McCain Attended Zero Afghanistan Hearings In Last Two Years

ABC News reports that McCain has attended zero of his Senate committee's six hearings on Afghanistan in the last two years:

The McCain campaign criticism of Sen. Barack Obama's hearing record on Capitol Hill led us to put the shoe on the other foot.

It turns out that presumptive Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, has attended even fewer Afghanistan-related Senate hearings over the past two years than Obama's one. Which is a nice way of saying, McCain, R-Ariz., the top Republican on the Senate Armed Service Committee, has attended zero of his committee's six hearings on Afghanistan over the last two years...

...The findings are surprising given the fact that the McCain campaign loudly criticized Obama this week for failing to schedule any hearings on Afghanistan in the last year and a half. Obama chairs the European Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has oversight of military operations in Afghanistan.

The American public believes the war in Afghanistan is far more essential to the war on terror than the war in Iraq: 51% believe the U.S. must win the war in Afghanistan to succeed in the war on terror, whereas only 34% feel the same about the Iraq war.

Comments

[LaFeminazi]

As for bombing Al Qaeda in Pakistan.
Actually if you bomb another country without their express permission this could in fact be deemed an act of war. Pakistan has given no such permission.
Being preemptive in this case it would also be a war crime, especially if you have the US tendency of bombing wedding parties.

[TotobiAyokoh23]

Folks, don't you think it is insulting for McCain to even consider contesting for the POTUS?

[borderorder]

I lost my connection last night and couldn't get online. Now I know how McCαin feels every single minute.

[borderorder]

To Groucho wherever thee be - I really did lose my connection, broadband being what it is sometimes, but read your Steelers blog on Kos this am. Good one. Yes, it is important and it is offensive to sports fans and it will be even better to remind folks during the heat of the NFL and political ampaign come this fall. Supporting a stupid war is one thing, making up stuff about sports teams to pander to fans is unforgiveable.

[borderorder]

That's the problem with Double AA Wars. It's hard to get a lot of attention without handing out a bunch of freebies.

[helonias]

JUst what one would expect from a bottom 1%er from the NA

[dentuso]

Narcotics Anonymous? Cin dy hasn't been showing up either?

[cheshirecat831]

Oh, shame. That is uncalled for and you know it since you divided her name to get pass the censors.

[CTmom13]

Sen McSame double talks more then Bush, it's really scary

[DutchGirl]

The surge was a platform put in place by this Administration to help McCain run for POTUS. It was never the intention of this Administration to CATCH Bin Laden. Although McCain has used the Iraq War and the surge as his “running” platform, he is still to this date not able to distinguish Shiites from Sunnis. The American soldiers on the ground in Afghanistan – including NATO soldiers – are only in Afghanistan to protect the local government from the Taliban. What happened to the world’s so called sophisticated INTELLIGENCE? They could never locate a 6ft.6 man living in a cave?
Personally, as a September 11 Survivor, I am still distraught and dismayed that this Administration has not caught Bin Laden. (My company lost 659 precious employees).
Barack has so far been right about the major Taliban pockets in Pakistan. This Administration has been lying and withholding crucial information from the American People. I am hoping that Barack will help us nail Bin Laden.

[kay]

JM stopped showing up when Congress changed hands.

So much for bipartisanship.

The funniest part is HRC got called on this same smear. That happened during the OH and TX primaries, no less, which were a couple of months ago. She didn't show up for Afghanistan hearings either.

Amazing that they'd keep throwing it out there. It's already been debunked, to a certain extent.

[danoj]

Doesn't Obama chair a comittee on Afgahnistan, and hasn't he pretty much done the same thing. Didn't he admit to not holding any hearing on that comittee in over a year during a debate. This is probably not the best artice to lead off with on a liberal website.

[Ammobob]

Lo and Behiold - not just one super collossal hypocrit, but TWO! When will we ever learn?

[Grunty1]

Two? I only see Mc'Cain. Oh wait, you're here too!

[OlderBudWeiser]

unbias view is around also. He's busy trashing another thread.

[LaFeminazi]

Just say 'no' to home schooling.

[ThunderclapNewman]

It appears that ammoboob said no to all schooling.

[mnash]

Well, at least someone is smart enough to acknowledge the fact that McCain accused Obama of not attending meetings when McCain didn't attend meeting either!!!!! Guess that "lapse" of memory with McCain and his campaign don't really care if they tell the truth or not. In any event, nothing seems to be sticking to "teflon John" so why bother to report anything McCain says. Apparently the media doesn't care if the McCain campaign lies, gets confused over serious issues, countries, you name if, nothing sticks. So why waste time printing anything about McCain!!!!!

[jvarga]

Hey the man knows how to win wars, he doesn't need to attend silly meetings. Besides they probably emailed the schedule and we just learned the other day that he's starting to figure out how to turn a computer on.

[BigFootJesus]

McCain is having E-Mail boxes installed in front of all of his homes so he doesn't miss any more meetings.

[jvarga]

ahaha

[JerryTheAngel]

Yes he does. As a 9 year old he channeled Roosevelt and Churchill and won WW2.

As a 20 year old he shook Ike's hand and put all of his military knowledge into Ike's brain.

As a 49 year old, he was secretly meeting with Scowcroft and Powell and designed the whole first Gulf War strategy.

And as far as finishing 894th out of 899 classmates at the Academy, that was just a rouge. He was really a 4.0 student, and those grades were lowered to fool everyone to think that he was a dunce.

[NoahVail]

Yeah, he really had me fooled. Thanks for clearing all that up.

[goofticket]

Come November the nation will tell McCain and the Republicans one thing....

"Czechmate".

[harriscrl3]

My guess is that he probably doesnt even remember not attending any but is taking Hilary's talking points to criticize Obama without checking his own record. Did he seriously think that they wouldnt check to see if he attended any? Although with this media that may not have been that far off an assumption.

Carol

[DutchGirl]

The so-called surge was a platform laid out by the Republicans to enhance McCains run for POTUS. Catching Bin Laden has never been a priority of this current Administration. McCain uses Iraq as his "running" platform and is still not able to distinguish Shi'ites from Sunis. Afghanistan has been far from HIS mind, to HIM it is just a city on the Worldmap where some American soldiers and the NATO are protecting the local Government from the Taliban. Personally, It has been a painful 6 years as a September 11 Survivor. My company suffered the biggest loss (658 of precious human beings). My hopes are on Barack to help us CATCH the real bad guys. Guantanamo Bay is a joke - torturing the wrong people - is a travisty of FREE Government.

[bibb]

Why does most of the media continue to let this guy off the hook and not confront him on this nonsense?!!! The "straighttalk express" is more like the "bullsh*t express."
We deserve a press that is unafraid of the GOP and will take them on, even though the GOP has somehow convinced the press that McCain is untouchable on foreign policy.
Being a former POW and having experience should not be an excuse for promoting the wrong policies without being challenged. It is NOT unpatriotic to scrutinize public figures.
Cheney and Rumsfeld had plenty of experience and look what they did.