McCain: I'd Have Been 'Reluctant' To Start Iraq War If I Won In 2000
Source: TPM
By CATHERINE THOMPSON Published JULY 18, 2014, 8:55 AM EDT
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said Thursday that he probably would have hesitated to send U.S. troops into Iraq if he had been elected President in 2000.
Youll find this surprising, but I think I wouldve been more reluctant to commit American troops, McCain told CNNs Jake Tapper and National Journal's Ron Fournier at an event Thursday in Washington.
That does sound like a change of position in light of McCain's vote to authorize the use of force in Iraq and his vocal support of the 2007 troop surge. McCain also criticized the Obama administration last month for not leaving behind a residual force in 2011 that could have deterred Islamist militants who were taking over key Iraqi cities.
I think I would have (voted the same way), but I think I would have challenged the evidence with greater scrutiny, McCain explained, as quoted by CNN. I think that with my background with the military and knowledge of national security with these issues that I hope that I would have been able to see through the evidence that was presented at the time.
-snip-
Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/john-mccain-iraq-war-might-not-have-started
Yep. Uh huh. Sure John!
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)Because it is always about you isn't it John. Thinking of the bullet we dodged when we did not elect him it is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat.
I imagine he will later tell us how he would have dealt with WWII, WWI, Cuba, the Civil War and George the III as his narcissist tour continues.
roguevalley
(40,656 posts)he loves war. Period
A Simple Game
(9,214 posts)Just think if his father and grandfather hadn't been admirals he never would have been captured. He would have been kicked out of the service for destroying so many planes long before he was shot down. We never would have even heard of him.
WoodyM90
(40 posts)into the Naval Academy or into Naval Aviation if both ancestors had not been admirals.
Response to DonViejo (Original post)
lostincalifornia This message was self-deleted by its author.
CTyankee
(63,768 posts)contrasting him with President Obama in his actions today only underscores how lucky we were not to have him and Palin elected...
packman
(16,296 posts)"Youll find this surprising, but I think I wouldve been more reluctant to commit American troops,
That sure sounds like the peace loving "Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" Johnny that we all know and love.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)SummerSnow
(12,608 posts)He really needs to stop pretending he has a soul.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)Yes, McCain has suddenly turned into a peace nik.
He's the nightmare that never ends... Thanks M$M!
Nitram
(22,663 posts)McCain supported the war until it started to sour.
Orrex
(63,083 posts)That's a funny one, John!
Blue Owl
(49,902 posts)But the song remains the same...
pansypoo53219
(20,906 posts)onecaliberal
(32,471 posts)JohnnyRingo
(18,580 posts)So we would have gone in a month later. Reluctantly.
I know this mealy mouthed comment is supposed to distance McCain from the political tragedy of the Iraq invasion, but I don't doubt for a second that he would have also followed the lead of the same Neocons who dictated GOP foreign policy at that time.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)DonViejo
(60,536 posts)I'll never ever be able to listen to this BeeGees song again.
What a total BS statement, but of course, when it is not true history, you can make up your own history. Yeah, If I'd have won in 2000, I wouldn't have done it either.... He would have been the first to do it...
cheapdate
(3,811 posts)sofa king
(10,857 posts)I'm practically laughing as I write this, but seriously, who do they have?
Christie is being chased down with his own corruption and he probably won't outrun it. One might say the same of Bachmann.
Rand Paul has already said and done too many crazy things to survive in the limelight. Likewise for all Tea Partiers.
There are no brilliant, young, and upcoming Republicans and there haven't been for fifteen years.
I keep saying that Jeb feels compelled to run just to keep the lid on all the incriminating documentation his foolish brother generated. But if he doesn't, then seriously, John McCain is the only guy they have left.
Oh, and Mike Huckabee. Ha ha ha!
cheapdate
(3,811 posts)War-hawk conservative that she is, if she's not in the race then Christie, Jeb, or Mitt could probably challenge anyone the Democrats could nominate. The pendulum may be swinging, but it's not quite there yet.
