McCain Repeats Iran-Al Qaeda Gaffe Yet Again

Sen. John McCain has done it again.

For the third time in two days, the Arizona Republican has pushed the definitively false statement that the terrorist group Al-Qaeda was getting assistance from Iran, even though he was publicly ridiculed for the same false assertion on Tuesday.

This time, in a statement from his campaign honoring the fifth year anniversary of the war, McCain wrote:

"Today in Iraq, America and our allies stand on the precipice of winning a major victory against radical Islamic extremism. The security gains over the past year have been dramatic and undeniable. Al Qaeda and Shia extremists -- with support from external powers such as Iran -- are on the run but not defeated."

On Tuesday, the senator, appearing in Israel, made a nearly identical assertion that al-Qaeda was leaving Iraq to retool and regroup in Iran.

It was, he said, "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate."

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, who was accompanying McCain on the trip, was forced to lean over and whisper in McCain's ear that it was Shiite extremists, not Sunni al-Qaeda, that was going to predominantly Shiite Iran.

The repeated gaffes, which now appear to becoming something of a pattern, have already become fodder for McCain's Democratic opponents.

"Either John McCain is purposely playing politics with the facts on the ground or he doesn't understand the threat facing Iraq and our brave troops," said DNC Communications Director Karen Finney. "Either way, after five years of the Bush Administration's incompetence and deception on Iraq, the American people don't want four more years of a president who will cherry-pick the facts."

And speaking today, Sen. Barack Obama, used the misstatements as evidence that McCain's claims of foreign policy experience do not give him a superior understanding or judgment of the terrorist threat or Iraq policy.

"Just yesterday, we heard Sen. McCain confuse Sunni and Shiite, Iran and Al Qaeda," said Obama. "Maybe that is why he voted to go to war with a country that had no Al Qaeda ties. Maybe that is why he completely fails to understand that the war in Iraq has done more to embolden America's enemies than any strategic choice that we have made in decades."

Comments

[NoObombA]

McCain probably took Viagra by mistake when he meant to take Ginkgo biloba.

Do people really want him in the white house???? Why, because Bush has done such a great job?

And lets not put that racist Obama in either.

Hillary play ball!

[Citizenofreality]

I don't believe these comments by McCain are gaffes, I believe he is doing this on purpose and is borrowing tactics from the Bush administration. After all he must lend some validity to his ridiculous and careless bomb, bomb bomb, bomb bomb,Iran remarks.

[blytzd]

bingo, once out there is no putting the cork back in.

Hello people recall the last six years, bs bs bs

[lornalane]

the man is senile I think.

[kellygrrrl]

Looks like they need to work out the programming and wiring on the "new/old" Stepford Candidate.

Are there any Rethugs who can actually speak coherently?

[JohnJames]

Duh. It ain't no gaffe. McCain is obviously intent on starting war with Iran, just ask his ardent supporter - End Times preacher Reverend Hagee - and he's learned well from Bush/Cheney that a lie repeated often enough ( Saddam was behind 9/11) becomes the truth for a gullible and easily frightened populace. All you working class whites in a lather over Obama's racist preacher ought to think twice about another Repub who'll continue to drain whatever treasury our country still has left in the Middle East while neglecting your economic plight. And Hillary is no alternative. The Clintons have made it certain that blacks will stay home in November if she's the nominee. In which case the Democrats don't stand a chance.

[Justtellthetruth]

Don't you remember how Cheney CONTINUALLY repeated the the utterly debunked and absurd idea that we went INTO Iraq to get the Al Qeada members that Saddam had supposedly given refuge to? It was disproven and denounced three ways to sunday by the majority of the entire political spectrum, yet he would continue to repeat that lie at every opportunity.

As a result, a stunningly large number of Americans still believe just about that very thing. McCain is simply priming the same idiots (and their enablers in the press) for his turn.

[habajebe]

He's still repeating it. It's the only song he knows.

[gomonkeygo]

It's a lie. The more they make the connection, completely untrue as it is, between Al-Qaeda and Iran, the easier it will be for them to dupe the American people into another war.

100 years of war? I think they want eternal war. They've seen how easy it is to control the American people with fear and they intend to keep doing it.

[white mende man]

Just imagine in the debate with McCain and the democratic nominee and McCain forgets his lines... or maybe LIEberman will be behind him wispering what to say.

[TonalCrow]

Gaffe? I don't think so. McCain's simply uninformed about national security basics -- 6 1/2 years after 9/11. Or he's senile. In either case, he does not pass the commander-in-chief test.

[truthyguy]

If we stay in Iraq long enough, Iran WILL be training al Queada because they will have resolved their differences in order to fight a common enemy - us. So McCain's statement, if he is elected president, is not incorrect. Just premature.

[ajax2]

When you are destined to bring in the Rapture facts are a minor inconvenience.

[marksiet]

The prophet of doom John McCain is at it again with the turncoat (former Democrat Lieberman) at his side. Ya think Joe wants a VP nod? Could be. John is already senile. Too bad. He used to have a scruple or two now that he's sold out it really doesn't matter what he says as long as he thinks he can win. He used to fight for America now he fights against America offering us up for sacrifice after sacrifice in the name of mighty oil. Ah John how you have sunk so low. Your bravery has turned to indifference, and your anger now is turned on America a country that you suffered so much for.

Why are you so mad at America John? You want another war? Go find Osama Bin Laden and challenge him to a duel. Do the manly thing.

[WarrenPeace]

These gaffes illustrate one well-hidden quality of John McCain. He's tough, independent, politically experienced, and open to the celebrity media, but -- and this is unfortunate -- he's not an intelligent man. He has never shown the ability for complex thought.

McCain's not lying, he's not senile, he's simply dumb.

[OpusIsUnderTheBed]

Mr. Bush is stupid. Very.

Mr. McCain not stupid. But he is old, and tired.

Pretty much the same views.

[Archie1955]

I truly believe it is alzheimers.

[NotGuilty]

McKeating is just dumb. Why do you think corporate Murka wants these overly ambitious ego-maniacs in the WH?

[marignymitch]

These aren't gaffs. These are talking points, firmly based in Bush administration tactics, those being: If the truth gets in the way of scaring the electorate out of their minds then lie. Works great. He's preparing us for Bush's new war on Iran. Third Bush term dead ahead!