McCain criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

[sabra]

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/1010KoreaMcCain10-ON.html

McCain criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

SOUTHFIELD, Mich. - Republican Sen. John McCain on Tuesday accused former President Clinton, the husband of his potential 2008 White House rival, of failing to act in the 1990s to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

"I would remind Senator (Hillary) Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the framework agreement her husband's administration negotiated was a failure," McCain said at a news conference after a campaign appearance for Republican Senate candidate Mike Bouchard.

"The Koreans received millions and millions in energy assistance. They've diverted millions of dollars of food assistance to their military," he said.

Democrats have argued President Clinton presented his successor with a framework for dealing with North Korea and the Republican fumbled the opportunity. In October 2000, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made a groundbreaking visit to Pyongyang to explore a missile deal with Chairman Kim Jong Il. There was even talk of a visit by President Clinton.

[ronnykmarshall]

1. ABC!!

Always
Blame
Clinton

[Fenris]

4. LMH!

Load of
McCain
Horseshit

[oasis]

39. McCain's ABC.

Always
Blow
Chimpy

[saracat]

2. And that asshole wins the booby prize for being first to say"It's

Clinton's fault".Jeebus John, STFU. You are an embarassing toady.

[wholetruth00]

59. This takes McCain out of the run for President. Count on it.

Clinton should hand McCain his hat on this one. The record shows that, and the N.Koreans themselves will say that it is this administration's belligerence and arrogance that has pressured N.Korea to act this way. No N.Korean nukes were tested under the Clinton regime. It was India and Pakistan (both now our beloved allies)that made and tested nukes with virtually no consequences fromt the international community,including the US. But no one is talking about that as a huge problem. EXCEPT, I would say that these two nations having nukes is precisely why Iran and N.Korea is pursuing them now.

[bluerum]

3. Err,,, um,,, Mr.McCain? Psst. GW has been acting pres for 6 years. nt

[kurth]

17. McCain conveniently forgot the chimp's press conference in July

where he looked like a completely clueless idiot which he is:

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=277

[bif]

23. From the mouth of the idiot...

"Now that he made that defiance, it's best for all of us to go to the U.N. Security Council and say loud and clear, here are some red lines. And that's what we're in the process of doing." Huh?

[LetsThink]

63. Sounds Like Pres Admitting a FUMBLE on N.Korea........

.......from the transcript of his talk and press questions, sounds very much like Pres B dropped the ball or did not fully appreciate the situation. AND-- he had obviously allowed himself to get into the position of 'too little, too late' by not staying on top of the N.Korean developments with pro-active diplomacy. The Clinton Administration engaged the N.Ks in talks and kept a dialogue going. They were proactive in managing that situation while Pres B just let it go, pretty much. Hence...... gee, look at the mess now!

So-- which team was on the field to fumble? Yeah-- since about six years ago !

[babylonsister]

5. How does this explain the US providing $$ for nukes to NK in 2002?

2002: US Gave N. Korea $95m for Nukes

Wednesday, 3 April, 2002, 12:06 GMT 13:06 UK
US grants N Korea nuclear funds


Pyongyang threatened to pull out of the nuclear deal

The US Government has announced that it will release $95m to North Korea as part of an agreement to replace the Stalinist country's own nuclear programme, which the US suspected was being misused.
Under the 1994 Agreed Framework an international consortium is building two proliferation-proof nuclear reactors and providing fuel oil for North Korea while the reactors are being built.

In releasing the funding, President George W Bush waived the Framework's requirement that North Korea allow inspectors to ensure it has not hidden away any weapons-grade plutonium from the original reactors.

President Bush argued that the decision was "vital to the national security interests of the United States".

more at:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1908571.stm
via:
http://www.rawstory.com /

[bdamomma]

oh, Kim wants some more money from Bushie huh?

[lyonn]

22. Hummm? Didn't know bush OK'd this -

"In releasing the funding, President George W Bush waived the Framework's requirement that North Korea allow inspectors to ensure it has not hidden away any weapons-grade plutonium from the original reactors.

President Bush argued that the decision was "vital to the national security interests of the United States"."

Thanks, didn't know this. I knew bush hadn't done sqat to deal with N. Korea, but to go along with the program and not demand inspections is really interesting.

