McCain Again Failing Commander-in-Chief Test: This Time Syria

So how does the McCain campaign respond to sporadic news reports that U.S. special forces carried out an attack in Syrian territory?  Well a responsible campaign (i.e. the Obama campaign) would follow the White House's lead and offer no comment until they got more information.  But instead the McCain campaign opts for blatant politicization. Here is McCain spokesman Michael Goldfarb:

"Syria is a state sponsor of terror and a sanctuary for terrorists that target U.S. troops in Iraq, yet Barack Obama has pledged to meet personally and unconditionally with Syria's leaders during his first year in office. While John McCain has been demanding that Syria do more to crack down on terrorists moving from its territory into Iraq, Barack Obama allowed one of his closest foreign policy advisers to travel to Syria for discussions with the leaders of that rogue regime. Barack Obama opposed the surge, voted against funding for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and demanded the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. If Barack Obama had his way, U.S. forces would not have been in a position to launch this strike. So does Barack Obama support this action -- an action that would not even have been possible if his policies had been implemented?"

This is so absurd.  Let me count the ways.  First, McCain is once again demonstrating the recklessness and impulsiveness that makes one question whether he can in fact be commander in chief.  There is only one proper response to this.  The same response that the Obama campaign gave, which is that you just simply don't discuss a military operation if the White House and the military are refusing to comment.  The issue is a sensitive one and a question of national security.  You take your lead from them and wait until you have all the facts, instead of trying to score cheap political points.

Second, here is the McCain campaign accusing Senator Obama of supposedly not being willing to crossover into Syria, even though he has rightly not commented on it at all. 

But Senator McCain has previously mocked Senator Obama for being willing to go into Pakistan and go after high value Al Qaeda targets.  The intelligence community tells us that the greatest threat to the homeland and the place where an attack would most likely be planned is on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.  But the McCain campaign seems to be arguing that smuggling routes from Syria into Iraq are a higher priority target than terrorist training camps in Pakistan.  That is an exact rehash of invading Iraq to fight terrorism, while taking your eye off of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan.  We've tried it before.  It didn't work.

Finally, there is the argument about not meeting with Syria.  Here is the thing.  Israeli PM Olmert has stated publicly that Israel should move to direct negotiations directly with the Syrians and the Israelis are currently in talks through a Turkish mediator.  Ambassador Nick Burns, who was Bush's point man on Iran for three years, had a piece out this weekend arguing for direct talks with our enemies.  Colin Powell, James Baker, the Iraq Study Group, and numerous Republican foreign policy experts have all called for talks with Syria.  McCain is the odd man out on this one.

And yet, his campaign, which claims national security as its greatest strength, is irresponsibly politicizing this story one week before the election.

Update:  Max Bergmann has previously pointed out that McCain himself was for talking to the Syrians before he was against it.

Comments

[RobinSeattle]

The Republicans in general have badly mishandled international security. Look at how strong the Taliban are now: http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1028/p99s01-duts.html

The Syria raid was a total joke and seems to be another instance where Bush is trying to Cambodianize the Iraq War.

[Horus45]

McCain's impulsiveness and temperament are a BIG problem when dealing in delicate negotiations.

[Blue in NH]

Did McCain mention that last year his hero General Petreaus wanted to engage in talks with Syria but was forbidden to by the Bush Administration. I guess Obama had that one right too.

[bearcck]

Remember ...he doesn't talk to "countries that don't like us very much". I think it is countries he doesn't like very much. That doesn't leave many countries ...if any.

Also, "he knows how to win wars". Let's see ...he doesn't talk to other countries....he just wants to win wars....that doesn't leave much room for other options.

Owing that the Navy didn't see him as a guy who could win wars....or they would have promoted him...I guess he is stuck in a cockpit mentality that only serves us if we are all in a cockpit. In which case he only has the fighter pilot vote. Good luck with that.

Sometimes No Comment is the safest way to go! So much for the maverick.....god bless the GI's who are in harms way so McCain could be a maverick.

[olgraydawg]

bomber pilot, not fighter pilot. It's the difference between a formula race car driver and a, umm, a bus driver.

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

Erratic , Irrational, impulsive, ill-informed, etc.........