Just a thought. I share your mirth at these ass-clowns, though.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)DhhD
(4,695 posts)One if by Land and
One if by Sea
Two Peas in the same Pod.
canuckledragger
(1,632 posts)There hasn't been a war yet that he hasn't been willing to send other people's' children to die for.
You folks did make the right decision and keep him away from the presidency...and he's been a bitter, spiteful old failure ever since.
pleinair
(171 posts)just revisionist history making, pure unadulterated bullshit
surrealAmerican
(11,339 posts)Does he actually think anybody could believe that coming from him? Since when has he ever "challenged the evidence" before advocating for war?
heaven05
(18,124 posts)very surprising. Lying SOS!!!!!
olegramps
(8,200 posts)McCain is nothing more than a spoiled brat who has always been an underachiever with powerful connections. He is cut out of the same mold of losers with wealthy connections like Bush that have dominated the Republican Party.
Response to olegramps (Reply #14)
demigoddess This message was self-deleted by its author.
lobodons
(1,290 posts)I'd be reluctant to be a War Criminal like W.
Enoki33
(1,584 posts)of these regular pathetic attempts of McCain to make himself relevant. Unfortunately, even if he has something worthwhile to say, I just don't want to hear it, at least not from this egomaniac.
Paladin
(28,202 posts)GeorgeGist
(25,294 posts)L0oniX
(31,493 posts)The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)the first thing out of this guy's mouth on every foreign development is a call for violence.
lark
(22,993 posts)I remember him totally cheerleading the "Axis of Terror" and going into Iraq to stop terrorism and Iraq is doing fine, it's sooo safe.
I definitely call BS on this total lie.
Blue Idaho
(4,987 posts)There is no bigger saber rattler anywhere in DC. McCain has never seen a conflict he hasn't wanted to escalate in all his time in the Senate. He and his pal Lindsey Graham are always ready to spill American blood and treasure so long as it get them on the Sunday talk shows.
Fuck Him.
Reter
(2,188 posts)He makes stupid pro-war statements daily, and it's not like he's bashing a war that a Democrat started. Perhaps he just lost his mind?
Fearless
(18,421 posts)Response to Reter (Reply #26)
Reter This message was self-deleted by its author.
liberal N proud
(60,298 posts)I hate to think about the wars he would have started.
olddad56
(5,732 posts)IronLionZion
(45,250 posts)what an ass clown.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)No small potatoes for him or his whack VP Palin
Botany
(70,281 posts)11 years too late but thanx for trying.
sakabatou
(42,082 posts)This is exactly what I was going to post!
IcyPeas
(21,737 posts)Quantess
(27,630 posts)Oh wait, was he serious?
Fearless
(18,421 posts)Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)He would have bombed Iran, Syria, Ukraine, Russia, but left Iraq alone. Yeah, right. I am srarting to understand WHY he still defends PayMe, his VP choice. Little Johnny is delusional if he thinks we believe this. Now he has none of the responsibility, but can go on TV almost daily and EVERY Sunday, insulting President Obama. Sour grapes, he lost to a much better man. Go on to Rolling Stone, look up Matt Taiibi's essay on this little fraud. It is eye opening. No wonder he has his military and medical records sealed.
Javaman
(62,435 posts)be "reluctant" to have gone to war with Iraq?
this, my friends, is called unmitigated bullshit.
The CCC
(463 posts)Is there something about videotape that McFool and his fellow Republicons don't understand?
Fred Gilmore
(80 posts)Can't even remember the last time that he changed his drawers, so why would anyone listen to any of hius senile drivel?
azureblue
(2,129 posts)But Caribou Barbie would be drooling at the very thought of it...
Reter
(2,188 posts)Not that Bush did, but would McCain have had the same allies to steal the election? I doubt it, plus he would have had to at least come close like Bush did.
Then again, even if he had won outright in 2000, would 9/11 had happened? I hate McCain, but perhaps his military experience would have produced an intelligence team more competent to intercept terrorism?
And if no 9/11, would there have been an Iraq War II at all?
karynnj
(59,474 posts)I know many Democrats who were really snowed by him at that time - and frankly, many remembered the nasty Gore campaign in 1988. He likely could have won without cheating.
jmowreader
(50,447 posts)He probably wouldn't have had Cheney as his veep, or Powell and Rice as his national security team. And there are a lot more wars to choose from than Iraq.
