McCain: Permanent Presence In Iraq Is Fine As Long As Iraqis Are The Ones Dying
By Logan Murphy Saturday Jan 05, 2008 10:05am
Download | play 
Download | play
We posted a video of Senator John McCain saying he'd be ok with the U.S. being in Iraq for 100 years, and during his appearance on Meet The Press this morning, McCain stood by that statement and was absolutely giddy about President Bush's surge.
As long as Americans aren't being wounded or killed, and it's the Iraqis who are fighting and dying, McCain believes that Americans are just fine with the United States having permanent bases there, and keeping a large military presence all over the world. He also points out that the Saudis didn't want our base in their country, but it's worth noting that Bin Laden was angered by our presence there as well -- but according to the Republicans in last night's debate, terrorism has nothing to do with American foreign policy.
McCain: " It's not American presence that bothers the American people, it's American casualties, and if Americans are safe wherever they are in the world, American people don't mind that. So, what I believe we can achieve is a reduction in casualties to the point where the Iraqis are doing the fighting and dying, we're supporting them, and over time then there will be the relation between the two countries."
Isn't that what's been happening for the past four years?
Login or Register to post comments.
Me no like McCain. He suck.
Maybe last night no one mentioned it, but Ron Paul's statements has been harping about blowback for a long time.
What a useless c*nt this guy is.
"It’s not American presence that bothers the American people, it’s American casualties"
Actually, I am quite bothered by the fact that we have bases all over the world. It is destroying our economy to pay for these things, and the blowback is enormous.
Why are the Muslims attacking America and our troops?
Its not "because they hate us for our freedom".
They want Americans out of the Holy Land. They have be saying this for a long time but no one wants to talk about it.
Too much money is being made by the war.
Wake up America, you've been played.
"Team" John McCain . . . (the men behind the curtain)
Richard Lee Armitage
Bernard Aronson
William L. Ball III
Stephen E. Biegun
Max Boot
Brig. Gen. Tom Bruner
Lorne W. Craner
Lawrence S. Eagleburger
Brig. Gen. Russ Eggers
Maj. Gen. Merrill Evans
Niall Ferguson
Michael J. Green
Gen. Alexander M. Haig
Maj. Gen. Evan "Curly" Hultman
Robert Kagan
Brig. Gen. Robert Michael Kimmitt
Henry A. Kissinger
Col. Andrew F. Krepinevich
William Kristol
Adm. Charles Larson
Robert "Bud" McFarlane
Brig. Gen. Warren "Bud" Nelson
Brig. Gen. Eddie Newman
Maj. Gen. John Peppers
Maj. Ralph Peters
Brig. Gen. Maurice Phillips
Gen. Colin L. Powell
James R. Schlesinger
Randy Scheunemann
Gary Schmitt
Lt. Gen. Brent Scowcroft
George P. Shultz
Brig. Gen. W.L. "Bill" Wallace
Maj. Gen. Gary Wattnem
R. James Woolsey
it looks like madman mc cain is the last best hope of the GOP.
Is it just me, or is McCain proposing that the US prop up an Iraqi dictatorship in the name of making Americans safe.
Sorry Senator, but wasn't that pretty much the status quo BEFORE the invasion. Well, we weren't actually propping up the dictator at the time of the invasion. We actually hadn't propped up that particular bloodthirsty dictator since the Reagan/Bush 1 years.
This sounds simply like a call for more welfare and handouts for the war class in America. One can even hear the athiests calling out "God help us!"
Take a good look at your next President. It looks like the media will elect McCain and Obama as our candidates to run against each other. Our sheepish electorate, both Democrats and Republicans will take the bait. Obama will never match up against McCain. They have already attacked Obamas foreign policy experience. Between now a next year a small terrorist attack will take place, and woola, there you have it President McCain! People don't pick Presidents anymore folks, the media does. What kills me is how stupid people are. The whole thing is a set up, and everyone is just going along and buying it!
Chris @ 7:
That worked well with the Shah in Iran, didn't it? Oh wait...isn't that when most of this virulent anti-Americanism and radicalism started? Nevermind.
Mr. bomb-bomb-bomb Iran isn't getting elected to anything.
