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

[LonesomeThunderbolt]

He had a whole article on Antiwar.com on Friday:

Petraeus Points to War With Iran

by Patrick J. Buchanan

http://www.antiwar.com/pat/

[peacekitten]

it's a frightening thing when someone the likes of pat buchanan starts making sense. but he correct about this, just as he has been correct about a few other things along the way. crazy he may be, but stupid he ain't.

[Steamboater]

For once I agree with Buchanan. What better way for Bush to try and ensure a republican win in November. It would be a disaster of course because the Iranians fight back and it would escalate into something unimaginably horrible. This is truly frightening but if happens, Bush and Cheney should be dragged out of the White House in chains and the hell with a trial; they should be put away for the rest of their lives in an assylum.

[handymanhdw]

STEAMBOATER: These two are a couple of war mongorers for sure.... of course they're making their REPUBLICAN FRIENDS VERY RICH!!!! Should have seen 60 minutes tonight talking about the millions that are un-accounted for, the CORRUPTION IN EVERY DEPARTMENT IN IRAQ! YEAH, BUSH HAS REALLY FIXED US UP! Of course, according to my Dad (now deceased), THIS IS THE REPUBLICAN WAY....... THE RICH GET RICHER, AND YOU KNOW THE REST OF THE STORY.....

[TN]

Yeah, they bomb Iran and then china calls its loans, cuts of the money supply, and sides up with them and America is a smoldering wasteland. Get real, I don't know why you listen to republicans they are all nuts.

[RogerHWerner]

If Bush attacks Iran I question whether it would indeed lead to a November GOP victory. It would lead to an immediate spike in the cost of a barrel of oil (anyone for $200/barrel oil?) and a concomitant increase in the cost of gas. Can anyone honestly suggest this would help McCain or the GOP? My guess is that an attack on Iran would also lead to immediate impeachment hearings since Bush has been warned publicly and privately not to conduct an attack without explicit approval of Congress. While Buchanan's antiwar.com article is interesting and contains much that is true, nothing Congress has done thus far represents a blank check for war with Iran. War with Iran might however, lead to a declaration of national emergency and a suspension of elections and all that would accompany such an action. Personally, I fear this morethan a possible GOP November win.

[Steamboater]

RogerHWerner: I don't think logic comes into play when dealing with Bush. A war with Iran would produce such anxiety that gas could spike to $400.00 a barrel and the country, as it has so many times before, would fall for the bullshit coming out of the White House and back whatever Bush and for that matter McCain says--initially at least but it would give Bush and the GOP a headstart, just enough time to win the election. Mainstream America would be in a sort of paralysis, not knowing how to react. Congress too hasn't been the most courageous these last years since the Iraq war began so I wouldn't have much hope of that 'venerable' institution putting up much of a fight. They'd be looking for some sort of compromise--again--and a war with Iran would be played out by the GOP as one between patriots and traitors and you know who the traitors would be.

[akaJohnQ]

A few months ago, Hillary and Obama agreed to co-sponsor legislation which would require Bush to seek congressional approval before attacking Iran. I doubt that they followed through, but the history of our situation in Iraq suggests that even with said legislation in place, this congress would allow Bush to do whatever he wanted to do. This congress lays down like dogs in front of this president.

[peacekitten]

there is already legislation in place to require congressional approval before engaging in a *war of self-defense* which would be LEGAL under international law. that goddamn piece of paper is called the constitution. the ONLY branch of the armed services that the president has the authority on his own to order out into the field for LIMITED periods of time is the marine corps.

this bloody congress needs to enforce the laws we already have, which endows them and them alone with the power to declare war. PERIOD.

i do agree with you though about entirely too many of them being all too willing to "assume the position."

[SamEllison]

They got the okay from Kyl/Lieberman that Hillary signed on to.

[AnAmericanWoman]

Get rid of this stupid bigot! Enough of Buchanon!

[TimN]

Oh, geez. You're making that stuff up. The Constitution was ratified in 1787 and the Marines weren't established until 1798, and there has been no amendment specifying their roll as you've described. The Constitutionexplicitly authorizes the President to "repel sudden attacks" without congressional approval. Harry Truman attacked Korea without approval and with only a UN Resolution as his legal authority. Since then Congress tried to reign this in with the passage of the War Powers Act, but even this authorizes the executive branch the power to respond without approval if American forces are threatened.

[handymanhdw]

aka john: One little Pill dropped from ONE PLANE (LIKE OBAMA'S MINISTER SUGGESTED) "OKINIWA", AND HIROSHIMA, COULD FIX IT ALL!!!!! BUSH IS THE WAR MONGORER, BUT ONE LITTLE PILL DROPPED FROM A PLANE ON THE FIRST DAY OUR NEW DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT TAKES OFFICE, WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM......

THEN PUT AN AD IN THE BIGGEST PAPER FROM THE U.S. TO OTHER COUNTRIES... SOMETHING LIKE........ UH UH UH,,,...... DO WE NEED TO TALK ?????