We also have to consider: 9/11 was preventable...if a non-Bush president was serving on that day we probably wouldn't have had to start Afghanistan.
A nice winnable war to make CON-gress feel good about spending all that money on defense would be just what the doctor ordered.
Jefferson23
(30,099 posts)with this man...go away. Who cares and who would even believe you.
bvf
(6,604 posts)was when he corrected that old screechy thing who said Obama was a Muslim, and that was six years ago. Why is this guy not in a retirement home??
Oh, wait. I remember. Arizona.
flying-skeleton
(694 posts)H-O-R-S-E-S-H-I-T !!
defacto7
(13,485 posts)of hindsight?
maybe... -¥100 +/- -¥5
sakabatou
(42,082 posts)defacto7
(13,485 posts)to point out the nonsense of making grand statements of hindsight by comparing it to a monetary unit.
A form of humor... nothing to do with the Japanese monetary unit. It could have been any unit but I like the yen unit character. It puts a visual twist to the irony. Nothing else.
Response to defacto7 (Reply #53)
defacto7 This message was self-deleted by its author.
oldandhappy
(6,719 posts)gussmith
(280 posts)Too many people changing positions and prevaricating, so much so that I forget what's the real story. Wasn't McCain known as the flip-flopper?
90-percent
(6,828 posts)Since you're rewriting a hypothetical past that could only happen now in an alternate universe, why not go for the whole enchilada and claim that you would have prevented 9-11 in the first place?
And while we're talking about revising the past, I'd make a virtual bet that President Gore would have also prevented 9-11.
The only good thin I can say about McCain is that he appears to have lived long enough to have prevented the possibility of a President Palin, if he served only one term.
-90% jimmy
90-percent
(6,828 posts)He's been hyperbolically bitching about Obama to the point that some would call it treason.
At long last, sir, have you no sense of decency?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017203465
-90% Jimmy
Thor_MN
(11,843 posts)calimary
(80,693 posts)Last edited Sat Jul 19, 2014, 01:32 AM - Edit history (3)
It's not just them. It's who they have around them, who's advising them, who'll coach them in debates, who'll research or even write their position papers, speeches, and legislation, it's who funds them - ALL OF WHOM can easily find their way onto the candidate's coattails to ride into office with him or her. I will never forget avowed and unapologetic PNAC-er randy scheunemann - who advised mccain on foreign policy after being one of the people leading the cheerleaders from behind the scenes to get us into war in Iraq during bush/cheney. He's been lurking in that sewer the whole time. And he wound up as sarah peabrain's debate coach on foreign policy issues. One SMALL bit of sweet justice - he stumbled away from that experience shaking his head and needing to grab something to keep his balance, she was THAT bad and THAT insufferable and THAT stupid. But make no mistake: THERE HE WAS, ANYWAY.
Fiends like him ALWAYS look for the way back in. They literally infest the CON side. They proliferate like nukes or cockroaches, whichever group overruns us first. They abound on that side of the aisle - always going for the brawn over any brains. ALWAYS spoiling for a fight. ALWAYS wanting to flex their muscles in foreign policy and assert America's "Alpha Male'ness" what a tough-guy nation we are - and how we need to stay on top by force or else... or else... or else...
Seems to me, though, that kind of approach ALWAYS invites people to say - "oh YEAH?" ALWAYS seems to bring on somebody wanting to knock #1 off the top spot. It's the same people who encourage scoffing at science and evolution, while they practice it and advocate it in foreign policy to their last breath. The problem with being the presumed First nation among the First World is - you're always gonna have people coming after you, trying to knock you out of first place. And they can do it through economics and trade and monetary policy, and/or they can do it with hackers and internet spies and technological espionage, and/or they can do it with guns 'n' ammo. There are other nations competing with us who are even now, even at this very moment, aiming at us with their educated populations that are free to learn about and explore the sciences without religious imposition. There are better-educated young people coming out of there, and brain-drains leeching some of our best away. The barbarians are always at the gates, so to speak, wanting into that nice secure gated community - which in this case, is the former Fortress America.
