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Subscribe to RSSFormer Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and 2008 presidential nominee Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., will present the Republican case on national security and foreign policy to the Republican National Convention Wednesday evening. In a campaign dominated by the economy, jobs and the proper role of government, foreign policy has not been a featured issue but Rice and McCain will attempt to draw contrasts between the Republicans and President Obama.
Mary Altaffer / AP
A reporter, left, tries to interview Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., as he walks the floor of the Republican National Convention, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in Tampa, Fla.
In a speech Wednesday morning to the Ohio delegation, Rice hit some themes she may reprise in her convention address.
“When the United States is not feeling strong and confident at home, it shows abroad,” she said. “And when the United States is not willing to speak with a robust voice for free peoples and free markets, the world is a pretty chaotic place. And so the rebuilding of America here at home and the rebuilding of an American voice abroad is really right at the core of what we have to accomplish, and Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are the people to do that.”
Both Rice and McCain advocated the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein -- Rice was President George W. Bush’s national security adviser at that point. The presence of Rice and McCain on the platform Wednesday night will be a reminder of the costs of the prolonged U.S. military deployment in Iraq.
J. Scott Applewhite / AP
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice looks over the main stage during a sound check at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012.
Next Thursday night at their convention in Charlotte, N.C., the Democrats will also highlight foreign policy and national security, with the focus likely to be on the killing of Osama bin Laden and the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Iraq, and President Barack Obama’s planned troop drawdown in Afghanistan.
The Democrats’ 2004 presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., whom Republicans mocked in 2004 for his vacillating support for the Iraq war, will be the featured speaker.
Economic malaise and not national security has so far been the dominant theme of the 2012 campaign, but to the degree that voters pay attention to foreign affairs and national security, Romney and the Republicans find themselves in an unaccustomed position: for most of the years from 1972 to 2004, Republican presidential candidates enjoyed an advantage over Democrats on national security.
But this fall Romney is running against a Democratic president who seems to be proving that the United States doesn’t need to garrison 150,000 troops for a multi-year stay in an Arab country in order to have a robust national security and counterterrorism policy.
Mostly dispensing with the need for “boots on the ground,” Obama has made it standard policy to use drones to kill terrorist suspects, even U.S. citizens living abroad such as Muslim cleric and champion of violent jihad Anwar al-Awlaki who was in Yemen last year when a U.S. drone killed him.
Obama’s targeted killing policy has drawn protests from the likes of Rep. Ron Paul, R- Texas, but not from most Americans or most members of Congress.
“We’re fighting them over there so that we don’t have to fight them over here,” was the refrain of Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush in making the case for his intervention in Iraq. Obama is showing that “fighting them over there” doesn’t necessarily require Marines and Army soldiers running the risks of IEDs and ambushes.
In the most recent NBC News/ Wall Street Journal poll, conducted Aug. 16 to Aug. 20, 54 percent of respondents approved of Obama’s handling of foreign policy.
Even the survey done last week by Republican pollster Whit Ayes for the group Resurgent Republic indicates that a plurality of people, 39 percent, think America is safer from terrorists under Obama than it was in January 2009 when he became president. Only 20 percent said America is less safe from terrorist attack now than it was in 2009.
Given this data, it seems that the two former advocates for the Iraq war speaking tonight at the Tampa convention may not be exactly aligned with the 2012 electorate. It will be interesting to see if either of them gives Obama some credit for his drone policy.
Although Bush will be making a brief appearance via video at Wednesday night’s session of the convention, Bush’s “freedom doctrine” seems to have faded from the public’s awareness.
“As Americans, we believe that people everywhere -- everywhere -- prefer freedom to slavery, and that liberty, once chosen, improves the lives of all,” Bush declared in 2005. He said, “The seeds of freedom have only recently been planted in Iraq, but democracy, when it grows, is not a fragile flower; it is a healthy, sturdy tree.”
Now seven years after Bush said those words and after a costly American investment of lives and money, events in Iraq indicate that democracy and respect for political opponents aren’t “healthy” or “sturdy’ in Iraq. More than 300 people died in car bombings and other Sunni-versus-Shia violence in Iraq last month. And many Americans have stopped paying attention to Iraq. So at the very least the Bush freedom doctrine is no longer serving as an inspirational appeal.
Romney has said the Defense Department bureaucracy is “bloated to the point of dysfunction,” but he has also called for a larger Navy – increase the shipbuilding rate from nine per year to fifteen per year – and for building a ballistic missile defense system. But this additional cost would bump up against the need for fiscal restraint.
The foreign policy challenge that may be most daunting to either Obama or Romney may be Iran’s attempts to develop nuclear weapons.
