McCain Won't Rule Out Pre-Emptive War

WESTPORT, Conn. — Republican Sen. John McCain refused Wednesday to rule out a pre-emptive war against another country, although he said one would be very unlikely.

The likely Republican presidential nominee was asked Wednesday at a town-hall style meeting if he would reject "the Bush doctrine of pre-emptive war," a reference to Bush's decision to invade Iraq without it having attacked the United States.

"I don't think you could make a blanket statement about pre-emptive war, because obviously, it depends on the threat that the United States of America faces," McCain told his audience at Bridgewater Associates Inc., a global investment firm.

"If someone is about to launch a weapon that would devastate America, or have the capability to do so, obviously, you would have to act immediately in defense of this nation's national security interests."

McCain said he would consult more closely and more carefully "not with every member of Congress, but certainly the leaders of Congress."

The Iraq war was in the spotlight this week as Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander there, gave Congress a status report on the war. McCain argues for keeping troops in Iraq to capitalize on security gains, despite a recent outbreak of violence. His Democratic rivals, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton argue for withdrawing troops.

Comments

[mamacat]

Defenders of McCain are insisting that his statement advocating 100 years in Iraq was taken out of context.

In what possible context would it make sense to think about keeping American soldiers in Iraq for 100 years? The answer is, there is no context that makes any sense for that remark, and McCain not only said it, he seems to wholly believe it.

If Democrats back down on holding McCain responsible for his irresponsible remarks, then I fear they really will lose the election this fall.

[IslandGyal]

100 years McSame

[UrbanInterloper]

This headline ("won't rule out") is a real hoot. The bigger point is that when it comes to pre-emptive war, McCain not only doesn't rule it out, he rules it in! He prefers it.

Does no one remember that it was McCain who coined the term "rogue state rollback?"

[MissingAmerica]

Won't rule out a pre-emptive war? What part of "the war is a failure and the U.S. is crumbling" doesn't he understand?

[Ramirez]

McCain just refuses to accept defeat.

[sugarmoes]

make him eat it... over and over and over again... til he goes away...

[imusintheevening]

"If someone is about to launch a weapon that would devastate America, OR HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO SO, obviously, you would have to act immediately in defense of this nation's national security interests.­" -McCain

Well, I guess he means to bomb Pakistan, India, North Korea, China, Russia, Israel, England, and France.

Our 5,500 nuclear weapons are not sufficient deterrence?

[LeoMarvin]

We're being devastated by obesity. Let's nuke Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium -- The Axis of Chocolate.

[imusintheevening]

no blood for chocolate bunnies!

[desmirl]

McCain and Hitler. Preemptive war fans. Nuff said?

[LeoMarvin]

No.

[LeoMarvin]

OK, I got the juvenile response out of my system. Now the real answer.

Not only is your comparison not "nuff said," but it impressively manages to commit four logical errors in just eight words: It begs the question, it's a slippery slope argument, it's a wrong direction argument, and it argues guilt by association. And using HItler as the spring board for those logical leaps is so popular it has its own name, "reductio ad hitlerum," as well as invoking the more recently formulated Godwin's Law.

Other than those things, it makes good sense.... ;)

Look. I'd never vote for John McCain. His position on Iraq and his proclivity for military solutions have a lot to do with why I wouldn't. But extreme, cartoonish comparisons make all of us (liberals) look like extremist dolts.

[chirps]

And don't forget McBush.

[andyboy]

Who can blame John Mccain? You have to leave your options open.

Hell we might get a great opportunity to bomb, invade, overthrow and occupy some weak little third worlder like say, CUBA! for example.

You can't pass those up. I mean look at the slam dunk we had with Iraq.

It's sort of like sopping up gravy with a nice piece of bread.

I always use an excalamation point after the word CUBA! And capitalize it of course.

It's such fun! I hear latin rythms even now.

[guntotinganglion]

I believe the more appropriate term is preventative war, as in the type of war that Hitler waged in Europe from 1939-1945. Hitler claimed that Poland was threatening Germany when he attacked Poland at the end of September 1939, and each new attack was premised on the same argument. Germany was just "defending" itself...i­n exactly the same way the US "defended" itself in the unilateral attack on Iraq. Iraq had no means whatsoever to threaten the US, any more than Poland did Germany in 1939. And every single argument for attacking Iraq has turned out to be a lie...and yet no consequences for this dishonorable and illegal war have been forthcoming. All the lies are exposed, and yet the criminal who wanted this to happen, who made it happen, is still in command. America is weak and fatuous...­and does not stand by it's principles, which in this case scream for impeachment and trial for war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

[Ramirez]

Hitler invaded Poland to reclaim the German provinces of West Prussia, Poznan, and Upper Silesia which were given to Poland after WWI.

A month prior to the invasion, Germany signed the German-Soviet Pact, in which Germany and the Russkies agreed to split Poland down the middle.

There was nothing "preemptive" or "preventative" about the German invasion of Poland.

