McCain, Obama Battle Over Pakistan

"Sen. John McCain of Arizona, close to clinching the GOP nomination, called Sen. Barack Obama 'naive' today and...blasted him for advocating a bombing of Al Qaeda hide-outs in Pakistan," the Los Angeles Times reports.

"The best idea is not to broadcast what you're going to do, that's naive," said McCain, who also questioned the very notion of "bombing Pakistan without their permission." ...

In a conference call with reporters to respond, Obama foreign policy advisor Susan Rice said that McCain was "misrepresenting and distorting Barack Obama's positions" and argued that the Democrat "never suggested bombing an ally."

"McCain promises more war in Iraq," she said. "Obama will end the war in Iraq and focus on terrorists in Afghanistan."

TNR: McCain Is Lying: Jonathan Chait writes for The New Republic:

Last night John McCain accused Barack Obama of, among other things, having "once suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan." This is a lie. ... There is nothing in Obama's speech, or any other Obama speech, about "bombing" Pakistan. Both implicitly and explicitly, he called for small, Special Operations-type incursions. ...

Meanwhile, you know who is coming closer to "bombing an ally"? The Bush administration, whose determined prosecution of the war on terror McCain continues to tout. The Washington Post reported -- as it happens, the same day McCain made his smear -- that the CIA launched Hellfire missiles at an al Qaeda operative in Pakistan. As the Post noted, "Having requested the Pakistani government's official permission for such strikes on previous occasions, only to be put off or turned down, this time the U.S. spy agency did not seek approval."

So, to review: Obama did not call for bombing Pakistan, ever. Meanwhile the Bush administration is undertaking air attacks against targets in Pakistan. Is this wildly irresponsible? I suppose you could make that case. But McCain isn't interested in an argument about the merits of striking al Qaeda against the costs of undermining Pervez Musharraf. He's just interested in lying about what Obama said in order to portray him as a foreign policy novice.

Matthew Yglesias has much more from the Obama campaign call with Susan Rice:

[O]n experience there's a three-pronged attack. First, Obama does have experience, with Rice citing the fact that he authored "crucial legislation to secure the United States from the threat of loose nuclear materials" and serves on committees and subcommittees dealing with foreign relations, veterans affairs, and homeland security. Second, this means that Obama has actually "acquired more traditional washington foreign policy experience" than most presidents including Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and Jimmy Carter (Carter in fact served on a nuclear sub and I'm told this gave him a better understanding of nuclear issues than presidents before or after).

Third, there's more to life than being a prisoner of DC conventional wisdom -- "McCain, like Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney may have years of Washington experience" but they've all made "flawed judgments and as a consequence we're less safe." In a crucial point, Rice observed (emphasis added) that a McCain administration would be "very much a continuation and intensification of the failed Bush policy, remaining in Iraq indefinitely not investing adequately in Afghanistan."

Time's Joe Klein asks, "McCain -- Soft on Al Qaeda?"

Comments

[ErrinF]

How about this, McCain:

Obama can do whatever the hell he wants because he has about 10 times as many supporters as John McCain. Obama is going to beat McCain in a landslide in the general election, so the opinion of the guy thats going to win the presidency matters a lot more than the opinion of the guy who is going to lose his bid for the presidency.

So shut the fuck up, McCain. Just lose this election big like you are meant to, jackass.

[dwillisno1]

When it comes to foreign policy, McCain says "if you can't sing it, you can't bring it."

[ErrinF]

MCain supports sneak attacks, misinformation, and deception. I doubt if he reserves such tactics just for terrorists, and is willing to use the same on the American electorate to get into power. Thing is, he has no chance of succeeding Bush, as it will be a Democrat that follows the failed Republican President Bush.

[ginnypoo]

So is it a choice of who to bomb? Pakistan or Iran? Obama or McCain?

[samtaylor1]

Outside of the fact that Obama did not sat that, the thing that is weird is that many people who are republicans would think that is a great idea.

[BoThomasReed]

This is why McCain is full of shit. What Obama said was he wouldn't let a goverment like Pakistan keep him from eliminating terrorists. So it's ok for Bush to invade the wrong country to settle an old score for his father, but the idea of going after the actual terrorists who struck us on 9/11 is irresponsible. Next he'll tell us to expect another 100 years of Iraq....oh wait, HE ALREADY HAS. It's ok though, because he's got the experience to be Commander in Chief.

[avicenna]

Perhaps McCain is not just another hypocritical republican screw-up - maybe his advanced age makes it difficult to hear what Obama actually said.