Romney predicted in March that if Obama were elected to a second term, “Iran will have a nuclear weapon and the world will change.”
Voters must weigh how much an Iranian nuclear arsenal might threaten the United States, and whether they believe that Romney, Obama -- or perhaps neither one of them -- would be able to deter, persuade or use force to prevent the Tehran regime from getting nuclear weapons.
Romney said in March that Obama had failed to communicate that military options are “on the table and in fact in our hand,” although Obama and his spokesman have said a U.S. military response is one possibility if Iran is on the brink of getting nuclear weapons.
NBC’s Andrew Rafferty contributed to this report.
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I'm hoping people are so jaded with the GOP they won't even watch.
THIS SHOULD BE rich! Watching Jhon McCAin telling us that he knows better than President Obama about the war, just like he knew better when he picked Sarah Palin. After all, he was one of the promoters of the asinine WAR IN IRAQ.
Jhon McCain has ALWAYS being on the side of continuing thte unprovoked WARS that the GOP started. He, Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to cut your Medicare and Social Security, but in return they promise to send your sons and daughters to WAR to IRAN, instead of Mit's precious little darlings, that are "On a mission from God, helping daddy getting elected"
McCain and Rice??? That is the best they can do? One who got shot down in Vietnam and the other who was "on watch" when 9/11 happened and got us into years of war...make that two wars.....with no plan to get out of either one? Oh...yeah...weapons of mass destruction. LOL! Not even the rest of the world bought into that with millions upon millions pouring into the streets of Europe protesting against Bush and Co. And as a veteran of the Iraq War, I can say with first hand experience that those protestors turned out to be right!!! Rice should be in jail for lying out her teeth the Karl Rove talking points of "mushroom clouds" over our cities in order to scare the public opinion into war in Iraq! McCain is just a blowhard. The "Maverick" who should have been put in his stall for good years ago! GOP is a flat out joke, ruining this country and having the audacity to take us back to the same damn policies that got us into our messes today! Of course, anything is possible. W got re-elected in 2004, one of the saddest days of my life. So I would not put it past this country to elect these a$$es again to finish off this country once and for all. Good Luck America and Good Night!
Wow did you really just show disdain for McCain's Vietnam service?
Let's see this would be Condi Rice who knew we were going to be attacked by our own airlines but didn't alert them because " we didn't know how and were afraid it would cause panic." Or the Condi Rice who said that there was good information about WMD's in Iraq after having been told there was no way a WMD could be delivered using the metal tubes she listed? That Condi Rice?
Or John McCain - "our economy isn't in trouble," McCain?
Yeah - those are two I'd have headlining a convention - a convention of clowns. Wait, that's where they're speaking! My bad!
Obama/Biden 2012
Watch what???
Let me guess McCain and Rice would:
1- Bomb Iran
2- Resurrect Bin Laden and put him back to work.
3- Triple the defense budget
4- Eliminate all those horrible programs like Social Security.
5- Declare war on China.
6- Declare war on Russia
7- And for good measure declare war on the rest of the world.
Am I the only one fed up with these #$$&^*&$ and their lies?
This country is in real big trouble if you people really believe Comrade Obama is doing a good job. We are currently witnessing the biggest failure in presidential history.
Save America and Vote for the Americans Romney/Ryan 2012
I don't care how many doctorates Ms Rice may posses, she is nothing more than a Black figurehead for the Republicans to trot out at functions much like the Von Trapp family run the children in to say goodnight...it is great entertainment but brings nothing to the table.
And McCain is a tired old warhorse that is an angry loser of the 2008 bloodbath and had no daddy to run to the SCOTUS and bribe them to get his little boy in office.
As if we don't already know what the foreign policy standings are of Condoleezza "Mushroom Cloud" Rice and John "bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran" McCain.
Obama/Biden 2012
Jesus Cromwell
Love your view on blacks. I guess they are good enough for democrats to represent.. because they care about the issues and opinions that affect blacks.
Until.
Said black is right leaning and have different opinions/views for the nation, then they are nothing more than a figurehead.
TO: Martha-2024651 who wrote:
You bet we have.
President Obama and "a few good men" got together and took out terrorist Osama Bin Laden, who had successfully eluded Republicans for eight solid years, but some folks think Bin Laden had more than just dumb luck helping him escape our troops.
Democrats don't let the bad guy get away!
Obama/Biden 2012
I actually pity the Republican party when all they can muster in the foreign policy arena are Condoleezza Rice, Ineffectual Secretary of State to the Bungler in Chief, and John (Bomb, Bomb, Bomb -- Bomb, Bomb Iran) McCain.