John McCain is nuts. And so is anyone else who wants the US military to remain in Iraq indefinitely.
flatearth friedman @ 6:
Indeed, he satisfies their blood lust.
Since when is it appealing to see the US as permanent strongman enforcer in a volatile, unstable nation in perpetuity - with a goal of merely surviving (and siphoning off resources?) while lives of the people we've subjugated don't matter. What kind of bizarro reasoning makes people see McCain as the honest, reasonable candidate when he positions himself as a Bush/Cheney fascist?
In your guts, you know he's nuts.
I'll say it again. For christ sakes, McCain, give it up and go home. I'm right about the brain cells in a lot of old codgers. Myself included. If I babbled on like McCain, I'd be shipped off to the nearest rest home and given meds to just be a little bit lucid. McCain doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of being POTUS. The younger generation in this country will see to that.
McCain is the ultimate poster boy for how "out of touch" politicians are.....either that or he is batshit crazy...not sure
Rico @ 8:
god IS helping us.
During the 99-2000 campaign my thought was there's no way Bush Jr will even get past the primaries.
LOL McCain, the despised black sheep of the GOP is elevated only by the horrid quality of his competition. He is a warmongering, unstable personality. Talk about goopers holding their nose to vote against the hillbilly preacher, there is despair enough for all factions in the gooper tent. They are being forced to vote for an unelectable maniac.
I can't believe I used to have respect for this man. First, he starts showing up with Lieberman everywhere he goes, and now this! He must think Ron Paul is REALLY crazy for (correctly) stating that our bases in the middle east are a primary reason for their hatred of us. Surely he doesn't buy into Rudy's chump theory of hatred for freedom for women, etc. That's just insanity.....
If you have a few minutes to spare, check out my newest videos, brought to you by the republicans part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llIiNOFJ1NU (about 1 1/2 minutes)
and part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25wISP8-TVw (about 4 1/2 minutes)
Comments and ratings are appreciated
If he thinks the American people are good with troops and bases being there permanently, it shows just how out of touch he is with the people of our country. He is positively insane.
Sadly he's about all the Repubs have right now and I think his insanity will help Huckabee.
raker @ 14:
Isnt every candidate?
dont ALLpresidential candidates want to keep a strong military presence overseas?
I trust...in your guts...there all nuts!
Sany @ 9:
L.A. Confidential @ 5:
The MIC's reconnaissance team? And Russert, the propaganda feeder!
[deleted - feel free to take these to the open thread, this is off topic.]
McCain is dangerous, he is a warmongering idiot the things he's said about Iraq prove that. This guy finished 4th in Iowa, how is this corporate tool significant? Oh it's because he is a corporate tool of course. That doesn't mean he will win the nomination, voters decide that after all. Huckabee is who they are afraid of, Huckabee needs to win.
Diebold still going to be dominating the electronics in November?
Anyone on top of that situation?
We now would rather start wars that have some tangible benefits, namely oil rights, and will lie so brazenly and so unconvincingly to justify this that to any thinking person you would think this crop of Republicans are mentally unstable and consumed with thoughts of killing innocents, and they are. As long as they can hide behind terrorism they are free to terrorize
They shriek the message of fear, hatred and war because their party is made up almost entirely of sociopaths.
What a country.
Bush the Liar @ 4:
I agree with you but Ron Paul talks about it. Our politicians have a hard time understanding occupying another country tends to piss the people who live there off.
Rudy and Mitt last night missed Paul's point completely. If we believe in free trade why are we there? Wont a free market fix it all? And if the world sets the price of oil why are we offering protection with our tax dollars to benefit China and Europe?
This is why McCain will never be elected. He's just a damn nut job.
McCain seems to have the same affliction as bush. He too laughs at all the strangest unfunny times. I'm trying to figure out why they do that.
If McCain is the next president of our country we are all so f*cked. I mean, seriously. He isn't as evil as bush, but he's mentally unsound and that can be just as dangerous. Plus I'm betting he would ask Lieberman to be his veep. He almost owes him that.
L.A. Confidential @ 27:
Ohio spent 100 million since 2004 and their system is still easily corrupted, according to the Secretary of State's thousand page resport out last month.
He is advised by neocons.
Nuff said.
After watching that clip, I have to say that McCain is NOT batshit crazy.