How can anybody VOTE for T.A.P. and That Chick! The man is unfit to be leader period,

Obama/Biden 08-12

[BLinCincinnati]

"Syria is a state sponsor of terror and a sanctuary for terrorists that target U.S. troops in Iraq ... Barack Obama ... demanded the complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. If Barack Obama had his way, U.S. forces would not have been in a position to launch this strike. "

Uh... If our troops weren't there to launch an attack... they wouldn't have been there to BE attacked in the first place.

[CalBearinIllinois]

On top of all the other problems, they are recycling discredited claims that Obama somehow was trying to arrange talks with the Syrians through advisors. The advisor went to Syria for an ABA program and the trip was both above board and utterly unrelated to US foreign policy.

[Bushwillresign]

If Obama were to arrange talks, he would probably send his new advisory J.S. McCain.

[the-lexicon]

what, exactly, is the Department of State for?

Aren't they around to, oh, I dunno, maintain channels of communication between the US and other countries?

Why on EARTH would they NOT maintain channels of communication between ANY regime and the US?

Come on, folks...this is not rocket science!

The only time you'd EVER NOT TALK to a foreign government, is if it was your INTENTION to create tension and distrust.

I mean, really....does it make sense that BUSH or McCAIN should have to crack open www.aljazeera.com to keep abreast on evil? Why not go straight to the horse's mouth?

lexicon

[Horus45]

It goes to the core of the Republican philosophy of treating everyone who has a different opinion than them is "The Enemy", including your political opponent.

[Relax08]

John McCain would gin up an entirely new war if it would get him the Presidency.
His gambler instinct will always take over. The moment he heard about this raid, he was loading up the weapons, accusing Obama of some underhanded conspiracy and figuring out how a real new shooting war would finally keep him from rolling craps in the worst run campaign in the last fifty years.

I'm sorry, John McCain is competent and needs to be put out to pasture. He did serve his country well essentially following orders while a POW, but other than that he has only been about John McCain and what America can do for his ego. He deserves to lose and he deserves to be seen as the destroyer of the Republican Party.

[lbrillante]

Once again McCain is tested.... and FAILS!!

[lmrgreen]

Good old McCain: load the gun, shoot, and then aim. Please, somebody tell me I'm dreaming it's Nov 5th, the election is over and Obama won...I just can't take anymore.

[listeningpost]

George W. Bush had his "closest foreign policy advisor" AKA the Secretary of State meet with Syria's Foreign Minister last April. Does McCain/Palin approve of that?

[IndyReader]

I'm surprised the spokesman didn't throw in the "if he'd only had the 10 town hall meetings" in his rant.

[FromADistance]

I never considered John McCain qualified to be commander in chief. He's a warrior who served his country with honor but that doesn't make him qualified to be President of the USA. With the exception of "earmarks" John McCain has shown little interest in anything but the War. His choice and defense of Palin, saying she's qualified to be VP because she was governor of Alaska, an energy rich, sparsely populated state. This was supposed to give her the cherished "Executive Experience." George W had three times the amount of "Executive Experience" as a governor of Texas. The world knows how that turned out !!!

[jorge4u]

You guys and gals need to read this analysis by Time about the US attack on Syria soil:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20081027/wl_time/whatsbehindtheusmilitaryraidonsyria

[Smurfysax]

Well stated. This is yet another example why voting for the Republican ticket would be the worst possible course of action for anyone during this election. We truly need a transformative figure in the white house. I mean, God forbid if John McCain had a red button to push everytime he became angry or impulsive. We'd be at war with every body, fight, fight, fight, fight for this, fight for that, I will fight for you, I will fight... who the hell is he intending to fight? EVERYBODY & EVERYTHING!!!!

What a political nightmare he has become.

[Davwbaird]

I agree. He should get no press at all.

[bearcck]

And yet 43% of this country see it his way. We need better education in this country so more people can think past their nose. I guess McCain didn't get a good education ...or was he so busy being a maverick he didn't pay attention.

Somewhat should tax his words....so that he does not run off his mouth without thought. If he had applied himself he could be eloquent too, he just never bothered. And he will not bother now at 72....especially when he flatters himself that he knows everything.