Yeah, Rice's opinion on WMD and Nation Building in Iraq with no provision in the Federal Budget to do any of this was a real winner for our Country.
If this election were about foreign policy, it would be over already. Romney would win in a landslide. Comrade Obama is nothing but an apologist for what he thinks is American exceptionalism.
Save America Vote for the Americans Romney/Ryan 2012
When Condi Rice represented the U.S., foreign governments had a dim view us. Compare that with the high opinion that foreigners have of the U.S. now.
Macdeezy, As you said, "I'm hoping people are so jaded with the GOP they won't even watch." tells a lot about how you make uninformed decisions. A liberal and the truth is as divided as our country, right now. Louie, Sometimes it's not about how the world views us. We spend too much money on places that hate us. Condi Rice was and is a class act.
TO: Brian-NOBAMA who wrote:
Why, because Republicans are so anxious to go back to their warmongering ways?
Obama/Biden 2012
Obama is responsible for escalating the Afgan war raising troop levels 10-fold at an additional cost of One Trillion Dollars or so, and counting, and the death toll on American soldiers went over 2000 last week. Yes, a very elderly Bin Laden was caught sleeping with his multiple wives on an Afgan military post in a small white house with running water, and blown away by crack troops.
Bush was adept enough to keep America out of Afganistan, relatively speaking.
Sorry but thats not going to happen.If anything Romney and Ryan are Inspiring and Energizing People (like me) who are in a Bad way by Telling People that there is Hope for a better Tomarrow,just not with Hollywood Obama and his Tax and Spend Minions.
Yes, his Foreign Policy experience is limited to sending jobs to Foreign Countries as well as his money. He is a one term Governor and no other Political expertise whatsoever. He has no relationships in Congress. He has nothing but the promise of some old Republicans who might help, but for the most part when the Tea Party sees how inexperienced he really is the Empty Suit will be set ablaze along with our Nation.
Hey, Condi and McCain can fill in the voids for Romney's grasp of foreign affairs. He only knows things about the Caymans and Switzerland.
TO: Brian-NOBAMA who wrote:
Republicans wouldn't know what a "good job" looked like if it kicked their butts all around the block.
When was the last time a Republican did a "good job" at anything other than lying us into war?
Obama/Biden 2012
To John McCain,
Sir you should retire . . collect your pension and get lost from politics. Some of us Americas have had enough of your nonsense. We need some change and new blood . . . sorry, your not it. Goodbye and good luck on the golf course.
Relatively speaking? Oh my God, you have me rolling with this one. Son, how old are you and what History books have you been reading. It was Bush and his NeoCons that sent the Bulk of our forces in there at the beginning.
Time for bed Scotty...
Louie B
High opinion foreigners have of Americans? Really? Have you traveled? Outside of the USA? They ALL want to be like us, but they have no respect for Comrade Obama.
Save America Vote for the Americans Romney/Ryan 2012
TO: The Audacity of Hype who wrote:
Hey! When Republicans are talking "inspiration", they're not talking to you.
Republicans are NOT into "helping the poor", they're into "helping themselves".
Obama/Biden 2012
Here is an example of Obama's image in the rest of the world, from a CNN article.
Europeans have had a four-year love affair with Barack
Obama: 87 percent of Germans, 86 percent of French and 80 percent of the
British have confidence in Obama, according to a 2012 poll by the Pew Research
Center’s Global Attitudes project. In each case this is higher than public
confidence in their own national leader. And 92 percent of the French, 89
percent of the Germans and 73 percent of the British want Obama reelected.
In the long run, if Romney wins, none of this may matter,
as Europeans get to know him. But, in the short run, it could matter. A 2005
Pew Research Center survey found that in Britain, France, Germany, Spain and
the Netherlands, strong majorities said the 2004 re-election of George W. Bush
led them to have a less favorable opinion of the United States. A newly-elected
Romney administration may have to contend with a similar European reaction if
the popular Obama is defeated in what will come to a surprise to many of them.
But an Obama defeat may not play as poorly in the Middle
East – in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia – where a median of only 29
percent approve of Obama and a median of just 25 percent want him reelected.
Elsewhere, foreign reaction to an Obama defeat could be
mixed. In Asia, 74 percent of Japanese have a favorable view of the current
U.S. president and 66 percent want him reelected. But Obama’s popularity is
only 38 percent in China and only 31 percent there want him to get another
term.
Similarly, in Latin America, while 68 percent of
Brazilians like Obama and 72 percent want him reelected, only 42 percent of
Mexicans are well disposed toward the current U.S. president and just 35
percent hope he has a second term.