Seems to me we need some new thinking on this. A new kind of national dialogue. DO WE REALLY want to be the first among equals? DO WE REALLY? Can we take a look at what that costs? I'm not just talking financial costs. I'm talking social costs, religious costs, philosophical costs. Ego costs. Would the extremist religiosos in this country ever be willing to move the Bible over to the side to make room for legitimate objective science texts? Would they be willing to relinquish the foothold they've gained to force the teaching of Genesis into classes about evolution? Probably not. Would the professional CONS and the CON-leaning non-pros be willing to cough up more in taxes because we're now increasingly the proud owners of Third-World-quality roads? Would those mccains and kristols be willing to loosen their embrace on "war first, ask questions later"? Are we willing to continue to eat all of this increasingly foolish thinking and 19th-Century imperialistic aggressive tendencies or should we begin to consider functioning in this world WITHOUT an empire to maintain? Is it time to give that up? Since so much of America refuses to pay taxes to support public schools, and finds it no real problem that students are choking in debt if they get into college - which soon enough will be priced WAY out of the reach of most of them? Is it okay with the penny-wise/pound-foolish crowd to be proud owners of an increasingly poorly-educated population? How do we maintain any sort of world leadership under those conditions? Has anybody on that side even paused for a moment to think about this?
A lot of this - MOST of this - comes from the GOP side. The CON side. And they're not giving it up. The PNACers still think that with enough guns 'n' ammo and muscle and big-ass toys they can control and sublimate the world and humble, convert, or do away with all our adversaries! And they find a lot more fertile ground to spread their greed seed among the GOP, far more there than among Democrats. Of course, they all stay home in their luxurious gated compounds and those well-funded big-ticket think tanks and corner offices til they have to go down to the studio and do their talking head or guest loud-mouth thing. OTHERS get to go do the dirty work. But they look for people who can get them back into power so they can implement all their shitty "ideas" about American conquest and unquestioned domination of the world. (Yet another reason never to vote republi-CON! Our side doesn't have anywhere near the nonstop idiot chorus of bad ideas that those across the aisle do! NEVER FORGET: all that idiot chorus wants to do is sing in the Oval Office - or in some high-profile or high-potential governor's/senator's/congressperson's/legislator's/mayor's office - again.)
herding cats
(19,549 posts)Permit to at least tip my hat in your direction in respect for your excellent analysis! Well done!
calimary
(80,693 posts)But seriously, you gotta watch these people. You generically but really, ALL OF US have to keep an eye on them. Because those they hang with and those who surround them are just as important and influential, and will have "their master's ear" assuming he/she goes all the way to the White House or some other position of public authority. It's just as important to know who THEY are. THOSE are the leading indicators of what the person they're helping or backing or advising or serving in some way is going to be up to if allowed to gain power. And many of the same damn PNAC vermin are slithering around again now! Looking for some new star to whom to hitch their wagon so, in bill kristol's case and cheney's case and others, they can be part of the "in" crowd again and have THEIR pal in the White House for a change and maybe they can start another big ol' fun and exciting war!
czarjak
(11,191 posts)Huh Johnny?
roamer65
(36,739 posts)He's neocon thru and thru.
Spitfire of ATJ
(32,723 posts)Sure thing Mr. X-Ray Vision.
Zambero
(8,954 posts)FormerOstrich
(2,689 posts)I think I would have (voted the same way), but I think I would have challenged the evidence with greater scrutiny, McCain explained, as quoted by CNN. I think that with my background with the military and knowledge of national security with these issues that I hope that I would have been able to see through the evidence that was presented at the time.
The paragraph says so much (most of it disturbing).
Had he been elected he thinks he would have been able to "see through the evidence" that was presented. The implication is clear. The evidence did not hold up to scrutiny. Yet he admits, knowing the evidence was wrong he probably would have still voted the same way.
He also acknowledges, as a Senator, he didn't scrutinize the evidence, nor draw from his National Security and Military experience as he would have had he been the President.
