarfly Says:
Ralph,
Maybe we can use their membership as some leverage.
By publicly endorsing a plan to kick them out of the G8?
The lunatic right-wing seems to think that the other G-8 countries would still have leverage if Russia pulls out of the G-8. How silly can you get?
Btw, I think Obama should raise the issue of McCain’s recklessness in his bellicose statements about Russia. Very de-stablizing to world peace.
And I have flagged the verdi person for abusive language. Apparently his parents didn’t teach him any manners.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:49 pmNot only have we lost our moral standing with our own illegal immoral invasion and extended occupation, but we have depleted our military and our treasury to the point that thumbing our noses at Russia will have as much a threat as the GOP bluster and thinly veiled threats.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:52 pm“The G-8 should become for a while the G-7 until Russia proves that it is capable of being a law-abiding member of the international community,” he said.
Ya know, just when I think these people can’t say anything more stupid than the last thing they said, I get proven wrong.
Are they really that interested in starting WWIII? These people scare the crap out of me.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:53 pmmary Says:
Btw, I think Obama should raise the issue of McCain’s recklessness in his bellicose statements about Russia. Very de-stablizing to world peace.
I agree. Does anyone remember the girl plucking a daisy then a mushroom cloud ad that ran exactly once and killed Barry Goldwater’s chance of being President.
I think that Obama needs to come up with some kind of an advertisement like that. Because that’s what we are looking at if we pick a war with Russia and people need to know it.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:53 pmWhat exactly has the CIA been up to in Georgia?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:53 pmspencers mom Says:
What’s the opposite of evolution?
____________
Conservatism…
August 21st, 2008 at 1:53 pmI am touched, spencers mom. Thank you for the support.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:54 pmTrajan, is that you?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:55 pmMake that Conservativism…
August 21st, 2008 at 1:57 pmCan’t be. Spelling’s too close to standard.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:57 pmAn interesting article discussing Us involvement in Georgia.
August 21st, 2008 at 1:57 pmhttp://www.rense.com/general83/isrpl.htm
The Republic of Stupidity Says:
What does “pintresting” mean???
Maybe he is trying to readjust the pins in his head?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:57 pmDoesn’t look like it made him any more lucid, though.
The Republic of Stupidity Says:
What does “pintresting” mean???
Could be pint of liquor resting in stomach after chugalugging binge style?
August 21st, 2008 at 1:59 pmInteresting answers, Wayne & RUC…
Could be yer both right… perhaps it’s some new form of treatment that crosses ancient Chinese medicine w/ binge drinking… alkipuncture?
August 21st, 2008 at 2:03 pmYou’re right, ralph. Yet, I felt inclinded to pop the question anyway.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:06 pmi’m having a hard time understanding this point. is he excusing georgia’s behavior because South Ossetia and Abkhazia were within Georgia’s borders, and therefore Georgia can shell them all they want and kill unarmed civilians?
or is he trying to be sarcastic? usually i’m pretty good at picking up the sarcasm, but maybe bobby is too subtle for me.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:24 pmLater on, in books, will we see multinational corporate ties to the supposed Russia aggression? We know McCain is the corporatist choice and the timing of this is too suspect.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:36 pm“i’m having a hard time understanding this point.”
What hes saying is that a democracy has a legitimate right to suppress internal rebellions. Russia has gone out of its way to foment rebellion in these two areas for over a decade via money and arms and overt military provocation (see youtube videos of Russian jets shooting down unarmed Georgian recon drones and straying into Georgian territory).
A totalitarian dictatorship should never be allowed to invade and destroy democratic countries. If you think Russia invaded to help anyone, your sadly, sadly mistaken.
August 21st, 2008 at 2:41 pmThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
And which finger might that be, Luis?
The one that clicks on the mouse button while the pointer is hovering right above the “Report Abuse” link, next to Robert Verdi’s comments.
Seriously, Bobbie V, you lost me at “Idiots”.
August 21st, 2008 at 3:10 pmLuis,
August 21st, 2008 at 3:36 pmOkay but when the first batch of comments contain refrences to Israel when the post is actualy about the g-8 and russia, well thats that.
roycommi,
August 21st, 2008 at 3:40 pmExactly.
Luis,
August 21st, 2008 at 3:41 pmRussia plays this game for centuries. Divide and subdivide then absorb. Move on to the next region and repeat. What happened in Georgia does not mean the USA is going to be at war with Russia next year, but 5 years from now when they begin moving weapons and money to Russian minorities in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Nato partners mind you what then? Call it an internal matter and walk away?
Could we please just get on with it and elect Mccain so the Repugs can take us to nuclear war, destroy this country and just get it over with? Sad how living in a post apocalyptic world is preferable to having these sub-humans run anything.
August 21st, 2008 at 3:42 pmThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
Interesting answers, Wayne & RUC…
Could be yer both right… perhaps it’s some new form of treatment that crosses ancient Chinese medicine w/ binge drinking… alkipuncture?
Wouldn’t that be akidrunkture?
August 21st, 2008 at 4:03 pmbourbon anyone?
August 21st, 2008 at 4:33 pmspencers mom,
August 21st, 2008 at 4:36 pmThe logic of economic integration is to hopefully prevent wars, complain but Ralph is wrong on that point.
robert verdi Says:
A whole lot of ignorant nonsense. Mr Green you are stupid, stupid, STUPID. The Russian Chechnyan conflict has been going on for decades with a whole lot of slaughter going on from BOTH SIDES. Remember Beslan you ignorant piece of garbage? Try just ONCE having some dim conception what you are talking about before parading the ignorance you are so proud of MORON.
August 21st, 2008 at 4:39 pmThanks for the entertainment Robert Green, aren’t you late for your segment on the Phil Hendrie show?
August 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pmJoe, maybe we should give Israel a seat on the UN security council , that way it could do it’s own vetoing in the future !
August 21st, 2008 at 4:52 pmOld, decrepant, anti-American Joe LIEberman….someone please just rub him out. The people of Connecticut could ironically be the ones responsible for Armageddon if LIEberman is given any degree of responsibility in the foreign policy area. America wake the f&&k up
August 21st, 2008 at 5:05 pmEugeneDebs,
August 21st, 2008 at 5:10 pmOf course it has, as matter of fact Stalin tried to cleanse the whole region once. In the camps no one messed with the Chechyans, it failed of course. As for heavy fighting, that began in the early ninties, but it was Putin who finnaly conquered the region with drum roll please, local support that he used to divide this border region. Sounds familiar? Anyway Belsan was horrible and as a matter of fact that event all but guaranteed the defeat of the Chechyans as they quickly gound what support they had in the west evaporate.
Hey, I say we should just talk to the russians! Explain how nervous this makes the other former soviet block countries–like Lithuania, Estonia, and Poland. Maybe then the russians will understand how Georgia was just supporting their weak neighbor — not trying to start a fight.
I don’t think Americans should say or do anything that will upset the russians. We don’t want them to think we want to fight. They can have those little countries back, and rule them with an Iron Fist, again. I know those silly democratic citizens will be thoroughly re-taught in a nice, non-torture gulag!
Americans should just concentrate on free jobs, free health care and sticking it to all the people with jobs!
yea, peace!
August 21st, 2008 at 9:38 pmandi gee
August 21st, 2008 at 10:23 pmSounds like a plan.
“The G-8 should become for a while the G-7 until Russia proves that it is capable of being a law-abiding member of the international community,” Lets try a G-6 with the US
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 amout until the Shrub leaves office and everyone breaths alittle easier.