Foreign expectations of the next American leader can, in
part, be discerned from their current policy preferences and their judgment of
the Obama foreign policy
Obama's image is a lot better around the world today, than the fool the Republicans elected twice, named George Bush. Imagine someone who voted for Bush twice, thinking they are bright enough to critisize Obama. Those people should lose their right to vote, based on their supreme stupidity.
@Irespond....
What kind of idiot are you. Let see McCain is a graduate of the Naval Academy and a former naval fighter pilot during the Viet Nam War. I would say hands down he know more about fighting a war than the current president. I'm sure that Obama never took a course in military anything at Columbia or Harvard.
Now maybe his community activism job in the Chicago War Zone gave some practical knowledge or talking to some of his underground friends prepared him for war planning. Could have come from his dream state while on drugs might have given him insite into the art of war but I don't think so.
Now the real choice, Palin vs Biden. Gaffer Joe was a fantastic choice. They won't let the guy out any more. He is known now as "Stay at Home Joe".
Your post do nothing but discredit people who have valid points to make. If you can't do a better job posting than just read please.
Brian Nobrain was seen spewing:
Thanks for the laugh, but the worst president in U.S. history according to the polls was G. Bush Jr.
TO: commonsense53 who wrote:
@Irespond....
When, 50 years ago?
Obama/Biden 2012
Hey CommonSense, maybe take your own advice?
People that still refer to our President as a community organizer are just showing their ass... He became something McCain never will, President of the United States.
You don't get out much do ya?
Obama is a laughing stock. He is regarded as weak and ineffectual. The general populace of some countries may like him as a celebrity but check on how he is viewed by world leaders. You don't pay much attention to the Middle East do you? Obama isn't a world leader, he is a placator and a rabble rouser. Remember his little speech in Cairo and now you have the Muslim Brotherhood running the show along with Al Quaeda in Libya, Yemen, Lebanon etc.
Recently the Labor party in Britain took a page out of Obama's 'eat the rich' playbook and oddly enough, it didn't go over too well. Then again, global banks are very fond of him, he doesn't go after them or send the little lapdog aka: Holder after them and that's on the heels of the Libor scandal, MF Global and JPMorgan. World leader? Sorry, but the American president isn't elected by Europeans, Middle Easterners et al and his role isn't running their countries, his role is to lead America and to date all he really leads in is campaigning.
You may worship at his fount and think that being a community organizer qualifies someone to operate on the world stage, most intelligent people would disagree with you.
I am still waiting for somebody to bring home those long steel tubes supposedly used by Saddam Hussein as long range cannons and shown by Collin Powell in his infamous PowerPoint presentation to the UN delegates while making his case for US led Iraqi invasion in 2012. Perhaps Ms. Rice and Senator McCain will display those steel tubes in the convention as Iraq war trophies.
And that qualifies him for being a "good speaker"about the WAR?
What kind of idiot are you....That only qualifies him to be a warmonger...
Ray in Jax was seen pleasuring truck drivers in the back of a VW for a ham sandwich.
Instead, we are "enlighted" by the brilliance of the GOP speakers: Nikki Healey, that CUT the funding to victims of rape and domestic abuse.
Rick Santorum, that HATES Mitt Romney, and has NOTHING NICE TO SAY ABOUT HIM. Instead, he just trashes Obama
Chris Christie, that believes in Romney more than Romney bellieves in himself
Ann Romney, that has NEVER worked one day of her life, and is telling "how much"she suffered throughout the years.
Condolezza Rice, that failed to see that the CIA was WRONG about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
ETC ETC....Brings "tears" to my eyes.
Not as fond as they are of Mitt Romney...You are ridiculous
No effing kidding. Someone needs to put muzzles on these two. We need another war like we need a case of hemorrhoids. And for saying completely asinine, idiotic things like:
........yeah. We've been around that block a few times before, haven't we?? Look how THAT turned out. LOL!
Your ignorance speaks volumes. The discussion was about foreign policy, not abortion or Ann Romney. As to the intelligence, where were you when it was revealed that all the countries followed the same information and in fact revealed said information to the intelligence agencies? Perhaps you missed the informant who later claimed to have deliberately lied.
Then, look at Syria, Obama is claiming they have WMD's, where is he getting that information? Flawed information can lead to all sorts of problems and who is to say that Obama's intelligence is accurate? Think because it is Obama that suddenly the intelligence is immaculate? Please.
