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Lieberman: McCain ‘Almost Always Right On The Big Issues Of Foreign Policy Over The Last 20 Years’

On the 2/12 edition of Bill Bennett’s radio show, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) explained that he was supporting Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president because he believes that withdrawal from Iraq would “abandon” the country “to the killers” and “empower them to come after us again.” “McCain will never let that happen,” claimed Lieberman.

“The guy has been almost always right on the big issues of foreign policy over the last twenty years,” said Lieberman. “That’s why I want him to be my president,” he added.

Listen to it:

[flv http://video.thinkprogress.org/2008/02/LiebermanMcCainForeign.320.40.flv]

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Lieberman is now claiming that McCain has a nearly spotless foreign policy record, but in reality, McCain was an ardent supporter of the “worst strategic mistake in the history of the United States.” In fact, McCain was one of the most prominent voices telling the American people that Iraq would be “easy” and that Americans would be “welcomed as liberators”:

“And I believe that the success will be fairly easy.” [CNN, Larry King Live, 9/24/02]

“I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time.” [CNN Late Edition, 9/29/02]

“Do you believe that the people of Iraq or at least a large number of them will treat us as liberators?” “Absolutely. Absolutely,” replied McCain. [MSNBC, Hardball, 3/12/03]

“There’s no doubt in my mind that once these people are gone that we will be welcomed as liberators.” [MSNBC, Hardball, 3/24/03]

In the same segment, Lieberman stressed that “you’ve got to take people at their word.” Unfortunately, too many Americans did take John McCain at his word when he said Iraq would be “easy.”