[Ajita]

Anyone else notice that in the pic of Mccain that was chosen for this post, with a little fuzz under the nose, he would look a lot like an older version of a certain genocidal maniac from the 1930s....?
Thats just a silly observation, chill out pc police.

[antiparanoid]

McCain is attacking one of Obama's strengths -- straight out of the Karl Rove playbook. This is the butt-talk express.

[rh654]

So McCain sounds like he is almost calling Obama more of a hawk than he is.

I want to hear Obama ask McCain point blank - if you find out Al-Qaeda is in Pakistan and the Pakistani leader says "No, the U.S. cannot pursue them in Pakistan" - does that mean Mr. McCain that you will let Al-Qaeda walk away and live without fear in Pakistan?

Then we'll see McCain start to twitch a little bit - particularly if Obama follows up with - "I will speak with Pakistan but if I have to chose between protecting the U.S. and keeping Pakistan happy - I will protect the U.S.".

That will leave McCain with very little room to go with much of the US Electorate that's for sure.

[lungfish]

Oh, McMummy will just screw up his face and tell Obama to go fuck himself.... right out of the Cheney/Rove/Neocon playbook...

[ginnypoo]

So how is this change? Bombing other countries in search of terrorists....been there, done that, got the Iraq t-shirt to prove it. Obama is a hawk in massiah robes. Didn't we just have a 2 term phony? Now I am supposed to vote on who to bomb? How democratic, this is a change, Bush never asked us to vote on who to bomb before. This new politics is strange. I don't want to bomb anyone.......so I choose Hillary.

[shaggles]

Yeah broadcasting what you were going to do would be stupid. Only a fool would "Bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran" to the tune of an old Beach Boys song.

[ginnypoo]

Yea, it'll be much more fun to bomb Pakistan to the tune of Yes, I can. Woot.

[shaggles]

Hah. I left out the word "sing". Only a fool would sing "Bomb bomb bomb..."

[Dewtrell]

If this is all McCain can muster, I think Obama will win the election hands down. McCain is not an attack dog, he comes across as old, plain and simple.

[TamiPowers]

Here we go..it Mud-slinging time....
At least I didn't have to look at Hillary's face in this article.

[ATLiberal]

How tired are we going to get of the phrase "my friends" as the leadoff of every sentence with McCain running for Prez?? My God, that irritates the hell out of me.

[evahartselftlanguages]

TO: Senator John McCain February 20, 2008
Presidential Candidate for 2008

Although I am for 3rd Party Democrats, I still want to mention the following facts:


Senator Barack Obama mentioned he wanted to get our enemy Osama Bin Laden when no one else gave it a thought not even you. His words were twisted by Ex-Gov Mitt Romney in past. Senator Barack Obama mentioned he believed in negotiations. Please stop the twisting especially when it comes to saving America from its enemies. Pakistan has not helped us catch our vicious enemy Osama Bin Laden. Think of all the fortresses we could build here with money we've sent them. How about military bases here to protect America, not Iraq.


America I will defend Her

Bringing home the Troops is not surrender;

You abandoned America,Is­rael,Saudi Arabia and took off for Iraq

Return home and save lives and make America to be a strong Rock.



"Two years afterwards­,immediate­ly following arrival of Williams at Providence, another white man was killed, this time at Block Island. As a result John Endicott was sent with a band of eighty armed men to Connecticut to take summary vengeance. Unfortunately, Endicott did not punish the real offenders. Instead there was wholesale killing of Indians, villages were burned, and because of these indiscriminate acts of violence the powerful tribe of Pequots took the warpath vowing the destruction of every white man settled in New England." Roger Williams by Clifford Smyth,'31 author also of The Gilded Man.

CONGRESS WILL COUNT VOTES OF THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE DELEGATES ON JANUARY 6, 2009 FOR PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ON 2008. On the first Monday after the second Wendesday in December the Electors vote and votes are sent to the President of the Senate. Then Congress will count Electors' votes and election will be official. Voters consider electors to be messengers to Convention.


Eva Hart Christian In Army 62-70 670 Eddy St. Sfc 94109 Rec job Sec of Defense 64

[evahartselftlanguages]

TO: Senator John McCain February 20, 2008 Continued

Congress Counting Electoral College Delegate votes on January 6, 2009 for Presidential Election of 2008.

Vanza Devereaux The Government of a Free Nation,'63

Superdelegates are members of Congress,Senate, and other High officials.

[Moxo]

LOL - so John "Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran" McCain wants to keep AQ safe in their bases in Pakistan? I guess if you live for a Hundred years War you certainly don't want to kill your enemies first.