You cannot dispute the assertions of Obama's status and world leaders so instead you have to toss out strawmen argument and deflectionary chaff.
scott-579755
Obama is responsible for escalating the Afgan war raising troop levels 10-fold at an additional cost of One Trillion Dollars or so, and counting, and the death toll on American soldiers went over 2000 last week. Yes, a very elderly Bin Laden was caught sleeping with his multiple wives on an Afgan military post in a small white house with running water, and blown away by crack troops.
Bush was adept enough to keep America out of Afganistan, relatively speaking.
********************************************
THERE YOU GO AGAIN, REWRITING HISTORY
DID YOU REALLY EFFING WRITE THIS??? Bush was adept enough to keep America out of Afganistan, relatively speaking.
OMG...
It was BUSH that sent us there in the first effing place...
Then as he turned his attention to the ILLEGAL INVASION OF IRAQ, he forgot all about Afganistan..
YOU=unbelieveably sheeple like
mygirl1,
"Obama is a laughing stock. He is regarded as weak and ineffectual. The general populace of some countries may like him as a celebrity but check on how he is viewed by world leaders."
But it was a Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, who advised, "Speak softly and carry a big stick". I think it is Obama who has been following that advice better than Bush did. Obama speaks softly, but he is not afraid of using military force when he sees it as being necessary, as he has shown on many occasion. But he does not use it recklessly. Modern day Republicans do not follow the advice of their predecessor very well. They are all about bluster and not speaking softly which course is more likely to get us into unnecessary wars.
TO: scott-579755 who wrote:
And you were so proud with George "Curveball" Bush did the same thing in Iraq.
Obama/Biden 2012
mygirl1
Your ignorance speaks volumes. The discussion was about foreign policy, not abortion or Ann Romney. As to the intelligence, where were you when it was revealed that all the countries followed the same information and in fact revealed said information to the intelligence agencies? Perhaps you missed the informant who later claimed to have deliberately lied.
Then, look at Syria, Obama is claiming they have WMD's, where is he getting that information?
**********************************************
YOU are FOS
BUSH KNEW THE "INTELLIGENCE WAS A LIE, ALL OF HIS SENIOR STAFF KNEW THE "INTELLIGENCE" WAS A LIE, ENGLAND KNEW THE "INTELLIGENCE" WAS A LIE....
Even the people of other countries KNEW that Saddam had NO WMDs.....
Imagine sitting across from Saddam Hussein every day
for nearly seven straight months—slowly earning his trust, getting him to spill
secrets on everything from whether he gave the order to gas the Kurds (he did)
to whether he really did have weapons of mass destruction on the eve of war (he
didn’t). All the while gathering information that would ultimately be used to
prosecute the deposed dictator in an Iraqi court.
That was the job of FBI Special Agent George Piro,
who told his story Sunday, January 27, on the TV news program 60 Minutes.
Soon after U.S. special forces pulled Saddam out of
a spider hole on December 13, 2003, the CIA—knowing the former dictator would
ultimately have to answer for his crimes against the Iraqi people—asked the FBI
to debrief Hussein because of our longstanding work in gathering statements for
court.
That’s when we turned to Piro, an
investigator on our terrorism fly team who was born in Beirut and speaks Arabic
fluently. Piro was supported by a team of CIA analysts and FBI agents,
intelligence analysts, language specialists, and a behavioral profiler
Piro knew getting Saddam to talk wouldn’t be easy.
He prepped by carefully studying the former dictator’s life so he could better
connect with Saddam and more easily determine when he was being honest. It
worked: during the first interview on January 13, 2004, Piro talked about
Saddam’s four novels and Iraqi history, which impressed Hussein. Saddam asked
for Piro to come back.
From that day forward, everything Piro did was
designed to build an emotional bond with Saddam and to get him to talk
truthfully. To make Hussein dependent on him and him alone, Piro became
responsible for virtually every aspect of his life, including his personal
needs. He always treated Saddam with respect, knowing he would not respond to
threats or tough tactics. As part of his plan, Piro also never told Hussein that
he was an FBI field agent, instead letting him believe, for the sake of building
credibility, that he was a high-level official who reported directly to the
President.
It took time. Piro spent five to seven hours a day
with Saddam for months, taking advantage of every small opportunity that
presented itself, including listening to Hussein’s poetry. Eventually, Saddam
began to open up.
Among Saddam’s revelations:
weapons of mass destruction in the months leading up to the war because he
feared another invasion by Iran, but he did fully intend to rebuild his WMD
program.
Piro told 60 Minutes that Saddam considered Usama bin
Laden “a fanatic” and a threat who couldn’t be trusted.
miscalculating President Bush and President Bush’s intentions,” Piro said,
thinking the war would be more like the shortened air campaign of the Gulf
War.
widely believed, thinking no one could really play his part.