[Rambis]

6. * March 8 2001

President George W Bush has ruled out an early resumption of talks with North Korea, saying US policy towards the region would have to be reviewed first.

[bdamomma]

7. aren't they getting tired of using Clinton as the scapegoat

all the time, everytime I hear them accuse Clinton of something this is my response, :puke:

[rodeodance]

27. you'd think even 'jounalists"/press would be get tired of it?????

[DRoseDARs]

8. Er, McCain...? : BBC News (2002): US grants North Korea nuclear funds

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2356698

Jeez this man loves his boy George.



Apologies to Boy George.

[kurth]

9. Go fuck yourself, Johnny Boy

Fucking hypocrite.

[Patchuli]

10. GOP = Party of NO Accountability

McCain lost my respect when he pressed those lips to W's ass after the way he and his family were treated.

I'd say the problem stems from the fact that this administration has never tried diplomacy with anyone. That's a foolish proposition even for an administration that actually has its act together which is *not* the * pResidency! They just look dumber and dumber by the day.

[Supersedeas]

65. Party of Fingerpointers

[Patchuli]

68. I know I don't respect a man (or woman)

who can't take their lumps when they get caught. This seems to be a Republican Disease or Syndrome or something. That and their unnatural (and unholy) preoccupation with sex. Scary....!

[LisaM]

11. I've never liked John McCain, and I'm pleased to see that he is finally

living down to my opinion of him so that I can convince others. He's a lunatic, if you ask me.

[AngryOldDem]

12. Question to McCain: Who walked away from the negotiating table?

And now which country is effectively in the driver's seat as it concerns setting policy?

Can't blame either on Clinton, but thanks, John, for playing.

[Straight Shooter]

13. Whore. Whore. Whore. Whore. Whore.

John McCain is a bush Whore.

:grr:

[gasperc]

14. I'll remind the Senator that Bush sent NK $92 million in 2001

for aid in exchange for stopping material production

[Human Torch]

15. That's what people scurrying for the 2008 GOP nomination have to do.

You've gotta slam the Clenis. Here's how to tell who's running. Look for the following headlines over the next few days. That's where you'll find the names of the ones who want to be president in 2008. The next sign to look for is a sweaty bear hug photo op with George W. Bush. That's a dead giveaway.

1). Frist criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

2). Giuliani criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

3). Romney criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

4). Gingrich criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

5). Jeb Bush criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

6). Jon Mark Karr criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

7). Mark Foley criticizes former President Clinton on N. Korea

:patriot:

[station agent]

16. How utterly predictable, only problem is...

Bush has been President for a while and did the same things Bubba did.

More from my blog:

http://icestationtango.blogspot.com/2006/10/quick-blame-bubba-again.html

[wisteria]

18. This is a diversion to muddy the truth. This, like Iraq is Bush's baby.

They can point fingers anywhere they like, but it is Bush who has done nothing in six years except threaten NK and declare them as part of the access of evil.He should of found another way of handling NK, if he didn't want to go the diplomatic route. Instead, he gave them Bush attitude and a reason to proceed with their nuclear plans.
McCain is out trying to salvage what he can of the Repub party and protect his own rear.

[wisteria]

44. To correct an error- it should read- axis of evil.

Gosh, I have to start proof reading before posting.

[matcom]

19. why isn't he blaming RUMSFELD for SELLING the damned shit to NK??

didn't Rummy sit on the board that SOLD the damned reactors to NK??

[barb162]

20. and what stopped Bush 6 years ago when he came in?

5 years ago? etc

[BootinUp]

21. Are the Dems going to lose this argument too????

There have been lots of good posts here on how to respond, we need a short concise F U statement that fits in to a 10 second clip.

[frylock]

24. shouldn't this guy be fathering more black children out of wedlock?

Remember that, Johnny? How's your drug-addled wife doing these days?

