McCain Confronted With New Iran Gaffe, Gets Facts Wrong Again (VIDEO)

Yesterday, Time's Joe Klein noted that he could find no evidence that Sen. Barack Obama had ever specifically said he would negotiate with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad:

On Friday, I promised to check into whether Obama had ever said that he would negotiate--specifically, by name -- with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Indeed, according to the crack Time Magazine research department and the Obama campaign, he never has. He did say that he would negotiate with the Iranian leadership -- but, on matters of foreign policy and Iran's nuclear program, the guy in charge is the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. As of today, John McCain was still accusing Obama of wanting to negotiate with Ahmadinejad. Why doesn't the McCain campaign and other assorted Republicans ever accuse Obama of wanting to negotiate with Khamenei? Well, because Khamenei isn't quite the flagrant anti-Semite Ahmadinejad is...and, as we keep hearing, Obama has a Jewish problem.

Later in the day, Klein confronted McCain with this question at a press conference. For a foreign policy "expert," McCain clearly has a pattern of getting the basic facts wrong. McCain insisted that ultimate political authority in Iran rests with Ahmadinejad -- even mocking Klein when he challenged him on it. In fact, according to the CIA's World Factbook, ultimate political authority in Iran rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, not the president.

Here's the exchange:

KLEIN: I've done some research, and um -

MCCAIN: I have too.

KLEIN: Also checked, also checked with the Obama campaign and he never, he's never sai -- mentioned Ahmadinejad directly by name. He did say he would negotiate with the leaders, but as you know - Ayatollah,

MCCAIN: (Laughing) Ahmadinejad is, was the leader.

KLEIN: But if -

MCCAIN: Maybe I'm mistaken.

Story continues below

KLEIN: Maybe you are, because -

MCCAIN: Maybe. I don't think so though.

KLEIN: The Supreme, you know, according to most diplomatic experts, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is the guy who's in charge of Iranian foreign policy and also in charge of the nuclear program, but you never mention him. Do you, you know, um, why do you always keep talking about Ahmadinejad since he doesn't have power in that, in that realm?

MCCAIN: Oh I thin-Again, I respectfully disagree. When he's the person that comes to the United Nations and declares his country's policy is the extermination of the state of Israel, quote, in his words, wipe them off of the map, then I know that he is speaking for the Iranian government and articulating their policy and he was elected and is running for reelection as the leader of that country. Yes sir, go ahead.

NEW REPORTER: One more quest-

MCCAIN: I mean, the fact is he's the acknowledged leader of that country and you may disagree, but that's a uh, that's your right to do so, but I think if you asked any average American who the leader of Iran is, I think they'd know. Go ahead. Or anyone who's well-versed in the issue.

Ilan Goldenberg of the National Security Network notes:

Let's be clear: Iran has a very complex system of government with varying institutions, but at the top of it sits Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who essentially has only accountable to the Council of Guardians made up of clerics, many of whom are appointed by Khamenei. So, Ahmadinejad is not the leader. And as the Council on Foreign Relations explains, especially in the area of foreign policy, Ahmadinejad has very little influence.

On top of that as Klein points out, the President's job is to educate the public on questions of policy. So if the "average American" thinks that Ahmadinejad is the ultimate leader of Iran, it's up to the President to dissuade them of this notion - not reinforce it. Back in 2002 more then half of Americans thought Saddam was responsible for 9/11 and President Bush did nothing to disprove this assumption (In fact, while never directly claiming that Saddam was responsible for 9/11 the Administration did everything it could to reinforce the notion). That doesn't mean our policy should be based on those false assumptions.

Comments

[1LTUSMC]

I am coming to the conclusion that the Republican Party is fully convinced that Democrats will win the White House almost regardless of who leads the ticket. Everyone but John McCain got message:

John McCain is the default nominee.

I have a great amount of respect for McCain for the courage he and the other Hanoi Hilton POW's displayed during captivity. However, he frequently sounds like a confused and doddering old fool when he speaks. I am embarrassed for him.

My own father was my hero and inspiration. Throughout his career as a school administrator, he repeatedly demonstrated his brilliance, courage, integrity, and compassion. He made the world better by being part of it. However, as he aged, his understanding and command of the facts decreased. He wrote numerous letters to the editor of his local rag in which he raged at the poor performance of the local schools. After a while, no one paid any professional attention to him. I was embarrassed for him at times, but never embarrassed by him. His time had passed.

