McCain Gaffe Alert: Iran

It is looking increasingly like John McCain really knows nothing about Iran, despite wanting to bomb them.

Yesterday, in his big non-proliferation speech, McCain took his gaffes to a new level. He actually invented 20 years of negotiations between the United States and Tehran. In his speech, McCain said:

"Today, some people seem to think they've discovered a brand new cause, something no one before them ever thought of. Many believe all we need to do to end the nuclear programs of hostile governments is have our president talk with leaders in Pyongyang and Tehran, as if we haven't tried talking to these governments repeatedly over the past two decades."

McCain has clearly forgotten what Max Bergmann points out: The stated policy of the United States since April 7, 1980 has been that we don't talk to the Iranians. Never has the United States had communications, or tried to have communications, with the Iranian government on their nuclear program. Iran's nuclear communications have been limited to working through the European Union (led by France and Germany, countries John McCain has referred to as "vacuous" and "posturing").

Taken with his other many gaffes on Iran (repeated Sunni/Shia screw up, the use of Khamenei and Ahmajinedad interchangeably) there should be real questions about whether McCain has any knowledge of US-Iranian relations. Given that this one was in his prepared text, it also makes you wonder what his foreign policy team actually knows about Iran. For a man running for President on his foreign policy aptitude such confusion should sound alarm bells.

So to review John McCain's policy toward Iran:
1) He thinks that there is no difference between Sunni and Shia.
2) He thinks that Khamenei and Amajenadad are the same.
3) He thinks we've been talking to them for 20 years.
4) He thinks we should "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran."

Three of his stated beliefs are simply false. The fourth is simply reckless and is a clear display that John McCain is more extreme than Bush on the issue conservatives would like you to believe is the biggest threat facing America today.

Follow Moira Whelan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mdub12

Comments

[wbramh]

Excuse this semi- flippant post (I'm getting depressed), but speaking of stirring the wrong opponents...
Where does McCain stand on the Dunkin Donuts TV spot that got pulled because..(I can't even say it)?
I'm concerned, because along with my current mortgage payments I also can't afford to spend six dollars a cup at Starbucks.

[Kashathree]

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"It is looking increasingly like John McCain really knows nothing about Iran, . . ."

----or anything else.

[realpolitic]

If the McCain gaffes get any wilder he will soon sound like George Bush. If McCain or Bush want something to be true they just say it is and move on.

[AmericanSinceFeb08]

I guess Repubs can talk to Iran (through a back door), but when Obama wants to go to the front door, it is... you know. (almost sounds like appeasement going through the back door, I want to be your friend, but do not tell any one).

[whisperswen]

all administration talk to all nations in some form, mostly behind closed doors, but you don't get the president until it's earned. why elevate an Iranian muppet so he can gloat

[GBeer]

McCain (and Hillary) fault Obama for lack of exprience. But good judgement is at least as important, and Obama's is excelent! And, what good is experience anyway if one can not learn from it. By his recent remarks we can see that McCain has not learned anything from experience.

[whisperswen]

what good judgment??? Obama says he was against the war, but then again he never had to vote on it so had he been in congress instead of just class president maybe he would have voted yes like so many in congress. What are his other good judgments? His pastor, his church..the ones hhe could not disavow as a part of his life? OOOPS....till yesterday when he figured he would because of what he has always detested..­.POLITICS.­..faker

[gevan]

Iran is chock full of Shites, yes?

[Oldtt]

Interesting article on the recent history of US backdoor diplomatic efforts with Iran in the WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121193151568724469.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

Based on this article, there have been efforts made over the last three decades, so maybe McCain is referring to these rather than making another insane claim.

[WIpatriot]

This is an "opinion" piece. Efforts refer to Iran being treated as a nation-state or as a revolutionary cause.

[mnyegele]

Galt907's comment says it all. McCain touts his experience. His experience is a disaster. We do not need such mental incompetence in the White House.

[Gene1]

After 25 years of serving as a Senator, has it ever occurred to Sen. McCain that there’s no black republican Senator. That’s a tragedy. Being a “straight talker” can’t he address issues like that instead of surrounding himself with lobbyists?
I can’t believe it that Sen. McCain won’t appear in the public with President Bush but will engage him in private fundraising away from reporters. Hypocrisy is a disease.
Sen. McCain, you can’t run away from President Bush as long as you have Joe Lieberman. He’s President Bush’s political clone.
Courage is said to be “not freedom from fear but the ability to move ahead in the midst of fear.” Senator McCain do you have the political courage to campaign together with President Bush? Yes or No.
Senator McCain, be straight with American people. Are you President Bush or against him? President Bush is beloved in Africa. He is not a political mistress. You can’t distance yourself from him in the public and then use him to raise funds privately. If he’s radio active for your campaign, please leave him alone. You can’t eat your cake and still have it. I thought you’re a, “straight talker!”