[rodeodance]

25. Time for Chris Wallace to invite Big dog for another interview???

[rodeodance]

26. all you need to know about Bush/NK (first 13 pages of State of Denial)

http://roxanne.typepad.com/rantrave/2006/10/all_you_need_to.html
> All You Need to Know is Contained in the First 13 Pages
>
> George W. pulled Bandar aside.
> "Bandar, I guess you're the best asshole who knows about the world. Explain to me one thing."
> "Governor, what is it?"
> "Why should I care about North Korea?"
> Bandar said he didn't really know. It was one of the few countries that he did not work on for King Fahd.
> "I get these briefings on all parts of the world," Bush said, "and everybody is talking to me about North Korea."
> "I'll tell you what, Governor," Bandar said. "One reason should make you care about North Korea."
> "All right, smart alek," Bush said, "tell me."
> "The 38,000 American troops right on the border." ..."If nothing else counts, this counts. One shot across the border and you lose half these people immediately. You lose 15,000 Americans in a chemical or biological or even regular attack. The United State of America is at war instantly."
> "Hmmm," Bush said. "I wish those assholes would put things just point-blank to me. I get half a book telling me about the history of North Korea."
> "Now I tell you another answer to that. You don't want to care about North Korea anymore?" Bandar asked. The Saudis wanted America to focus on the Middle East and not get drawn into a conflict in East Asia.
> "I didn't say that," Bush replied.
> "But if you don't, you withdrawl those troops back. Then it becomes a local conflict. Then you have the whole time to decide, 'Should I get involved? Not involved?' Etc."
> At that moment, Colin Powell approached.
> "Colin," Bush said, "come here. Bandar and I were shooting the bull, just two fighter pilots shooting the bull." He didn't mention the topic.
> "Mr. Governor," Bandar said, "General Powell is almost a fighter pilot. He can shoot the bull almost as good as us."
>
> Bob Woodward
> State of Denial
> 2006
>
> 06:31 AM in 2006 Mid-Term Elections, MESS '0' POTAMIA (with apologies to Jon Stewart), State of Denial | Permalink

[bluestateguy]

28. Left office on January 20, 2001

The statute of limitations is now passed. This is George W. Bush's government and he is responsible for everything that happens it. Everything from a missing paper clip at the Department of Homeland Security to North Korea testing nuclear weapons (which his own administration thinks probably didn't happen, btw).

[yorkiemommie1]

29. considering all of the effort * has put into reversing

all kinds of good things the Dems have done, he had plenty of time to deal w/ this issue also. * is nothing but a strutting, boastful, belligerent, SHAM.

[greeneyedboy]

30. "independent" my @$$. what a shameless whore he is. n/t.

[Justyce]

34. Luckily, he's shown himself

to be the bush-ass-kisser he is... there was a time my father thought he was more of an independent & said he would consider voting for him, but thankfully no more. He had the opportunity to stand up for what he knew was right plenty of times but chose to back bush instead. I have no respect for him.

[liberal N proud]

31. Is there anything these repuke fuckers will accept accountability for?

They have blamed someone else, mostly Clinton for everything that they themselves have fucked up!

If Clinton was so bad, why was the only thing they could get him on was a BLOW JOB? No president has been investigated as much as Clinton was and all they could come up with was fucking stain on a blue dress. Pretty amazing that everything that has happened since is his fault, what a guy.

When a repuke starts in on this mantra, I always tell them they are giving him a lot of credit seeing how they hate him so much.

Does anyone have a total list of everything the bu$h regime and their band of republican hit men have blamed Clinton for? Everything is close but not accurate enough to put is these fuckers faces.

Sorry for the language, there just is no other way to explain these morons any longer

[David Zephyr]

32. Bill Clinton hasn't been the President for SIX YEARS!

John McPander.

[lyonn]

36. You would think this fact would cause the repubs embarrassment

Yet they continue to blame Clinton for everything. From the sorry state of our morals, to the failure to get Osama, to the faulty intel over Iraq, N. Korea's building of nukes, failure of making Nice between Israel and Palestine.

Well, we must give bush credit for allowing torture here and around the world. We lost our right in our own country to have an attorney when arrested for being a suspected terrorist (what defines a terrorist to this govt.?). We lost any sense of protection during a national disaster, Katrina!!

Sheesh, we lose track so quickly of the horrors of this administration.

This admin. can leak such things as the name of a covert WMD CIA agent and undercover company and claim it was a slip of the tongue. It appears we lost many good intel agents, including Clarke, due to the threat of speaking when they are not soppose to. Same with military officers that are ignored and then have to watch their men/women get slaughtered.

If only McCain got the repub. nomination!! Could we ask for anything better? At the moment their shinning stars are all looking like they won't carry their State this Nov.