Apparently listening to his constituents isn't part of the equation, as I called and wrote him several times. The few times my input was acknowledged it was with the wrong form letter.
I must conclude he believes his role as Senator, is to follow a path and not question.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)And it has been obvious for quite some time now.
catbyte
(34,165 posts)47of74
(18,470 posts)...fertilize all of Arizona.
Duval
(4,280 posts)Iran AND Iraq. This guy is beyond belief! I believe he is either senile or suffering from effects of being a POW. Regardless, why do reporters even ask him questions?
LoisB
(7,072 posts)onecent
(6,096 posts)KansDem
(28,498 posts)JHB
(37,128 posts)Not to mention, you lost the primary that year, so you didn't even come close.
There are so many "might have been"s stacked there that he might as well be reminiscing "If I'd jinked left instead of right I wouldn't have been shot down over Vietnam."
aint_no_life_nowhere
(21,925 posts)MsInformed
(48 posts)Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Gasp!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
RoccoR5955
(12,471 posts)Yeah sure Panama Johnny. Lie to us again!
DocwillCuNow
(162 posts)Doctor_J
(36,392 posts)Iggo
(47,486 posts)Yeah, only because he wouldn't wanna go on TV with a raging hardon.
libodem
(19,288 posts)Both ought to lay off the sauce. Freaking wacko.
Turbineguy
(37,206 posts)But the repubs did not want him. Candidate Bush said he would attack Iraq and that's what they wanted.
silvershadow
(10,336 posts)iamthebandfanman
(8,127 posts)George II
(67,782 posts)DallasNE
(7,392 posts)That was published prior to the start of the invasion that Iraq had no WMD and had no program for nuclear weapons development. So does this mean that like Bush he would have challenged the evidence provided by the UN weapons inspectors? Or that he would have used that report to challenge the likes of Curveball. Bush challenged the UN weapons inspectors report when he said Saddam wouldn't let the inspectors in even though they had been there for months. Funny, but I have never heard Bush, Cheney, Powell or McCain speak about the UN weapons inspectors reports so until they come to grips with that under reported part of the history of the invasion of Iraq they can have no standing on the issue. Nice try though John McCain -- it just doesn't wash. You got it wrong then and you've still got it wrong so stop digging.
Javaman
(62,435 posts)rdking647
(5,113 posts)that by itself shows how little based in reality he is
truebluegreen
(9,033 posts)McCain has never met a conflict that didn't call for escalation. "We're all (fill in the blank) now!"
yurbud
(39,405 posts)RedstDem
(1,239 posts)Bomb bomb Iran....hehehe.
Owl
(3,629 posts)Thanks DonViejo, McCain is disgusting. Yes indeed.
Schmice2
(20 posts)Unca Adverse
(29 posts)Sang John "Songbird" McCain . . . But Not Iraq? Why "Songbird", that doesn't sound surprising,
it sounds like one big garbage-mouthed lie!
Yet some still consider this turncoat to be a war hero . . . Well, John is a war hero who made numerous
anti-American propaganda broadcasts for Radio Hanoi to our U.S. troops during his privileged captivity
in Vietnam and also gave highly classified information on the routes his fellow pilots used to bomb North Vietnam.
Just how many millions or even billions did it take to whitewash this collaborator into a war hero?
Ask his second wife, she might know . . .
The fact that John McCain was able to run for president and is even now seated in our U.S. Senate
is a grotesque travesty and a total mockery of our American system of governance.
Max power
(60 posts)I can't tell anymore
shadowmayor
(1,325 posts)This might surprise you, but Magoo also said:
If I ever run for President again, I won't pick Hockey Mom . . .
I promise to take Econ 101 so I know how all those budget thingies work . . .
I think we spend way too much money on defense . . .
I'm glad Obama got bin Laden because Bush was too incompetent . . .
Can you imagine how fucked we'd all be if Romney were in the White House?
I've been dating Lindsay for years now, we usually meet at the Sunday talk shows . . .
I now know for a fact that we have 8 or 10 or 11 houses . . .
I actually have a man-crush on Vlad . . .
and finally,
It's all about oil, always has been and always will be!
the Shadow Mayor