Well of course, the BUSHWACKER is going to start another conflict because he's in it for his BIG MONEY WAR MANUFACTURERS.... THEY DON'T MAKE CARS IN PA, OR OHIO. I'm from Texas and could see this coming a mile away before the lil B was elected...... He needs to go to a ball game with his Old Man (behind home plate) and learn something.... Yeah, and according to Obama, I am pissed.... but that didn't cause me to go to Church, or believe in God, or BUY A WEAPON! Obama needs to get in the real world.....
Meanwhile, BUSH NEEDS TO RESIGN AND GO HOME AND COUNT HIS BILLIONS THAT HALLIBURTON AND CHENEY HAVE STOLEN FROM THE UNITED STATES CITIZENS. THE MAKE-UP-NICE-CHECKS-FOR-FRIGGING-US FOR OUR GAS PRICES (COMING SOON TO A POST OFFICE NEAR YOU), SHOULD BE ISSUED BY THE GAS COMPANIES, AND NOT THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT....... LIKE HIS OIL FOR FOOD PROGRAM.... WHAT A JOKE..... SHOULD BE THE HEAD OF BUSH FOR A QUART OF MILK

[dr4Will]

if we do immediate impeachment of the bush criminals should take place!!

[white mende man]

Will we be that stupid to bomb Iran and damn the consequences? Not only will we be hated even more by every Arab in the world but there will no longer be a so-called ‘moderate’ Arab state in existence in the Arab world. …Nah we will not be that stupid.

[RnR]

Wanna bet? The people who actually call the shots are the corporations. JFK did not want us involved in Asia, among other things he didn't want ,(he's dead). Martin Luther King rallied against the Viet Nam war (he's dead). If any action/leader hurts the corporate bottom line it will be eliminated. Why do you think we're still in Iraq after the Democrats were given a mandate by the people of this country? The people of this country won't kill them.

I think what liberals/anti-war leaders/socialists/populists - call them whatever you want - need to come to terms with is: they will kill, we won't. That is the bottom line and until you can find a "work around" it will remain the bottom line..

Who in Congress got the Anthrax letters? The 2 people who could have stopped the Patriot Act.

That is the reason that this whole b.s. fight about who the Democratic nominee will be is just that - b.s. It really doesn't matter - none of them want to be dead.

I really truely hope I'm wrong - somebody please prove me wrong.

[grannysharp]

Stupid is as Stupid does. If you want to find out vote for McCain.

[neocon43]

Actually most Arab countries do not like Iran.They would be happy to see this occur

[Flexer]

You can kiss the quality of life the western has when that happens. China and Russia will have a shit fit as oil soars past $250....the world is thrust into the dark ages. The non-testicle congress should have impeached these Narcissistic madmen when they had the chance. Pat Buchanan and his ilk are bonified insane.

[BethStuart]

Here is one explanation of what happened the last time time Congress tried to forbid the Bush administration from going to war with Iran without Congressional approval.

http://www.muzzlewatch.com/?p=170

[Dunworkin]

How can you put any truth in what Pat has to say after all he is a two time loser at trying to be president and now he is an authority on telling someone how to do it. He is a McCain/Bush war monger, go back and read his bio from the past time in Washington.

[morbie5]

Wrong again. Buchanan is not a neocon. I don't know who's bio you read but it wasn't his. He was against the Iraq war before it started. So many of Buchanans predictions have come true so I wouldn't label him a loser if I were you.

[niusa]

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

And we will blame Pelosi's House for that madness.

[dadw5boys]

Blame the democrates if Bush bombs Iran????

HOW? WHY?

Please explain this logic.

[white mende man]

don't mind that poster just be surprised he didn't blame Bill Clinton.

[mgloraine]

Where's the Impeachment? Cheney and Bush still have possession of the White House, the "football", and the authority to order attacks. They were supposed to be in prison by now, or at least removed from office. What was the point of loading up Congress with Democrats when they just gave the crooks everything they wanted while taking Impeachment "off the table"?

The fact that we're still in danger of these two criminal morons setting off World War III is definitely Pelosi and Reid's fault. Cheney & Bush own the blame for every death and injury in Iraq, but Pelosi & Reid will own at least half the blame for everything which will occur in the attacks on Iran.

[duckfan00]

The Pentagon and State Department have already started with the 'evidence' trail of Iranian support to Iraqi terrorists. Iranian boats acting in threatening manners. Each incident building anti-Iranian sentiments. Buchanan was right on Iraq and just might be again on Iran. He says 50-50 but I bet he actually believes it is more likely than not...

[dugan45]

Consider this: Hillary signed onto the resolution that gw signed into law labelling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization. bush.....hillary....President? If bush invades iran, what will Hillary do if she deceives her way to the presidency? How trustworthy is she given how low we've seen her stoop to become elected, most recently dividing Democrats in PA along gun--yeah, she's a guns(man), too--and religious lines, behaving as though Republicans have never used those wedge issues to win elections.