John McCain’s time has passed also. His honorable service does not trump his deficiencies in other qualities necessary to serve as President: mental acuity, and logic, sound decision-making and reasoning ability.

My father had his finger on the keyboard, but, as President, John McCain will have his finger on the nuclear button. I find that possibility very discomforting.

[Sparty1]

"I was embarrassed for him at times, but never embarrassed by him." That is such a wonderful and touching way to express the situation with your dad's declining faculties.

[charon]

Likely as not McCain would only be a front-man for a right-wing group like Bush had, Cheney, Rove, Rummy, etc. I don't know who McCain would have behind him, but I'm sure their agenda would be pretty much the same as bushco's.

[jazkiljok]

oh boy, John needs a refresher on the world stage. the guy's been at the foreign policy game way too long to make these type of mistakes, unless of course, they are intentional ones to reinforce bad popular assumptions by the american people that help his potrayal of Obama...

[urweatherman]

And Obama needs a refresher on the national stage.....Hey Obama, we have 50 states...not 57!

[ajax2]

Poor John McCain current events are not kind to his policies. First Sec. Gates says we are and should talk to Iran, and now Israel and Syria are giving it a go. John, 'no diplomacy' is Bush speak, break away.

"Syria and Israel officially confirm peace talks"

[image18301]

That's the thing though, isn't it? The Republican party isn't what it used to be and although McCain actually fits the original mold fairly well, ol' GW has totally disgraced his followers - and his party.

I believe the country has the same number of Republican voters it always had; I just think that they will be just too disgusted to go to the polls this time. It won't be the Democrats who throw the Republicans out. It will be the Republicans.

[IndieVisible]

I think Obama should debate McCain as often as possible. Give McCain enough rope to hang himslef. No way can he keep all his facts and flip flops straight! Then we can see this flip flopper in action!

[Shadowmann1]

Just found this McCain Flip-Flop video. It's hilarious and scary all at once:
http://urbanuprising.wordpress.com/2008/05/19/john-mccain-vs-john-mccain/

[rshrink]

Shadowman, That was a very revealing video and it truly cannot be questioned. We have seen so much of this from the converted John McCain who is now worshipping Bush and the Neocons. Having such an affliction of the brain, which has become more apparent lately, makes him perfect to replace Bush, as the neocons would know how to easily manipulate him. Now he has to be followed around by the likes of Lieberman to keep him on track. Yah, that is the kind of guy we need running this country.

[bookeramez]

WOW!!!!!

[Tator]

Obama, there are 57 states...
Obama, Arabs speak Afghanistan ....

Where are these stories of Obama's gaffs on Huff&Puff filtered news?

[savagetiger]

Because you just made them up and have no sources to cite?

Try to write relevant, at least believable comments...

[Tator]

Obama was born in 1961. The Selma march took place in 1965. His spokesman, Bill Burton, later explained that Obama was “speaking metaphorically about the civil-rights movement as a whole.”

Earlier this month in Cape Girardeau, Mo., Obama showed off his knowledge of the war in Afghanistan by homing in on a lack of translators: “We only have a certain number of them, and if they are all in Iraq, then it’s harder for us to use them in Afghanistan.” The real reason it’s “harder for us to use them” in Afghanistan: Iraqis speak Arabic or Kurdish. The Afghanis speak Pashto, Farsi, or other non-Arabic languages.

Over the weekend in Oregon, Obama pleaded ignorance of the decades-old, multibillion-dollar massive Hanford nuclear-waste cleanup: “Here’s something that you will rarely hear from a politician, and that is that I’m not familiar with the Hanford, uuuuhh, site, so I don’t know exactly what’s going on there. (Applause.) Now, having said that, I promise you I’ll learn about it by the time I leave here on the ride back to the airport.”

I assume on that ride, a staffer reminded him that he’s voted on at least one defense-authorization bill that addressed the “costs, schedules, and technical issues” dealing with the nation’s most contaminated nuclear-waste site.

