Obama Adviser: McCain May Have Made Georgia Situation Worse

Barack Obama adviser Susan Rice said on Hardball last night that John McCain's belligerent response to the Russian actions in Georgia "may or may not have complicated the situation."

WATCH:

At the Belgravia Dispatch, Gregory Djerejian explains why McCain's position would compound the mistakes President Bush has made in the region.

Ben Smith explains that McCain has long history of aggressive anti-Russian rhetoric:

While virtually every other world leader called for calm in Georgia last Thursday morning, John McCain did something he's done many times over his career in public life: He condemned Russia.

Indeed, McCain, who publicly confronted Putin in Munich last year, may be the most visible -- and now potentially influential -- American antagonist of Russia. What remains to be seen is whether the endgame to the Georgia crisis makes McCain seem prophetic or headstrong and whether his muscular rhetoric plays a role in defining for voters the kind of commander in chief he would be.

Comments

[YesWeCanada]

Pat Buchanan on the John McCain Platform

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Dd-yg2A4E

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

That's an all time classic.

[Scarllatti]

Those neocons know this man so well. At least they were honest enough to admit what McCain's ideology is all about.

[Chiang]

Pat Buchanan is not a neocon.

[freshnotbitter]

Obama has to be careful about how he criticizes a "hawk" in an american presidential election.

In any case, hilarious moment of the day is turning on CNN and listening to the reporters talking about how people (including our intelligence services, white house, pentagon, etc.) are scrambling to find out what is going on as far as russian troop movements are concerned.

This is especially hilarious if you have just come back from a site like Zillow enjoying bird's eye views, Hybrid satellite views, etc. of various houses you are looking to buy.

I was expecting CNN to announce that pictures of the conflict would be arriving with your issue of the
Saturday Evening Post and Look magazine.

Just tell us that they aren't showing pictures and telling us what is going on because then the Russians would tell the Taliban, AlQaeda, etc. what is going on in Mesopotamia and Afgnaistan. We understand. you don't have to treat us like fools.

[Scarllatti]

Did they forget Google Earth? I "watched" the Israeli. Nasralla war in Lebanon with that software. You mean White House cannot contact Google? LOL.

[freshnotbitter]

I guess the only place CNN is beaming into these days is the Old Oak Rest and Retirement Home.

On a more serious note: The war interests just love to have CNN broadcasting their fantasy world to the wider public while they set about the task of creating more and more war - or at least "virtual war" where we pour trillions of dollars into their industry with the same lousy results.

[Cassie129]

It's funny that McSame wasn't called presumptuous by the MSM. Cuz, ya know how they hate him (RME).

I am not a Georgian. Oh, and tangentially, I am not an Israeli, either, LieberLoser. I am an American.

[rirhodes]

One may not like the Russian government, and I don't, but we should still recognize an important fact:

Russia like all major powers, and even minors powers, does not want enemies on its borders. The United States has, by inviting all of its neighbors to join NATO, acted in a provocative manner and encouraged the hostility of an already vicious government.

[gwinegarden]

Yes, invading a country for no real reason, how horrible!

Oh, sorry this is about Georgia

Russia is a bully, and always has been, but "people in glass houses....­."

[Scarllatti]

You cannot go surfing in a shark-infested water and expect to come out with your butt intact. That Georgian president must be a jerk to think that American troops will fight his war whenever he picks one.

[MagisterLudi]

Russians are already used to belligerence from Americans, both dems and repubs.
Nothing new here. Thats why Russia will do what it needs to do to secure its borders and defeat American encroachment on its borders. good for them.

[harriscrl3]

Duh of course he made it worse. He is saber rattling issuing threats talking tough with NOT one ounce of humility not to mention acting presumptious and arrogant like he is the President. Which in and of itself is bad enough to talk so forcefully to Russia without anything to back it up is frightening to me. Why the hell would anyone take America seriously with this guy in charge its JUST more of the same. Show some diplomacy when you speak to people you cant just shoot from the hip you are trying to diffuse a situation not INTENSIFY it. And you know what i keep thinking as I hear him talking so forcefully and recklessly to Russia who is really the arrogant one here. I mean good grief we invaded another country create and forge documents so that we can go to war and here is McCain talking like someone died and put AMerica in charge of the entire world.