We saw something like this in 2000 with Buchanan running as a Reform Party stalking horse to drive independants to the Repug party.
John McCain is a stalking horse! He is saying crazy things to keep the far right crazies engaged in the process.
BTW The surge only buys more time for BushCo LLC. Success does not equal permanent bases, 70% of Americans want to get the hell outta there.
odanny @ 32:
Thanks. I figured that might still be the case.
Here we go again.
This is one of the places where I do agree with Ron Paul. If we would keep our noses out of every other country's business, they wouldn't want to cut our noses off. When we get things right in our own country, then we can help other countries if they ask for our help. Right now we are in no position to tell anyone how they should conduct their business, because we are in a big mess.
L.A. Confidential @ 27:
By CLIVE THOMPSON
Published: January 6, 2008
Jane Platten gestured, bleary-eyed, into the secure room filled with voting machines. It was 3 a.m. on Nov. 7, and she had been working for 22 hours straight. “I guess we’ve seen how technology can affect an election,” she said. The electronic voting machines in Cleveland were causing trouble again.http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/magazine/06Vote-t.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
We need to lead by example, not push with bombs.
I am so happy that Sen. McCain has his finger on the pulse of the American people and KNOWS that we don't mind spending over a trillion dollars, long term, ruining our economy and neglecting the real issues that face this country for the rest of this century, just as long as our guys aren't getting blown up. I know he isn't exactlly a genius, but this oversimplification of what Americans think and need is absolutely insulting. I was glad to see Romney, who is truly an empty suit, fall in the polls. I guess that I forgot that when one guy falls, another rises.
So here's to whomever the Dems nominate. You've got my vote.
unfu--ingbelievable
L.A. Confidential @ 27:
a link, ..this time!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/06/magazine/06Vote-t.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewa...
If interfering in other countries pr4oduces this kind of result, no thanks McCain.
http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/010608a.html
If anybody is fighting and dying in anyplace that we control, because we have effectively colonized the place, that is unacceptable. It's bad enough that we are commiting crimes against humanity by waging wars of aggression for purposes of conquest and subsequent exploitation through de facto colonization. I wouldn't have thought we could sink any lower into abject moral bankruptcy until this morally bereft baboon opened his mouth.
John McCain,
Thanks for whatever honorable service you may have rendered long, long ago. But, now? It's time for you to go quietly into retriement. You are becoming a source of shame and embarrassment. Just go away, Dude. You are on the wrong side of history. You are on the wrong side of principle. You are on the wrong side of morality. Just go away.
pissed off patricia @ 31:
The strange and inappropriate smirking and laughing about war is the tip-off to any sane person that McCain and his ilk and certifiably insane.
After hearing this from McCain I wonder what a patriotic Iraqi would think or who they might he look towards for guidance.
Maybe these guys - I wonder what these guys would do in his position.
John Adams
John Dickinson
Benjamin Franklin
John Hancock
Patrick Henry
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
Samuel Adams
Alexander Hamilton
William Molineux
Thomas Paine
Paul Revere
Nathanael Greene
Nathan Hale
Francis Marion
James Mitchell Varnum
Joseph Bradley Varnum
George Washington
McCain: Giddy=> Crazy. On Stephanopoulis, Muckabee was doing his best to latch on to the rotting corpse of George Bush's war-without-end. Stephanoupoulis called him out via video tapes and Muck proved what a facile liar he is. Steph had him by the balls and it was marvelous to see! After Iowa, Muck is trying to move to the neocon side. So much for the "Christian Leader" Next he'll find biblical justification for waterboarding. Holy, holy, thank you Jesus.
Mad Hatter McCain strikes again.
He's a relic and it's time for him to disappear. Can't he and people of his ilk realize that that doesn't work anymore?? Idiot.
Kathy in St. louis @ 39:
You are a herd animal Kathy.go back to sleep. its not time to vote yet...
Sany @ 9:
If what you said is true about the media electing Obama and McCain. What is your solution?
