Buchanan On McLaughlin: Fifty-Fifty Chance We Bomb Iran By Fall

It was an otherwise normal day in the Land of the McLaughing Group. John got to bellow, "The answer is HILLARY." And nobody minded that they weren't as relentlessly dogmatic in the Papism as Pat Buchanan, and the whole panel kinda sorta agreed on the issue of China and the Olympics, but because this was the McLaughlin Group, they all agreed to pillory each other with loud sounds from their cakeholes for our amusement. But, about halfway through the show, Pat Buchanan said something that didn't amuse - not one little bit I'm afraid!

BUCHANAN: But I'll tell you what's coming, John. Petraeus pointed right at the special groups supported by Iran, as the main problem now. They are firing rockets into the Green Zone, they're responsible for Basra. The president said that Iran better not make the wrong choice. We're looking at 140,000 troops there by the end of the year, and very possibly airstrikes in Iran before this fall.

Oh. Fantastic.

[WATCH.]

Later, Pat went back to this scary imagining, predicting: "Fifty-fifty chance of U.S. airstrikes on Iran by October." Paging Dr. Strangelove!

Comments

[Robert59]

Buchanan's estimate is way off, more like 90 percent we do and 10 percent we don't.
Besides what Petraeus and Crocker both said, you have Lieberman prompting them to say more negative things about Iran. Then there is the latest imagery showing a long range missile facility in Iran. Back in February the IAEC investigators revealed to the Iranians all the evidence they had showing Iran is interested in building a nuclear weapon. The Iranians denied it.

All Bush has to do now is to frame the story. Iran's Arab neighbors are already concerned about growing Iranian power. Many of them have large Shiite populations and those populations are discriminated against by the Sunnis.

I don't know where Buchanan is getting his information, but what he's saying is corroborated by alot of other background noise.

[MfromS]

"I don't know where Buchanan is getting his information, but what he's saying is corroborated by alot of other background noise."

uhhh, maybe current events.....

[Robert59]

It's more than just current events. We've been hearing about Iran for years. That noise is no longer background, but the main topic. I just watched a video clip of Lugar and Biden and Lugar keeps talking about how often Iran was the subject of Petraeus' testimony. He then went on to say it seems we are already at war with Iran referring to what is going on in Iraq as a proxy war with Iran.

This president made it clear after 9-11 Iran was part of the Axis of Evil. He's already taken down Iraq. North Korea is contained but still sells lots of weapons to countries like Iran.

Go to this link http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3724048.ece

[Kirby]

The die is cast, whether one says 50-50, 90/10, or 60/40. Cheney has told Israel to get ready and they are having extra air raid drills. Olmert, et al., are waiving the swords, and AIPAC people are waving and raving dire predictions for us if we don't nuke them.

McCain has given his obeissance to the Elders via AIPAC, Lieberman, et al, so it's something acceptble in his 100 years' mindset for more wars, and the only other one he'd have to precipitate is one with Syria, unless Bush can pull that off also.

Yes, this is likely to happen, given the history of Bush's performance in his presidency.

And for AIPAC's part in pulling this off, think about all of those letters written through the years by complicit senators and congressmen on behalf of a "beleaguered" Israel, intent on decimating Palestinians as they enlarged themselves in the West Bank, and in their carefully calculated preemptive wars.

The Elders were very active in the lead Washington Post Editorial of 4/13.

Good morning, America, how are ya? And will you ever wake up to what is happening?

[julieeiluj]

The American people cannot allow bush and cheney to get away with harming innocent iranian people, and if they do, a pox upon them and all in washington who allowed it to happen. One day, other super powers are going to come to the aid of the lives these creatures destroy, and many many Americans will pay for their disgusting criminal behaviour.

[MfromS]

move along dingbat.....

[Macready]

is this guy nuts . . . Iran has done nothing . . . meanwhile the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq . . . for no reason . . . .has destroyed both Iraq and the US economically, the Iraqi's are living in dire poverty, without running water, electricity, etc . . . so much for the lie of bringing democracy to the Iraqi's and our military is in tatters . . . the US cannot even look after its own citizens, the economy is in recession . .. war is not the answer .. and what kind of mentality preaches war for the sake of causing death and suffering to others? our government is sick . . . and needs to be impeached . . . get this friend of the chimp off to the nearest asylum

[compassionone]

Sorry Pat, There won't be any bombing of Iran, the land, buildings and people there are sacred.

