FLASHBACK: In 2000, McCain Said U.S. Troops Were ‘Killing Innocent Civilians’ And ‘Dropping Bombs’
FLASHBACK: In 2000, McCain Said U.S. Troops Were ‘Killing Innocent Civilians’ And ‘Dropping Bombs’
In August 2007, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) was asked whether he would move U.S. troops out of Iraq and deploy them elsewhere. Obama replied that more troops were needed in Afghanistan:
We’ve got to get the job done there, and that requires us to have enough troops so that we’re not just air-raiding villages and killing civilians, which is causing enormous pressure over there.
During the recent vice presidential debate, Palin claimed, “Obama has said that all we’re doing in Afghanistan is ‘air raiding villages’ and ‘killing civilians.’” She called said his comment was “reckless” and “hurts our cause.” Similarly, the McCain campaign released an ad this week branding Obama’s remarks “dishonorable.” Watch it:
But as the Washington Times reports today, McCain himself made virtually identical remarks about the U.S. military during his 2000 presidential bid:
MCCAIN: In the most obscene chapter in recent American history is the conduct of the Kosovo conflict when the president of the United States refused to prepare for ground operations, refused to have air power used effectively because he wanted them flying — he had them flying at 15,000 feet where they killed innocent civilians because they were dropping bombs from such — in high altitude.
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This is because killing civilians in a conflict a Democratic president got us into is reprehensible, while killing civilians in a conflict a Republican president got us into is a patriotic cause.
Same old IOKIYAR double-standard, just packaged differently.
October 7th, 2008 at 4:59 pmDon’t these people know that we have their statements written down? It’s only a matter of time before we find something that contradicts their latest lies…
October 7th, 2008 at 4:59 pm2000? come on… McCcains comment was just some of his youthful, 64 year old indiscretion..
this guy is lucky if he can go an entire speech without contradicting himself..
8 years? fuhgettaboutit
October 7th, 2008 at 5:01 pmRemember, on this blog, we’re singing to the choir. The mainstream media has to be the one that reports on the ‘untruthiness’ of what McCain’s saying to the people at large, because there are just enough people out there who want a reason to go against Obama to make it worth the risk.
And the media has to stop hiding behind the concept of being ‘fair to both candidates’ and just report the news. McCain’s lying and Obama isn’t. Don’t try to parse Obama’s words to plant the false impression in the public’s mind that what McCain is doing is understandable because of things that Obama is doing.
Half the reason that the SwiftBoating worked the last time was because the media was too scared to do their job.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:02 pmHow “dishonerable” of him…
October 7th, 2008 at 5:06 pmThree problems:
October 7th, 2008 at 5:08 pm1) He lost his 2000 presidential bid.
2) He’s attacking Clinton so no matter how wrong the facts may be, it’s good and right.
3) That’s quite literally pre-9/11 thinking.
Context is extremely important:
Obama’s comments: We are killing civilians because we don’t have enough troops. This reflects reality.
McCain’s comments: Whatever I say should help me get elected. Reality has nothing to do with it. In fact McCain said “when the president of the United States refused to prepare for ground operations” and little did he know how prophetic that was.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:09 pmThe Washington Times, eh?
Uh-oh. When a wingnut rag disses you like that, well, you *know* you’re in trouble…
Sayonara, Gramps. And good damned riddance, too, you old barstid.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:12 pmsoooo, grampy mclame called our troops baby killers? why does he hate our troops?
October 7th, 2008 at 5:15 pmWe must never forget, John McCain does Not speak for John McCain! Heine apparently foresaw this moment, for he said:
October 7th, 2008 at 5:18 pm“Ordinarily he is insane, but he has his lucid moments whe he is only stupid”.
Impeach….
Sorry, but all this lunacy is wearing me out.
Save the Constitution!
and how high was mccain flying when he dropped his bombs in Vietnam to kill civilians?
October 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pmIt would be inconsistent for Republicans to be consistent.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pmMCCAIN: …the president of the United States refused to prepare for ground operations, refused to have air power used effectively he wanted them flying — he had them flying at 15,000 feet…
If the air power was not used effectively, how did we win the war? Sounds to me as if McCrash was just pissed that none of our pilots got shot down in operations over Kosovo. Jealousy is an ugly thing.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:22 pmThe campaign has become so convoluted that to denounce killing civilians is a bad thing? What hurts our cause more, pointing out that civilians are being killed, or actually killing civilians?
Someone’s desparate, alright.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:23 pmMcCain is just a worthless lying war criminal. He committed war crimes in Vietnam by bombing civilian Vietnamese from thirty thousand feet. He was not a “hero,” was just another murderous war criminal. He should be shipped off to The Hague to face charges of committing war crimes in Vietnam.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:24 pmdaveincolorado Says:
and how high was mccain flying when he dropped his bombs in Vietnam to kill civilians?
Obviously far too high. Cannabis makes you paranoid so, just like cannabis makes you drive slower, it makes you fly lower. Hence McCain ditching 5 planes!
October 7th, 2008 at 5:30 pmdaveincolorado Says:
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and how high was mccain flying when he dropped his bombs in Vietnam to kill civilians?
According to this article, bombing raids over North Vietnam in 1967 (the year McCain was shot down) were performed at altitudes of 18,000 to 25,000 feet.
Bombing altitudes of 18,000 to 25,000 feet are most suitable for all targets out to 175 miles from Site 85.
http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-17390849_ITM
October 7th, 2008 at 5:33 pmMy thought too, Annie. Did they somehow commit journalism by accident?
October 7th, 2008 at 5:34 pmFLASHBACK: In 2000, McCain Said U.S. Troops Were ‘Killing Innocent Civilians’ And ‘Dropping Bombs’
- – Now there’s an inconvenient truth.
October 7th, 2008 at 5:41 pmwow… he had trouble with his train of thought, speaking in complete sentences, back then too…
October 7th, 2008 at 5:49 pmSoo, McCain was dishonorable before Obama? Is that another evidence of his superior experience, Sarah? Hunh? Sarah? Hunh? Earth to Sarah!
October 7th, 2008 at 5:51 pmImagine if you will:
There’s an armed robbery in “Yourtown U.S.A.”. Hours later an anonymous tipster claims to have seen armed men running into an apartment building. The local police call the nearest airbase and orders a strike on the building. Dozens dead and wounded but, a few guns are found in the rubble so the police trumpet their effective anti-crime policy.
How is this different than what we’ve done in Afghanistan?
October 7th, 2008 at 6:14 pmPoliticians continuously tell us how smart the American people are. How then do we square that with all the evidence that suggests our politics are shallow and dumb? We can’t. Our politics are often dumb because many Americans are not smart about politics. This is why they peddle this manure. Because they get away with it.
Just How Stupid Are We?
Facing the Truth About the American People
By Rick Shenkman
October 7th, 2008 at 6:23 pm“McCain himself made virtually identical remarks about the U.S. military during his 2000 presidential bid.
McCain was criticizing a Democratic president, so it’s, you know, totally different. IOKIYAR.
Next question.
October 7th, 2008 at 6:32 pmI can almost see this ‘cop’ michael joseph scott getin all gooey in his panties about what happened in minn to the protesters at the RNC prez convention wishin he could be there to violate ppls civil right to protest…plus it seems he has about as much sence between his ears as he has hair on his head……. now to go scrub my brain with clorox to get that thought of him out my mind
October 7th, 2008 at 6:40 pmWhat a difference a day makes!
October 7th, 2008 at 6:59 pm