Kuwait in 1990 following an insulting comment by one of its emirs.
FROM SADDAMS OWN MOUTH HE ADMITS HE DIDNT HAVE WMDs
AS FAR AS SYRIA GOES, IT IS A FACT that they have CHEMICAL weapons...AND have threatened to use them
I’ve long thought that the fate of these weapons would be the issue that could propel the United States and the West into acting in Syria whether they want to or not. For better or worse, we simple cannot afford to let those weapons fall into the hands of terrorists or other unsavory forces, spurred into action in part because of the concerns of friendly Arab nations as well as Israel. Indeed, earlier this month Jordan’s King Abdullah described the Syrian chemical weapons issue as something that concerns everyone in the region:
I agree with the original comment, it's all a bunch of noise paid for by "Enter your Donation-Buddy" and I hope nobody watches. Let them spend millions shouting at themselves! It's already over, the Romney/Ryan ticket is DOA.
Obama has spoken so softly that Iran is getting a nuclear weapon. They have tons of weapons grade uranium according to the UN weapons inspectors. Obama is keeping the US in Afghanistan and making the Taliban our 'friends' while they continue their butchery. He has all but destroyed relations with Pakistan, a nuclear armed country of over 180 million people and his relations with Putin are like that of a chess master against a rank beginner and Obama isn't the master on that particular board.
He is using the WMD excuse for Syria and the only thing holding him back is the deplorable state of the economy, we simply cannot afford another war, especially with the budget cuts the democrats want to pull on the military. You all can keep up the hero worship, the world, however, holds no such adoration.
Dan: you have cut and pasted and given no reference to your information. Interesting that the one ascribed quote from the 60 minute interview confirms the faulty information. Additionally, Saddam did indeed use 'doubles' as have most dictators including Hitler and Stalin.
Nowhere do you explain how Assad got hold of those weapons, BTW, it was assumed by the Bush admimistration that Saddam did indeed move WMD's across the border into Syria, but nothing definite was proven.
"Fear to paranoia and panic is our friend, The Dark Side of The Force is strong."
mygirl, you forgot, no, on purpose you didnt include...
The charge of weakness will be difficult to make stick. As Obama's team will endlessly remind us, he is the man who sent in a combat team to kill Osama bin Laden and who has ruthlessly pounded al-Qaeda camps in Pakistan with drone strikes.
The irony is that there are serious criticisms that can be made of Obama's handling of foreign affairs. But the real problem is not that he is weak. It is that he has overpromised and underdelivered.
We know all about McCain and the republicans trying to get us into another war in Libya, then Iran and now Syria. The profits for their financial supporters would increase with the start of more wars just like Iraq and Afghanistan increased their profits. It is ill be interesting to hear Rice as I have no idea what new spin she will put on things? More wars too? Ike told the party to beware of the "Military Industrial Complex." Well, they now control the republican party!
we simply cannot afford another war
AND YET, Romney is calling for WAR WITH IRAN
And the republicans brought us close to economic ruin at the end of bushwhackers term Losing 750,000 jobs a month down to increasing 160,000 jobs is not under producing when you see the situation in Europe and now developing in China as well! We are over producing in comparison and way over producing when compared to bush and 2007 and 2008. The Stimulus did work! Evan Ryan has to admit it helped his Janesville the other day!
Dan: I am not defending Romney here, I am tired of warmongering. I am also tired of people attempting to bolster Obama by bashing Bush when Obama is using and following Bush's playbook.
mygirl1,
"Obama has spoken so softly that Iran is getting a nuclear weapon."
Which they will probably get in any event, unless you are prepared to go to war with Iran. Is that what you would like?
"Obama is keeping the US in Afghanistan and making the Taliban our 'friends' while they continue their butchery."
Only until 2014, and that on the advice of his generals. It is usually a good idea for a president to listen to his generals. They usually understand the military situation better than he does. And Obama has never made the Taliban our friends. That's just BS.
"He has all but destroyed relations with Pakistan"
I don't think Obama has done that at all. I think it is Pakistan with its covert support for terrorists that has desroyed our relations.
"He is using the WMD excuse for Syria and the only thing holding him back is the deplorable state of the economy, we simply cannot afford another war"
That's funny. On the one hand you are faulting him for not going to war with Iran while on the other hand you are faulting him with wanting to go to war with Syria. You accuse him of being too soft while you also accuse him of being a war-monger. Which is it? You can't have it both ways.