Sen. McCain, select Joe Lieberman as your running mate. Since both of you are yet to see any wars that you don’t love. For the rest of us, wars destroy lives, destroy families and sink resources.

[Galt907]

Republicans want to rewrite History to give Reagan credit for the fall of the Soviet Union. Without getting into the merits of that argument, didn't he, when President, meet regularly with the Soviet leader?

Perhaps a leader like Barack Obama who has no previous experience, is better than one such as McCain who seems to have all the wrong experience?

[Johnjlws]

I'm curious as to what it is people believe is going to be accomplished by pointing out John McCain's idiocy, unlike GW's, is cloaked by a more polished public persona.

We've been at war in Iraq for longer than we were at war in WWII; spent a trillion dollars; lost over 4,000 of "America’s finest." There isn’t an end in sight and there is talk of expanding into Iran. A resolution on Iran that was exactly the same as the one allowing Bush to invade Iraq was passed by Congress and McCain voted for this measure. Largely because of this war our economy is in the toilet, gas prices are spiraling up, food prices are following them and all the rich people througout the land are making more money than God because not only does this economy favor them and this redistribution of wealth, but GW and now McCain want to cut their taxes more, so they can "reinvest" even more of their income into our national war machine. Our infrastructure is crumbling and McCain thinks a "gas tax holiday" will help.

And, we have articles that point to fact that McCain doesn't know some stuff about Iran and somehow that's going to make the critical difference when a Hillary (or Obama) supporter goes to the poll and says "well, I wasn't going to vote for Obama because Hillary's my candidate, but McCain messed up that Shia thing on Iran, so I'm thinking I'm going with Obama." Sheeeet.

[DavieB36]

‘The effective Presidents of the twentieth century all won nomination over the prostrate bodies of the party bosses. New ideas gain access to politics through hard-to-control reformers like Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, FDR, JFK, and in his own peculiar way Ronald Regan. These men were leaders who took their parities away from the bosses and remolded them in their own images. Bosses are responsive to local interest and local boodle; reformers, to national concerns and national aspirations.”
–Arthur M Schlesinger Jr.

[ofbbg]

You can't be real !! Theodore Roosevelt was the poster boy for American Imperialism and a Progressive of the kind that brought us eugenics. Woodrow Wilson was a pompous, self-righteous racist and believer in eugenics who brought the first Fascist government to the world in the U.S. FDRs "policies" were just a re-hash of Wilsons and delayed economic recovery until European demands for war materials caused massive job growth. JFK died before he could leave a lasting mark, but the one good thing he did do was lower taxes! Don't see Dems doing THAT too often. Oh, yeah, and Vietnam. Reagan (once a Roosevelt Democrat) watched his old party moving farther and farther left and, thankfully, jumped off the sinking ship.

[gevan]

Roosevelt.­..Iran...H­a! Look up Kermit Roosevelt, Jr. and Operation Ajax. See what TR's grandkid did for Churchill and the good ol' USA.

[Appleness]

McCain can learn from Pastor John Hagee everything he needs to know about why he needs to bomb Iran. Hagee has trouble telling the diference between the Jews and the Israelites, but thats OK we can afford itif it's a deductible contribution to a church. Just ask the IRS, more knowledgeable consultants.

[wmholt]

By the way, it's no big deal, but it's spelled Ahmadinejad, at least that's what his official blog says. And no, I'm not kidding:

http://www.ahmadinejad.ir/

He's all wrapped up in American Idol (okay, I am kidding about that).

Did you hear McCain pronounce Mr. Ahm-a-dinn­er-jacket'­s name? He said "Achmadinejad". That's not the same guy, Senator McCain.

[Timma]

I'd love to believe McCain's as dense as evidence seems to suggest. However I wonder if playing dumb is somehow a strategy. After all McCain, unlike the Dems, has all the time in the world to make us think he's this or that. Until Clinton leaves the Dem primaries McCain can pretty much do as he pleases with little or no impugnity.