Consider this, too: Hillary says she signed onto giving bush power to invade Iraq after consuting with him on the 1-1 when he assured her he would exhaust all options before considering invading; she has said a number of times that bush deceived her. Yet she signed onto the Revolutionary Guard resolution.

Will Hillary have to say bush lied to her again? Thanks to her and others like her in the House and Senate, bush could easily use the power they've given him by misreading the resolution as he did his right to invade Iraq. Then, as President with our being involved in an occupation and civil war in Iraq and bush's invasion of iran, what will Hillary do?

[handymanhdw]

1. BUSH Little Boy George is still trying to conquer the World with his old man's "One World Order"

2. Point on Guns, has anybody came to your door yet and asked for yours?

3. BUSH CAN'T READ

4. MCLAME CAN BARELY READ (MOSTLY WITHOUT EMOTION)

5. HILLARY CAN READ

6. YA'LL DON'T KNOW, BUT OSAMA OBAMA WASN'T IN THE SENATE TO EVEN VOTE FOR OR AGAINST THE WAR...... SO LET'S GET THE WORD OUT

[dadw5boys]

Oh wow more terrorist.

What happened to the TERRORIST THE SADUI'S WERE FUNDING???

THAT WAS LAST MONTH. DID THEY DISAPPEAR LIKE POOF THEIR GONE???

[dugan45]

The Saudis fund the Sunni's, whom we also arm and fund through Sunni sheikdoms. We also fund them through theft and bribes in all ministries where Sunnis act as ministers or subordinates. Funding by Saudis and our tax dollars is only half the equation. Maliki and his Shi'ite ministers also practice theft and bribery. Our tax dollars fund both sides of the civil war there.

The longer we occupy Iraq, the longer the length of time Sunnis and Shi'ites have to entrench themselves. I don't think for a second Maliki's having made it illegal for militias having armaments to participate in the next election will impede the two camps for preparing for their power grabs.

I didn't write this for you to read. I wrote this to help others who disbelieve in your poof factor to connect dots they might have missed. Thank you for that opportunity.

[nivek]

Last summer, the Air Force moved six nuclear warheads mounted on cruise missiles from Minot to Barksdale in preparation for this. This was reported as a mistake made by the air force. But really,who believes that the most exorbitant military in the world, one that has multiple layers of security and procedure could "accidentally" load SIX ARMED MISSILES aboard a B-52. Ask a wingnut if this passes the smell test. These things do not happen by accident.

[white mende man]

Awe come come now, do you honestly believe the United States will drop Nuclear missiles on another country without any provocation? Whether imaginary or i-wish-to-god-they-would-provoke-us in the gut feelings? Nah never will happen

[Rog49Thomas]

Actually, the very scary thing is that they do.

We mislabeled parts for nuclear weapons as "batteries" and shipped them to Taiwan.
When the Taiwanese complained, your government told them "Nevermind, just destroy the stuff if you don't want it".

[gorgol]

Can we all say "Armageddon"?..HMMM????...you think Russia is going to stand by while Bush attacks Iran?? You think China is??....we know Bush is delusional. We know he says "God talks to me"..We know he said "God speaks through me".....better start connecting the dots people....looks like the only "MUSHROOM CLOUDS" will be from the United States...well, first round anyway...

[JeffersonState]

second round, dude

[dugan45]

Consider this: bush believes in Armaggedon. He also believes in the Rapture and the Second Coming. Buchanan called it exactly right on Iraq. He predicted, as did Powell, Eagleberger, bush sr, et, what would result from invading Iraq. That is why he was so opposed to it from the outset.

Regardless of what you think of Buchanan, he understands the wackos in this administration.

[ResidentChimp]

i forgot, what position does Pat hold in our Governemnt. He has as good a chance as any surrender monkey of guessing the future. But it doesn't include air strikes in Iran. That's the kind of half hearted action a clinton or Obama might try with someone they were sure wouldn't retaliate.

[dugan45]

how apropos a nickname. Don't think for a second that dumbsfeld's dismissal brought an end to the bush idiocies.

[dwillisno1]

Well there General Braveheart, which one of the Staff of Chief Joints are you? Likely you were W's copilot on all those flights he didn't make back in the air national Guard.

[notMcNuts]

like Reagan in Grenada and Pappy Bush inPanama??

[MrSanFran]

I saw Ray McGovern speak the other night in Phoenix. He is a former 27 year CIA analyst. He
said that he and his associates rate it 50/50 that Bush will bomb Iran. It will be catastrophic at
the least.

[CBS]

It is quite possible that Bush has given the order many times and nothing has happened. The military in this country may not be willing to commit political suicide. Chimp Face may have Petraeus in his pocket but the other generals can always find a reason to stall into the next less bellicose administration. That would be Obama's.

[Davwbaird]

100 percent chance, after all if we are now in three major armed conflicts why would change the party in the White House. So George comes to the rescue and the democratic candidate drops out and says you strange creatures can have this country and the big mess you have created.