Ralph
Pew research? Really? Pew Research posted a poll about a month ago showing Obama with a 14 point lead on Romney nationally while polls at the time showed romney down 1 to 3 points.
Find a better source please!
my girl, your link is broken.
mygirl
There were a number of plane flights to Syra using an plan that the seats had been stripped out of. What records showed was some unidentified cargo was sent to Syria. There was a leak showing Iraqi cargo was stored at the Syrian Airport, but there was no way to follow up on it. It has been surmised that this was possibly WMD that was entrusted to Syria for safe keeping.
There were several convoys of trucks that also went to Syria, but those were believe to be just foreigners leaving Iraq.
@Dan-2287140#1.43: I agree with you, and of course you're free to challenge anyone you please that posts here. This "mygirl1" person appears everywhere with generally the same MO. Points at a fact, sometimes borrows a piece of it, then proceeds to build a proposition so grotesque and ill dimensional, one would have to be astride, and not fall off, a horney toad, while It bred a piss ant, just to comprehend the direction of missing, but claimed angles She/He presents. "Mygirl1" is gifted with a mental exaggeration of a stretch quality unequaled by any known present day rubber properties. Best regards to you.
Drone attacks that kill civilians aren't exactly condusive to friendship. Neither is letting out information that Obama has a 'kill' list and personally reviews it daily. Obama enters soveign national territory and kills people and doesn't let their government in on that information, said actions generally not conducive to building friendships.
As to the generals, he got rid of McCrystal for insubordination and put in place a more 'reasonable' general. He has indeed 'friended' the Taliban, and how many servicemen are dead in Afghanistan these days? What happened with the poppies, BTW?
Sorry about the broken link, which one?
Mac: We have seen your posts and as examples of rational and reasoned thought, well, not exactly exemplary. You concept of grotesque 'facts' generally coincide with your defense of Obama, anything less than complimentary is viewed as 'grotesque.' Noted as well the fact that you rarely post sites where you get your 'information' although, anti-Romney, anti-republican/conservative rants don't need facts. they only need hyperbole.
mygirl1,
"Drone attacks that kill civilians aren't exactly condusive to friendship. Neither is letting out information that Obama has a 'kill' list and personally reviews it daily."
So which is it? Is Obama too soft or is he a warmonger? You seem to be intent on having it both ways. Or is his biggest fault in your opinion simply that he is a Democrat, and you don't like Democrats?
That was stated in reference to Obama's relationship with Pakistan. If Obama is as intent on pursuing diplomacy over force and he has stated that he is, then it is apparent that he isn't using diplomacy when it comes to Pakistan.
As to his being a democrat, some of my best friends are democrats.
Well, McCain is finished spewing his hawk poo. He wants to bomb everyone. Even the auditoriums response was tepid. Think I'm watching "Dr Strangelove" this evening.
mygirl1,
"he isn't using diplomacy when it comes to Pakistan"
Diplomacy doesn't work very well with Pakistan. It is difficult to carry on diplomatic relations with such a two-faced country. On the one hand they pretend to be our allies; on the other hand they secretly support terrorism. Refresh my memory, please. Where was it they found Osama bin Laden "hiding" in plain view? As for the "some of my best friends are Democrats" argument, it's the same as saying "some of my best friends are black" or "some of my best friends are gay". One has to suspect the sincerity of it.
Here is the sum total of Mr. Romney's foreign policy experience... IN THE CAYMAN ISLANDS!
"Gov. Mitt Romney's campaign toasted its top donors Wednesday aboard a 150-foot yacht flying the flag of the Cayman Islands.
"The floating party, hosted by a Florida developer on his yacht "Cracker Bay," was one of a dozen exclusive events meant to nurture those who have raised more than $1 million for Romney's bid."
(http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/romney-party-yacht-flies-cayman-islands-flag/story?id=17105028#.UD6yCaAuf0c)
Quite a nice follow-up to his wife's "We Feel Your Pain" MALARKEY at the "convention" last night!
OMG McCain just had a moment a Freudian slip if you will- used the word "War" and then stuttered back for the word, "World". Wow I feel like I just watched "Dr Strangelove"!
Ahh, but they have nukes, perhaps some diplomacy is in order here? Then, what did Pakistan do after Bil Laden raid, they closed the main routes to military bases in Afghanistan, said actions costing millions of dollars a day and endangering and costing many lives. They did take an apology and a major bribe after millions were spent using the other routes.