Since we F*cked up 30 years ago by allowing this regime to take power, we need to find another way to kick them out besides US military force. The entire regime was educated in western countries.

For starters all western nations should agree to not educate any Iranian students affiliated with the current Iranian government in power. (no children of government officials, etc). Without the western scientific education they will run out of resources to maintain their power.

[harald]

Are you among that minority of Americans who can find Mexico on a world map?

For your information, the Iranian people are among the most educated in the world, they have some of the best universities, and unlike any other country in the world, the majority of university students are women. They have no need of "western scientific education".

I guess you just proved the value of an american education :-)

[MfromS]

I guess that's why we are the most powerful country on the earth too, huh? :) Tool....

[compassionone]

My dentist is persian, my doctors is persian, and i eat at persian restaurants at least once a week. They have the best poets and scientists. I know that.

Did you watch the Persians protesting in New York a few weeks ago? They were holding up signs of Khamenei and Ahmadinejad saying "Made in Britain". They were all educated in the west.

[mamacat]

What is shocking in all of this is that the American people have so little control over the actions of the American president that he can attack and kill innocent people without our consent.

If indeed the crazies in the White House can attack Iran without our approval, what does that say about the American system of government?

[MichiganJFrog]

Sorry Mr. Lennon. :-(

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFGkxFcB6UA

[Amilius]

Gang,
Anything, no matter how horrendous, can be done by dubya so long as he knows someone else will have to clean it up and garner the blame. What else could be anticipated from the least gracious man to ever hold the office of President? I shudder to think what this man could imagine 'necessary'... he's already gone lower than anyone who preceded him.

[Rokjok777]

just look on www.barackobama.com, it says right there in black and white: Expand the Military.

Dennis Kucinich was loopy but had it right: there should be a Department of Peace. That way they can duke it out with the people whose job it is to make war.

[mouselion]

Doves gather no political moss, hawks get the prize every time.

[peacekitten]

"There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fall - think of it, always."

"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man."

---both quotes from Mohandas Gandhi

as i recall, he freed his nation from the largest empire on earth, through peace.

which, in the long run, is more effective? killing your "enemy" or changing their mind? the ideas they fight for don't disappear because they are dead.

[vernonbc]

Duh, he wants to expand the military so that there is enough personnel to handle the commitments America now has without sending the same exhausted troops back three and four times. He's looking out for the wellbeing of the men and women now in the military, he's not looking to start anything new.

[cafemocha]

Allow me to channel Nostradamus for you all. My Quatrain is...
Bush will bomb Iran if could help the republican nominee get elected. The odds of attacking Tehran will move inversely to the odds of electing McCon. If the Democratic nominee is leading, bombs will also fall. But if McCain is leading in the fall, Iranians can relax until spring, when McCain takes the oath and proceeds to bomb them all.
Pity those still living in Tehran, mere cannon fodder for repug politics in a far away land.
Sticking Bush to the constitution is no solution...

Remember, though Congress is the body that can DECLARE war, Bush is the Commander Guy who can MAKE war. He recognizes the need for no other autorization than his own to attack Iran. ...And if required the Supreme Cons will rule on this issue in favor of Bush.

[mouselion]

Good job on the prophesy, O, Oracle of the espresso machine. And, he will do whatever he wants, won't he?

[aristippe]

It can't be done

[tililek]

Don't under-estimate Bush, he's quite likely to do anything just to remind you he was here.

[deapthrowt]

The huge aircraft carrier battle ship the Abraham Lincoln is already on its way steaming to Doha, Qatar, the headquarters for Centcom and the Iraq War, where the generals plot the war poolside out of harms way. Cruise ships who were supposed to dock in Doha, Qatar in a few weeks have been told at the last minute to go somewhere else.

Think again if you don't think Bush is up to something to ensure a Republican victory in the fall. He is baiting Iran and is using that "Philipine Monkey" fake threat of Iranian gunboats (border patrol folks in reality) to claim the US is under constant threat by Iran.

You read it here first. Put these simple facts together, both independently corroborated, and it spells Trouble, and not just in River City.

[aristippe]

The U.S. always keeps 2-3 carrier groups in the gulf. With the war in Iraq this becomes even more necessary for logistical support. Nothing new here.

[TXfemmom]

I think that Bush will wait until after the election, and if McCain, who is a bigger ass than Bush about Iran, if such a thing can exist, loses, then he will then bomb Iran.