[Tator]

Last March, the Chicago Tribune reported this little-noticed nugget about a fake autobiographical detail in Obama’s Dreams from My Father: “Then, there’s the copy of Life magazine that Obama presents as his racial awakening at age 9. In it, he wrote, was an article and two accompanying photographs of an African-American man physically and mentally scarred by his efforts to lighten his skin. In fact, the Life article and the photographs don’t exist, say the magazine’s own historians.”

And in perhaps the most seriously troubling set of gaffes of them all, Obama told a Portland crowd over the weekend that Iran doesn’t “pose a serious threat to us” — cluelessly arguing that “tiny countries” with small defense budgets can’t do us harm — and then promptly flip-flopped the next day, claiming, “I’ve made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave.”

Barack Obama — promoted by the Left and the media as an all-knowing, articulate, transcendent Messiah — is a walking, talking gaffe machine. How many more passes does he get? How many more can we afford?

[littlepuffycloud]

Oh Tator tot...is that the best you can do? Really? Go heat up some grease and jump in and fry yourself.

[Tator]

Obama:

Last May, he claimed that tornadoes in Kansas killed a whopping 10,000 people: “In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed.” The actual death toll: 12.

Earlier this month in Oregon, he redrew the map of the United States: “Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go.”

Explaining last week why he was trailing Hillary Clinton in Kentucky, Obama again botched basic geography: “Sen. Clinton, I think, is much better known, coming from a nearby state of Arkansas. So it’s not surprising that she would have an advantage in some of those states in the middle.” On what map is Arkansas closer to Kentucky than Illinois?

Obama has as much trouble with numbers as he has with maps. Last March, on the anniversary of the Bloody Sunday march in Selma, Ala., he claimed his parents united as a direct result of the civil rights movement: “There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Ala., because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born.”

[urweatherman]

Great job TATOR, as you can see in the comments you received, these people can dish it out (distortions), but can't handle the truth.....keep it up!

[liseworks]

Honestly, I'm appalled - This discussion sounds the same as if the questions were asked of a random pedestrian -
I had no idea that "experience" could amount to so much nuance and so little care for the actual understanding of the facts. McCain, with his, 'ums' sounds like any lazy bum on the street ....
Obama is the least 'experienced' & the contract between his 'intellectual capacity' & McCain's are plain & simple : Gimme Obama any time of the day - I trust this country's future with him, and only him.
Republicans, now's the time to join up - the Party of the Past is ....going ....going ....gone.

[helonias]

Will somonne ask him what is the difference between an arab and a persian

[ZimboChick]

What are you trying to do to the old geezer???? That would reqcuire too many nerons to fire simultaneously.....we do not want a combustion now do we? lol

[ZimboChick]

neurons*

[egal]

One's a horse and the other's a cat.

He might get this version right, but I'm not so sure about that either.

[realtalk]

NOT ONLY DOES McCAIN HAVE "NO" PLAN FOR DEALING WITH IRAN, McCAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY PLAN ALSO INCLUDES HOSTILITY TOWARD RUSSIA AND CHINA: TWO MAJOR GLOBAL POWERS!!

On March 26, 2008, McCain gave a speech on FOREIGN POLICY in Los Angeles that was billed as his most comprehensive statement on the subject. It contained within it the most radical idea put forward by a major candidate for the presidency in 25 years.

In his speech McCain proposed that the United States expel Russia from the G8, the group of advanced industrial countries. Moscow was included in this body in the 1990s to recognize and reward it for peacefully ending the cold war on Western terms, dismantling the Soviet empire and withdrawing from large chunks of the old Russian Empire as well. McCain also proposed that the United States EXCLUDED China from the councils of power.

What McCain has announced is momentous"that the United States should adopt a policy of ACTIVE EXCLUSION and HOSTILITY toward two major global powers. It would reverse a decades-old bipartisan American policy of integrating these two countries into the global order, a policy that began under Richard Nixon (with Beijing) and continued under Ronald Reagan (with Moscow). It is a policy that would alienate many countries in Europe and Asia who would see it as an attempt by Washington to begin a new cold war.


http://www.newsweek.com/id/134317

[ILOVELOSANGELES]

The thought of McCain with his finger on the nuclear launch button scares the crap out of me. Everyone knows he is a hothead on top of being semi senile. The whole world should beware of McCain. If you felt Bush was a cowboy you haven't seen nothing yet

[ZimboChick]

Has anyone addressed the fact that he is not conversant with Foreign Affairs AT ALL?