[David Zephyr]

45. Don't forget: Bush & McCain were blowing out candles during Katrina.

Never forget.

[krkaufman]

33. It all goes back to Bush's "Axis of Evil" from January 2002

From Wikipedia...

The term “axis of evil” was used by United States President George W. Bush in his State of the Union Address on January 29, 2002 to describe regimes that purportedly sponsor terrorism and seek weapons of mass destruction. Bush named Iraq, Iran, and North Korea in his speech.

After being grouped with Iran and Iraq, and knowing that Bush was first going after Iraq, what country wouldn't do whatever it could to avert an invasion? Bush diplomatic failures are monumental.


edit: p.s. Help me out here. Everything I'm reading and recall tells me that North Korea's enrichment program was effectively dormant until 2002. Yes? No?

This AP article from Monday pretty much puts the blame for NK's nuke squarely on Bush's negligent lack-of-policy...

North Korea is believed to have been accumulating plutonium for a bomb since the mid-1980s. It froze the program in 1994 as part of an agreement with the United States. Since the breakdown of that agreement in late 2002, North Korea is believed to have ramped up production.

Some experts estimate that at least 80 percent of the country's stockpile of 44 to 116 pounds of refined plutonium was processed since the end of the freeze in 2002.

North Korea's nuclear capabilities
October 9, 2006
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

[Az_lefty]

35. I'm so embarrassed to have McCain as my senator...

he's turned into such an ass-hat. Blame Clinton? Might as well try to blame Carter for all the problems in the middle east.

[Orangepeel]

37. yeah. If Clinton had just gotten the world blown up in 1997,

Bush wouldn't have been able to get the world blown up in 2007.

[RobertSeattle]

38. Hey McCain - Blaming Clinton is for PUSSIES!

[Serial Mom]

40. rove sent out the new script pages again

McCain isn't the only repukes spouting this dribble... I saw Ilena Ros-Lehtinen (R, FL) stating almost the exact same thing.

One things about them is they learn their lines, then say it over and over until the sheeple believe it is true!

[dethl]

41. Clinton set the negotiaions up....Bush tore them down

Who's the bad guy now?

[MarinCoUSA]

42. McCain morphs into Chimpy on way to '08. Eliminates self.

And so soon after the Constitutional cave?

GO John Go!

That's it! Keep goin'

[bamacrat]

43. Well shit, lets see what else has happened lately

that we can blame on Clinton. I hate republicans. McCain is a douchebag, plain and simple. Ooh to angry to type.

[progressoid]

46. It was Truman's fault!

[goforit]

47. hello McAss!!!.. Rumsfeld sold nuclear rods to NK back in the late 80s/90s

[neuvocat]

54. Here's the link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/korea/article/0,2763,952289,00.html

[RFKHumphreyObama]

48. I agree with McCain

Clinton is entirely to blame. After all it was Clinton who discouraged President Kim from pursuing his sunshine policy and who spent the first few months of his presidency antagonizing North Korea. After all it was Clinton who ended diplomatic engagement with North Korea and began treating it as a hostile enemy and began trying to isolate it. After all it was Clinton who referred to the leaders of Iran, Syria and North Korea as constituting an "axis of evil" but who subsequently spent much of the next three years alternating between antagonizing and isolating North Korea -and encouraging tensions between North Korea and South Korea-and taking his eye off the ball in the Asian continent :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

But that's McCain for you -trying to rewrite history for his beloved Chimp who showed what a true friend he was by smearing McCain's daughter in 2000. His subservience and his willingness to act as *'s political tool shows him as the opportunist that he truly is

[Beausoir]

49. John McCain allowed Rove to smear his own daughter, Racist and filthy

accusations were leveled againt that beautiful girl and McCain did NOTHING.

In fact, he embraced and kissed the people who made the accusations.

Any man who allows that kind of attack on his own child is a despicable pig.

[Catchawave]

61. And they attacked his wife too.

Then he says "oh, it's just politics". Yes, dspicable.

[Singular73]

50. McCain is killing two birds with one stone.

Bird 1) Put out message to blame ABB for North Korea.

Bird 2) Make NO mistake about it. Attacking Bill is attacking Hillary. This is purely out of self-interest. The 08 campaign begins.