[guntotinganglion]

I stand corrected. I had read that threats were claimed, and used as an excuse...b­ut obviously I am not an expert and didn't have the full account. And it was the end of August, not September.­..and I did check on History.com and found this....

"At noon, despite threats of British and French intervention, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler signs an order to attack Poland, and German forces move to the frontier. That evening, Nazi S.S. troops wearing Polish uniforms staged a phony invasion of Germany, damaging several minor installations on the German side of the border. They also left behind a handful of dead German prisoners in Polish uniforms to serve as further evidence of the alleged Polish attack, which Nazi propagandists publicized as an unforgivable act of aggression­."

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Watch and learn. I predict there will be a video of OBAMA

By Neocon 43

I hope so, because if McCain or the 527’s want to make Pastor Wright, who actually wore the uniform and served as a Marine medic, a center piece for a “Swift Boat” campaign, I have seen video of McCain, Liberman and Tom Delay pandering to that fat lunatic John Hagee and his merry band of Christian Zionist dancing around praying for the end times. When McCain has to explain to the 66 million Roman Catholic voters, the largest swing vote in the country, they are the “whores from Babylon” or the term pagan, which is used as code by Christian Fundamentalists for Catholics, McCain will be in deep trouble. I would also be interested in McCain explaining to the Jewish voter that Pastor Hagee has stated time and time again, that Jews are failed Christians, Christ killers, who can only find salvation though embracing Jesus or die. Link McCain’s constant anti-Iran rhetoric with Hagee’s end of day’s nuke Iran to save Israel veiled anti-Semitic sermons and the party is over. All these zealots give me the creeps, but some are creepier than others. And being one of those 66 million Roman Catholics, Hagee really gives me the creeps. Right now McCain is being given a pass on this religious nonsense, as well as his complete lack of policies to deal with domestic issues that 2/3rds of Americans are demanding.

[toby25]

Nor should any president rule out a pre-emptive attack. That would be stupid and weak for a president to rule it out. Note that he did say "one would be very unlikely".

[ErikW65]

Yeah, but he may have been meant "likely." Was Lieberman there to correct him?

[TheRebel82]

MvVain and the repukes know that 100 year in Iraq remark is gonna cost em big-time. Thats why they're doing everything in their power to revise history and his quotes.

[toby25]

He never said the war in Iraq will last 100 years. Go back and look at exactly what he said.

[ErikW65]

McCain most certainly did say the words "100 years" in regards to Iraq, and the USA having troops there. McCain DID make the distinction that it would be OK only as long as our people were NOT taking casualties. But drawing that distinction only serves to highlight the fact that McCain does not get it, that our presence there is itself destabilizing!

And further that our militarily and monetarily provided "breathing room" will not be used for reconciliation, but rather to launch raids on armed supporters of the majority party's former allies!

[Atef861]

McCain said he wants a 100 year war in Iraq- he clarified that what he meant is just that Iraq is exactly the same situation as South Korea, Japan, Germany, Guam, etc.

[oogabooga]

In this election, the issue is whether we as Americans want to continue using violence as a solution to our problems. And we wonder why our kids do the same thing. The example starts at the top - Bush and the NeoCon crowd. And Bush has endorsed McCain.

[Gregorio]

So Dean raises his voice in enthusiasm and looses an election as too emotional, but this character is verbally abusive to his wife, so far as we know only that, and physically and verbally abusive to those around him and is the darling of the GOP. What howling irony. Surely his PTSD is obvious. To have such a person with responsibility for making war is putting a gun in the hands of a 3 year old. All this crap about "respecting his service" is just obscurantist drivel. McCain is a powder keg of rage and he is clearly cognitively impaired. But the American people did elect an Alzheimer patient to be their president, someone who had to read cue cards to say his name, and a dyslexic alcoholic frat boy moron with an inferiority complex, so I guess McCain has as much chance as they did to screw up America--even more than it is already. I say go for broke. McCain and Condi, build your corporate rat's nest, go ahead and take it all over, and lets see if you can finally trigger a revolution.

[ErikW65]

Dean should have had more Barbecues!

[BoulderSue]

Never did quite understand what was so awful about the Dean "rant". Didn't he just voice (a little more loudly) what another candidate is saying now?

[LeoMarvin]

I think it just creeped people out. There was nothing awful about it at all. It was perceived as not 'Presidential," but people have no idea what the word means. They only have an association from movies and TV. If someone does something a Hollywood director wouldn't have a President do, he's not Presidential.

[Hallucinocynic]

"Defense" and "national security" are the only two staples in Crash's cupboard. It is somewhat amusing to witness how many different ways the clown can parse his position. Like those who avidly support him, his world view is dangerously narrow, and his position vis-a-vis national defense is so blindered that he would be an extremely ineffective world leader, just as Shrub has been. He doesn't even demonstrate that he knows the difference between preemptive and responsive attacks.

Shrub? Is here still here?