[mari2JJ]

The idea that we would have someone as our President who did not understand how the Iranian government power is arranged is alarming. And then when confronted with the facts, he acts like the fact bearer is the problem and that is even more alarming. It often seems like McCain has moved into the Alzheimer mode of late. He just gets it wrong so many times. One wonders if his war experience has taken a heavy toll on his mental capabilities. Poor thing. He mistakes Sunnis for Shias and just mangles the ethnicity situation in Iraq. One wonders how that will set with Iraqis if he is ever elected President. But the real sad thing is for McCain to have the nerve to attack Barack for being so unprepared to be President when McCain is the one who has constantly mucked up the facts about Iraq over and over again. Very sad!!!

[the964kid]

I just saw an ad for a new altzheimer's medicine that John McCain would greatly benefit from. Maybe I'll email him the name and brand of it.

[CubanPete]

IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH AND FACTCHECK - Free Concert by Popular Band Preceded Obama’s Big Rally
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/robert-knight/2008/05/20/free-concert-popular-band-preceded-obama-s-big-rally

[realtalk]

What's your point?! I will remind you that John Kerry had BON JOVI at this same park during his campaign years ago, and Kerry only had 5000 people show up.

I don`t even know who the band at Obama`s rally was, I don`t think most people ìn this country know the band the `` Decemberist ``.

CUBANPETE -- I know you, and the rest of repudlicans are jealous that 72000 people showed up to see Obama, the largest crowd to ever to show up at a campaign event, BUT you republicans shouldn`t cry, and moan about it, DON`T BE JEALOUS!!! McCain could always go to the same park, hire the same band, maybe he could get 500 people to show up.

[Pyrrhus]

Yeah, I heard McCain tried the same thing the other day.

I heard he had scheduled Guy Lombardo's and Lawrence Welk's bands to perform at a fundraiser. But it was cancelled when someone told McCain both of them are dead.

McCain's suggestion to move the location of the fundraiser to their respective cemeteries was quietly shelved.

[swamijo]

oh yeah I'm sure 75,000 people came out to see the 'Decemberists' whoever the hell they are...even if they are a 'popular' Portland band I bet they never got more than 10,000 attendance at any of their previous concerts (I'm exaggerating...I'd guess they never even got 1000?!)

[thefooligan5]

You're obviously not music savvy.
The Decemberists are easily one of the most popular and most talented indie rock bands to hit the air waves since the turn of the millenium.
not that this is important or anything but they are far from unknown.

[liseworks]

Yeah & the concert-goers just happened to include middle-aged, older people all holding OBAMA signs & staying the course for one of the most dynamic speeches Oregon ever heard - uh huh - The Press said they've never had such a crowd, NOT EVEN for any Music Concert, which this wasn't.
WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS, MY FRIENDS .....(chorus) .....

[Raemond]

the Decemberists are ace. Quite quirky sort of indie folsky stuff.

Though surely an american politician would never chose a band named after a well known communist uprising as his warm up?

[Durango]

Pre Communist. Very PRE.

A group of soldiers if I remember right.

[ikez78]

Joe, we know you are a hardcore lefty so far in the tank for Obama that you'd lie again if it would benefit his campaign but here is your video.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2008/05/heres_the_video_of_obama_sayin.asp

I doubt you even looked.

[realtalk]

YOU ARE A LIAR!!! I have WATCHED THE TAPE, AND ``NOWHERE`` ON THE TAPE DID OBAMA EVER SAY THAT HE WILL MEET WITH AHMADAINEJAD. HE NEVER SAID IIT!!

[ZimboChick]

And even if he did, its not like Bush has never met with him. World leaders get together all the time. Days ago Bush he was blasting Hamas and then when he met with the leader he was whistling a different tune. Some people in here really need to do a couple of thing; stay on top of your current affairs, read, pay attention, know right from wrong, travel and/or watch other news mediums like Euro News or Al Jazeera or even BBC for proper gimmick/propaganda free news. The energy you expending kidding yourself could have bought you 4 tanks of gas by now.