No way the Village People will tolerate the Huckster. They WILL tolerate McCain however, if their first choice, the maleable Mittster doesn't make the grade. And just wait 'til all the kool-aid has been drunk and the Dem roster has been reduced to Barak singing "Kumbaya". That's when the gloves will come off and the ads with Clapton singing "Cocaine" over images of Obama and Willie Horton will be rolled out. You don't think that the repugs have let this pass, do you? Still think Barak is electable? And when all else fails there's always Diebold! Reality is a bitch ain't it?
calgarylady @ 44:
Sorry for the typo - need more coffee: "McCain and his ilk ARE certifiably insane". There, I feel better now.
milquetoast @ 49:
Lighten up. I agree with Kathy, it will be a cold day in hell before I trust another Repug.
McCain sounds like a true imperialist. Heck, I bet the British empire had the same slogan.
Radically Moderate @ 53:
Agreed..................
Sany at 9
I think you basically hit the nail on the head.
It's cool as long as Iraqis are the ones dying? Fuck you, McCain, you piece of shit. I hope you get hit by a truck.
Radically Moderate @ 53:
Sorry, just cant stand mindless partisanship...(just look at the mindless religious right and how they mindlessly vote republican!)
Im trying to provoke her non thinking brain (very dangerous) ....and i hope Kathy will now offer her opinion on her choice between edwards obama and hillary...
instead of her milquetoastattitude!
VietVet8666 @ 56:
I ask again. If what you say is true, what alternative do we have? I also wonder if what happened in Iowa was people driven or not.
Typical Repug approach to life . . . only Repugs are human and everyone else is expendable ESPECIALLY those non-christians.
Every time he says 'my friend' a cold chill goes up my spine. I think the man is just as psychotic as Bush himself. If he is installed as President, he will be another WarPig and probably make George look like a boyscout as far as continuing the policy of aggression. He brings up the American presence in Korea, Japan and Germany....NEWS FLASH.....they want our military there, the Iraqi People do not. The only entity in Iraq that wants an American presence is the installed government. One also has look at the fact that these foreign Governments came to rely on American dollars fueling their economies at one time. That could change. Now it's the other way around. Our dollars aren't worth the paper they are printed on any longer and our economy is relying on foreign money. Bush is borrowing money from anyone who will give to him. If this guy wins the prize I am definitely moving to Canada. He will continue the WarPigs domestic policy of governing through fear and intimidation and a foreign policy of aggression. McCain is a dangerous man.
milquetoast @ 58:
I think Obama or Edwards and even Hillary would be better then any repug. I am willing to take a small step on the plus side, instead of another for years in the wrong direction.
#9 -(People don't pick Presidents anymore, the media does.)
You are so right about that. It is such an obvious manipulation and I really don't see there is anything we can or will do about it before Nov. The GOP is so pathetic that McInsane is their final hope and the "liberal media" could possibly cheerlead him right into the WH. That will be made easier for them if either Hillary or Obama is our nominee. It would, I think, be a little harder if it was Edwards because they would finally have to cover him and the people would hear the message. I disagree that the American people are stupid but there is an abundance of ignorance (again, thanks to the media). Ignorance can be corrected.
governor @ 45:
at a minimum... a duel....
at the maximum..... lexington & concord
"It’s not American presence that bothers the American people, it’s American casualties...I believe we can achieve is a reduction in casualties to the point where the Iraqis are doing the fighting and dying"
The acme of the Ugly American.
I imagine a McCain administration would be every bit as astute in diplomacy as Dubya's has been.
I think it's also a little strange how he magically jumped ahead of the pack in the campaign. Talk about coming back from the dead.
This man goes from sometimes somewhat sane to absolutely crazy. I would love to hear about how a country occupies another during a civil war, yet does not suffer casualities. It is just a tad unrealistic.
JerryO @ 66:
He was reborn when his 90+ year old mother gave birth again.
Radically Moderate @ 53:
It will be a cold day in hell before I trust another politician.
I think if you asked em' Hillary and Obama and have exactly the same attitude as McCain...(expressed differently)...in the end its the same Repub or democrat...Military presence overseas will continue...regardless...
if you want war to end...
and you end up voting for Hillary or Obama...because it who the dems (and media) choose for you.
Well...thats just mindless partisanship
Completley heartless, sick comment from Mc Cain- but absolutley correct.
Seventy year old Senator "More-of-the-same" McCain dodders onto the scene, the biggest pygmie left standing, and clutches to the coattails of the Decider. "The SURGE," he cries, "The SURGE!" and the bombs keep exploding, and the death rate keeps rising.