Bird 3) Feed the base red meat. Conspiracy theories which pundits think are "odd", like Hastert and the Soros claim, as well as this, fires up the Freepers. Guys like McCain and Hastert understand that its ridiculous, but they also understand that this works to energize the base.


What this proves to me is that McCain will do ANYTHING for 08. And I mean ANYTHING.

[GoldenOldie]

51. As an Arizonan, I lost all respect for John McCain

When he didn't even defend his own family during the attacks against them during the 2000 campaign. If he couldn't stand up and blast the assholes who made personal attacks against his wife and daughter, why would anyone expect him to stand up for his constitutents and the US.

With each of John McCains actions it only clarifies my opinion of our Senator from Arizona.

I naively expected that John McCain, POW, who had endured so much would be the one to stand up for our Republic and the US Constitution. He above everyone else, would be the one to speak truth to lies........How wrong I was.

[snowbear]

52. Bill Richardson (D) of NM just ripped old man McCain a new one on CNN

Richardson knows his shit when it comes to North Korea and basically told McCain to put a F'n sock in it!

[Akoto]

53. I often slap myself for ever having liked McCain.

[pitohui]

55. i thought * was pretzeldent the last 6 years

mccain has become an embarrassment to himself

sheesh

[rodeodance]

56. NYT: Quick Scramble to Point Fingers

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/us/politics/11politics.html?_r=1&th=&oref=slogin&emc=th&pagewanted=print
October 11, 2006
Test Byproduct: Quick Scramble to Point Fingers
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 — North Korea’s claim that it detonated a nuclear device rippled through American politics on Tuesday, nowhere more so than at a Shriner’s hall in Michigan, where Senator John McCain, the Arizona Republican, sought to place the blame on former President Bill Clinton.

“I would remind Senator Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration’s policies that the framework agreement her husband’s administration negotiated was a failure,” Mr. McCain said, referring to his potential rival for the presidency in 2008, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

Mr. McCain’s attack was part of an increasingly bitter partisan row over who was responsible for allowing North Korea to achieve nuclear ability.

Republicans sought to focus attention on what they said was a misguided and naïve policy of negotiating with North Korea during the 1990’s. Democrats pressed the argument that North Korea’s claimed advance was a byproduct of President Bush’s decision to wage war against Iraq, which proved not to have any banned weapons, while doing too little to confront a real threat developing in North Korea. .....

[rodeodance]

57. repugs circulated pic of Albright talking to the evil guy

Republicans say that any time national security is front and center, it is good news for them. They are hoping the test will push the Mark Foley sex scandal off the front pages and the cable news programs, although Mr. Foley’s case was all over television again on Tuesday.

“To the extent it resonates for Democrats, the resonance will be in the eye off the ball argument: too much focus on Iraq, look what’s happening in North Korea now,” said T .J. Pempel, a political scientist at the University of California who is an expert in East Asian studies. “But I think it could resonate almost equally as well for Republicans if they say: ‘The world is a scary place. There are all sorts of dangers out there. Osama bin Laden is one, Kim Jong-il is another.’ ”

Indeed, Mr. Kim, the North Korean leader, seems to have become the latest bogeyman in Republican political imagery. On Tuesday, the Republican National Committee circulated a photograph of Madeleine K. Albright, Mr. Clinton’s secretary of state, clinking glasses with Mr. Kim.

[Vinca]

58. Republicans are truly out of their minds.

For starters, Clinton hasn't been in office for half a decade. Secondly, when he was in power he at least tried to do something. When the toilet overflows at the White House today, it's not Clinton's fault because his staff bought the wrong toilet paper.

[Coventina]

60. "Republicanism" is now officially a mental illness.

Thanks for being so brave, Mr. McCain, to come forward and declare to the world that you are clinically insane.

[BigDDem]

62. Fuck off loser

Is he getting his talking points from his fat ass buddy Falwell now?

[sarcasmo]

64. Next time I get pulled over by the Police. I am gonna say it was Clinton's

fault.

[ShinPath]

66. Treasury hit NK with sanctions four days after North agreed to halt Nukes

Go to this link and get the NK side.
The sanctions came four days after
an agreement was signed at the 6-power
talks. The Bush administration said
it was 'coincidental.' The North Koreans
went ballistic and the rest can be seen.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15175633/site/newsweek/

[citizen snips]

67. How is criticizing Clinton going to change anything?