If they try it, the military should stand up and announce it to the American people and the people should take to the streets in peace but in numbers which would make even Bush and Cheney understand.

[Abroad]

I never was able to watch this shouting match, clips such as these are enough to persuade me its not worth the pain.

John is particularly ridiculous closely followed by Pat Buchanan in the "art" of "I shout so I am".

[shades3]

Actually Pat Buchanan's high-pitched, hysterical voice, even rising higher, so only dogs can hear him is so irritating that I can't believe so many political programs feature him.
Am I the only one who is so put off by his voice and his ideology as well as his insistance that Obama should apologize for everything everyone else says, especially Rev. Wright, long after the rest of the country has moved on, that I want to throw a slipper at the television?
Mr Buchanan. You are so over. WHEW!!

[NoFactsJustTruth]

This closet bigot will make every effort to ensure it happens too, he even said on David Gregory's show there's no way Obama can win if the preznutz attacks Iran.

[tkondaks]

I don't know why you say what you do.
Are you aware that Buchanan was against the Iraq war from the beginning?

[aristippe]

amazing enough, it's true

[Zeusthunderbolt]

That might be the only sane reason i have read about why Iran would be attacked. At least it make sense. But will the American public then just vote for McCain because they will feel unsafe?

[Zeusthunderbolt]

Stunning prediction. Would not the adminstration need the permission of the congress? Would the democrats vote for the war to appear hard on national security ? Does bombing Iran, not put our forces in iraq in extreme danger, in view of the fact that civilian deaths in Iran would inflame hatred in the shia majority though endearing us to the current sunni foes that we removed from the government?
Will we then not have to wipe out the Shiite majority to reinstall Sunni government back in power?
Is there any department of postwar planning operating and looking at the disasterous consequences of a geogrphic confluency for Alquidafrom Pakistan to Iraq. And will not the fundamenalist Sunni groups, from pakitan and Afganistan, not eventually turn on the Sunni governments, who must be feeding this Iran threat to the Bush and Chenny government?

[BitJam]

The Democrats already voted for war with Iran via the Kyl-Lieberman amendment last fall. Here is a fuller analysis by Buchanan on antiwar.com which includes this point:

Petraeus Points to War With Iran
http://www.antiwar.com/pat/?articleid=12673

I agree with you that all hell would break loose if we attacked but I think that is part of Rovian plan. It will make national security a big issue and thus give McCain a shot at the White House. I'm not saying it is a good plan, but I think it is clear to the Bush cabal that they will certainly lose the White House if they don't do something.

Heck, if things get really bad, Bush can declare martial law and suspend the elections.

[GeoLee]

Buchanan was against the invasion of Iraq and has been pretty negative toward the Republicans for many of the policies and their lack of economic conservatism. iI have been amazed at some of what he has said this past couple of years, but when he gives that kind of end of show prediction, I think he is sizing up his old friends pretty well and is trying to get the word out. Both he and McLaughlin have really surprised me at their anti current administration status...maybe some of you ought to watch McLaughlin Reports. Yes there are still yelling matches, but often the typical right wing oft too revealing dressed Michelle Crowley (I think that is her name), is the only one espousing the typical GOP mantra. Buchanan seems to have more integrity than I ever imagined and I have rather enjoyed his consistency about his beliefs even though I don't share most of his socially conservative views. He is an economic conservative who does not like this massive debt.

[Zentomato]

Monica Crowley.

[BWonka]

First thing to get Pat hard since we invaded Iraq.

[tkondaks]

Why? Buchanan was AGAINST the war in Iraq from the beginning...

[iPolitics]

Buchanan thinks there is a 55% chance of attack on Iran by Fall. It rises to 100% in February 2008 if McCain is elected

[Amennyc]

Shouldn't we be bombing Saudi Arabia? Since Osama is Saudi, 19 of the Hijackers were Saudi, they are funding the insurgency in Iraq, most of the fighters are getting in through Saudi Arabia... KSA teaches western hate in its schools??? Oh oil, I forgot. Yes, let's keep holding hands with the true enemy and once again go after the wrong country. Just lie to the American people, get the MSM to go along with it.... all will go as planned.

[haboob]

does mcwar have a time machine ?

[peacekitten]

you might consider using something other than a calendar published by heisenberg for your predictions......

[iPolitics]

Feb 2009 :) that or move the 8 further away from the 9 on my keyboard.