[Relax08]

I think you got this wrong. He was asked if he would meet with Almanejad and then he said he would meet with our enemies. So exactly what is your point? The real issue here is that the stupid McBush doesn't know the f who the leader of Iran is!!!!! And he's the one with all of the alleged foreign policy experience and judgment? That's the point of this story and it's sorta self evident that John McCain is short on brains, memory, judgment and long on age, temper and connections with crooked people. Check out USA banned Russian Billionaire Oleg Deripaskawho McCain met with privately in 2006 when he was planning his big run for the Presidency. Russia is the closest thing to a real honest to God Facist state in the world today and your Mr. McBush is already making plans with the Russian mafia. Makes Rev. Wright seem sorta like a lamb don't you think.
McCain is not a straight shooter, doesn't know where his guns are and even if he could draw his pistol, he'd probably shoot his wife the c___t, instead of the person he was aiming at.

[MyGuyO]

Has anyone taken a peek at Cindy McCain's photo layout in the June '08 issue of Vogue Magazine?
On this website http://weblogs.cltv.com/news/local/chicago/2008/05/image_is_everything.html there are two pictures: one of Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain. Now we must ask ourselves...Who is really the elitist here.

[Tobiasism]

The Weekly Standard has weakly claimed that Obama said he would meet with Ahmadinijad, but the tape does not support that statement. In fact, the tape refutes the idea in that Obama would not meet with him on the Columbia trip. So, how is it that such an esteemed journalist as Michael Goldfarb, Editor, got it wrong? He wanted to. Just like ikez78!

[disgusted48]

Apparently there is a reason that he was at the bottom of his graduating class at the Naval Academy. It seems that there are two "must have" qualities required for modern day presidents: Arrogance and Ignorance.

[MavTx]

McCain graduated 3rd from the bottom at Naval Academy, not ready for prime time in 2000 and past his prime in 2008 - - clueless on the economy, foreign policy, flip-flops, double-speaks - - at best he’s an enigma and at worse he’s the 16 personalities of Sybil.

[realtalk]

McCAIN IS AN IDIOT!! HE MAY HAVE BEEN IN GOVERNMENT LONG, BUT HE KNOWS NOTHING!!!!! McCAIN GOES AROUND SAYING INCORRECT THINGS ALL THE TIME!! HE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE SUNNIS, AND SHIAS, OR ALQUEADA, ( McCAIN HAD TO BE TOLD THE FACTS BY LIEBERMANN (INFRONT OF REPORTERS). JUST LIKE TODAY WHEN A REPORTER HAD TO INFORM JOHN McCAIN THAT IT IS THE SUPREME LEADER ALI KHAMENEU WHO IS IN CHARGE OF IRANIAN FOREIGN POLICY AND ALSO IN CHARGE OF THE NUCLEAR PROGRAM, and NOT Ahmadinejad!

SO NOW WE KNOW 100% THAT McCAIN KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT IRAN. IT'S CLEAR THAT HIS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE IS VERY, VERY EXTENSIVE.

ADD, TO ALL THIS THE FACT THAT IN A FOREIGN POLICY SPEECH McCAIN GAVE IN LOS ANGELES ON MARCH 26, 2008 (A SPEECH BILLED AS McCAIN'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE STATEMENT ON FOREIGN POLICY), JOHN McCAIN PROPOSED THAT THE UNITED STATES EXPEL RUSSIA, AND CHINA FROM THE G8. (An international forum for 8 countries which represent about 65% of the Gross World Product and the majority of global military power)

McCAIN'S FOREIGN POLICY PLANS WOULD INCLUDE EXPELLING RUSSIA FROM THE G8, and EXCLUSION AND HOSTILITIY TOWARD CHINA.

THE USA IS NOT PREPARED TO DEAL WITH A HOSTILE RUSSIA, PARTNERED WITH A HOSTILE CHINA. WHO WOULD BOTH SEE McCAIN'S FROEIGN POLICY AS AN ATTEMPT BY THE USA TO BEGIN A NEW COLD WAR.

McCAIN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE., McCAIN IS UNEDUCATED, AND INCOMPETENT!!!

http://www.newsweek.com/id/134317

[gusvidal]

GOOD FOR THE MEDIA STARTING TO EDUCATE THE DUMB REPUBLICAN BASE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN PLAYED AS STONE AGE TROGLODITAS BY THEY 'CONSERVATIVE' CHICKEN HAWKS