One more year, no more.
Bush the Liar @ 4:
You are so right. I guess we don't get it because we don't care. McCain has been letting a very nasty side of him slip out lately. I hope he goes down in flames. I believe american citizens do care about the iraqi citizens, I do.
Steve - And sadly, you are correct. This is the America the rest of the world sees.
I have made this point over and over. Half the people of the US (who voted for Bush not once but twice) love ... and I mean LOVE Bush's policies. What they dont love is losing. McCain is going to insist that when the surge works - and it should reduce violence - that we will be winning. What he never says and those same 100 million americans dont care about is that the war was a crime from the beginning. In their minds if they win it was just and noble.
It took me a while to come to this understanding. Bush was appointed and stole elections ... AND ... Bush precisely represents the heart and soul of half of this country.
Its the US that should be partitioned not Iraq. Financially the blue states are carrying the rest of the country - I say that while living in Arizona, both red and a net importer of blue money. The red state 'values' (principles of theft and murder) are driving the expenditure of blue money. That either comes to an end at some point or the blues just become slaves. And I dont see - now that they have tasted blood - the reds ever relenting. They will never admit having made a mistake. They will never say they are sorry. They will never STOP trying to accomplish what they will insist they have accomplished now again in the future. How do you stop a group that wants to (and has in many cases) entirely subverted the political process and constitution to their will, religion and political preference without regard for the wishes of others - and at the expense of those very same others?
I dont see a pleasant future. Instant runoff paper ballot voting at the very least and that wont happen. Not even that. Why? The reds know it would mean their end. This may before its over devolve into open political warfare - assuming it hasnt already. Political and politically based arrests and prosecutions etc.
McCain and the others (including the corporatist democrats) do speak for america. Which is why those core issues - that speak to corporate and aristocratic wealth - will not change.
I watched PBS's House of Saud again last night. John, you should post this link to encourage people to watch.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4383835181717429209&q=house+of+s...
Sorry for the long post.
milquetoast @ 49:
Don't listen, Kathy, I feel the same way. Talk about herd animals, I just don't understand why anyone would want another Repug in the Whitehouse.
Until America allows other nations to have bases here, we should NOT have any bases in any other countries. Period.
When Temmeh got onto the subject of staying in Iraq for 100 years my blood began to boil. St. McCain said, well we've been in Japan for sixty years and have bases all around the world. My question has been and still is, why are we in Japan, Germany and other countries when they don't have bases in our country? What purpose does it serve draining our dollars from being put to better use here in America? This is exactly the point Ron Paul made yesterday while the rest of his fellow R'pubs snickered and made faces.
Why throw billions away if not trillions over the years into countries acting as the worlds policeman? Just doesn't make sense, when those dollars could be put to better use here at home in areas like education ad rebuiding a crumbling infrastructure.
capnmike @ 76:
It's asymetrical because its about empire not reason.
This nation will elect another white male Republican over a woman or African American any day no matter how corrupt the Republicans are. There is no doubt in my mind. The MSM has this next election all sewn up and has hedgeded there bets well. McCain vs corporate democrats like Obama or Hillary. Good going Dems!
A freak like McCain with his finger on the deployment button of a multi-warhead tactical nuclear weapons? McCain is a child who never grew-up and stopped playing with his military toys. I would be very afraid of what he would do if he were to be President with his misguided infantile views of the world and where the US resides in it.
Sany @ 79:
Well said.
Concerned American @ 80:
I live in Arizona. McCain isnt well understood. He isnt a child (although I understand why you say that). He, like Bush, is an aristocrat - a child of influence and privilege. His dad was an admiral, His grandfather was an admiral etc. He was supposed to be an admiral (he was a captain which is a high rank in the Navy) when he was taken prisoner. He received the press he received BECAUSE he was a child of privilege. (Others didnt - or can you name ONE other prisoner other than McCain).
One of his sons is either set to graduate of just graduated from Annapolis. You can expect him to become an admiral as well.
anon @ 82:
Exactly!
Joe O. @ 54:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/American_progress.JPG
That's the goddess Columbia leading the settlers across the country. One can imagine the same goddess leading the USA around the world.