We are HYPOCRITES please at least show some HUMILITY.

Carol

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Like usual the neocons are harping on the "may or may not" part of the statement because they only see the world through black and white. It does not matter to them that "the decider" in office is quick to decide and predict but is wrong the vast majority of the time. McBush has the same binary method of "reasoning" that will extend this failed mindset for another four years if elected.

I bet now Boosh and McBush would have like to say Iraq "may or may not" have WMD, Al Qaeda links, or we would be greeted as liberators. But then again saying that would not have lied America into bad decisions even though at the time they knew what they said "may or may not" have been true.

[BushBites]

McCain's just dying for war with Russia.

He thinks it would impress Cindy enough to keep her away from the Pool Boy.

[MagisterLudi]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice privately warned Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to avoid a conflict with Russia during her trip to Tbilisi in July, The New York Times reported Wednesday.­"She told him, in no uncertain terms, that he had to put a non-use of force pledge on the table," an unnamed senior US official who accompanied Rice on the trip told the newspaper.­"

Some people just don't listen. Eh, Saakashvilli. And now you expect U.S. to bail you out? No thanks.

[JohnShank]

Exactly! Thank you.

[bosshogg]

i like this rice better than the other rice......­..........­.....

[venicesurfer]

but not better than chinese rice.

[JohnShank]

or WILD RICE

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

That's for sure.

[SpoxLogic]

Well as everyone knows, brown rice is much better for you than white rice. Mix in some peas and some coconut milk...and you are good to go. mmm! mmm! mmm!

[dadw5boys]

Bush said " BRING IT ON " to the insurgents and 150 U.S. Service men died that next week !

Russia had stopped then Mc Cain opened his mouth !

[JohnShank]

Russia, like the criminal Bush admininstration, invaded a sovereign country. Just calling for peace in the face of agression does little but invite more agression.

[iggy06]

You're wrong. Russia didn't invade anybody. It was Georgia that invaded South Ossetia and committed war crimes, murdering thousands of women and children, running over the elderly with their tanks, torching a 10th century Orthodox church full of citizens, etc. Go to
http://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday and see for yourselves.

[Garvagh]

John McCain and his national security adviser, Randy Scheunemann, helped to cause the disaster in Georgia by being so openly dismissive of the legitimate security concerns voiced by Vladimir Putin and other Russian leaders.

I recommend Mikhail Gorbachev's excellent piece in yesterday's Washington Post.

[TotobiAyokoh23]

McCain has a foreign policy cognitive schema that is locked up within the bygone "all-or-none" politics of the Cold War years. This guy is not only dangerous; he is poisonous to the much needed consensus-building in the emerging international system. Could America give him a strategic riddance? Time will tell.

[JohnIII]

McCain offered diplomatic solutions. He didn't suggest we attack Russia.
Susan Rice's compliment was ridiculous. Russia is going to do what Russia is going to do.
Ultimately, Obama agreed with all his suggestions. So does that mean Obama could now be complicating the situation as well?

[Scarllatti]

JohnIII? Your name is synonymous with your reasoning.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Oh I forgot did McBush think he was voting for diplomacy as well on Iraq like Hill?

[realist4Obama]

See below:

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/13/georgian-president-to-mccain-move-from-words-to-deeds/

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Youch that is a great one people should see it.

It should be a HufPo article.

So the president of Georgia wants McBush to back up his words with deeds.

Get Real!

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

Youch that is a great one people should see it.

It should be a HufPo article.

So the president of Georgia wants McBush to back up his words with deeds.

Fat Chance!

[ArmyCentrist]

McCain isn't the President, Bush is, and if I were Dubya, I'd put my hoe in check, Dolemite style!