@mygirl1#1.57: Hyperbole huh? You wouldn't know rational and reasoned thought if it paid your rent. I respectfully submit you have mastered the former but have never met either of the latter. Your imaginings will never permit it. The size and poor quality of your exaggerations reveal more of whom you really are than those exaggerations allow you to think you are. Damn shame too.
mygirl1,
"Ahh, but they have nukes, perhaps some diplomacy is in order here? Then, what did Pakistan do after Bil Laden raid, they closed the main routes to military bases in Afghanistan, said actions costing millions of dollars a day and endangering and costing many lives. They did take an apology and a major bribe after millions were spent using the other routes."
That's just another example of their duplicity. If they are really our allies, why did they cut off our supply routes? The answer to that question is easy: They were embarrassed because they had been found out and decided to blackmail us to cover it up. And I don't think we are too worried about their nuclear weapons since they have no means of delivery that can reach us. The only respect in which we should worry about their nuclear weapons is to the extent that nuclear material from them could fall into the hands of terrorists who could smuggle it into the U.S. But I don't think that is any reason why we should kiss their asses.
I wasn't going to watch any of the Republican convention, but I was outside grilling chicken for dinner and when I came in my wife had turned the television to the convention. McCain was speaking. I had to stop and watch because I could not believe what I was hearing.
He was advocating going to war with Syria, going to war with Iran, refocusing more war with Iraq, and apparently never leaving the war in Afghanistan (or at least until we could build a stable democracy there, which is the same thing as never leaving).
Now let's see. If we go to war with Syria, we would effectively be going to war with Russia (because of their port and oil pipeline (I'm not 100% sure on the pipeline)). Also, the rebels in Syria are heavily controlled by the Taliban, so we would be arming our enemies. If we go to war with Iran, we effectively go to war with China (oil).
I'm tired of war. I've got a better idea. Let's just continue the current administration's plan to get out of Afghanistan by 2014. And let's not go back to Iraq. China has a lot of the mineral rights in Afghanistan (China investments that our soldiers are dying for). Russia has the biggest stake in Syria. If we leave, the Chinese will have to send in forces to protect their investments. Fine. They're going to go to war soon, anyways (what do you think happens when there is a disproportionate amount of males to females in a country?). Let the Russians defend their investments in Syria. At the most, we should only provide humanitarian aid in the form of food and medicine. No weapons or soldiers.
I say give it ten years of the Chinese in Afghanistan, and they will be borrowing money from us!
COinFL,
"I wasn't going to watch any of the Republican convention, but I was outside grilling chicken for dinner and when I came in my wife had turned the television to the convention."
I'm listening to the Republican convention on TV right now as I type this so I know what you mean by bull@!$%#. They are preaching to the choir; just telling their followers what they want to hear, and, predictably, the audience is lapping it up. It's really amusing. Of course, I shouldn't put Republicans down for that because the Democrats will be doing the same thing at their convention. The only difference is that I'm a Democrat so they will be telling me what I want to hear.
Same old song and dance, different performers. That goes for both sides.
Obama has been kicking terrorist arse since day 1, I know the facts of his accomplishments. This was my main concern of him before he was elected,but I was wrong and glad I was . Now as far as the economy,that is a different vine.lol
So mind boggling that there are so many right wing lemmings in denial will actually vote for a CROOK and I mean the mega millionaire hiding his mullah in other countries so not to pay taxes. And this is the man that wants to lead the country? Yeah let's just show how all the small business can cheat and find loopholes. How is that going to help the deficit or the LACK of revenue to "supposedly" fix the economy??
Shameless Willard PARK HIS YACHT IN OUR BAY - YEP WITH THE CAYMAN ISLANDS FLAG! Either he thinks his base is stupid or he just don't care because he knows his base will kiss his royal arse just the same! ABC picture below, NOT MADE UP!!
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/romney-party-yacht-flies-cayman-islands-flag/story?id=17105028
Wikipi proof of flag - in case you people NEED more proof!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Civil_Ensign_of_the_Cayman_Islands.svg
COinFL: Great commetary, I totally agree!
I would just like to add: is this what we have come to? We started to be an industrial and manufacturing nation. Due to Capitalistic GREED - just about all of these types of jobs have been outsource. Then we became a service provider nation, BUT again, due to Capitalistic GREED, just about all these jobs have been outsource. Yep, if you need help with your Dell computer - you'll be talking to someone in India, Vonage phone service - someone in the Philippines!
So what is left??? Yep, wars! We'll make wars and give more business to Haliburton and to Black Water! And if there is a shortage of man-power? Yeah, just bring on back the draft! Is this why the Repugs are so focus on CONTROLLING AND KEEPING WOMEN PREGNANT? Conspiracy theory that maybe they will need soldiers for this war business they want to continue??? The right wing lemming base/teabags are so mentally handicap! Old man McCain is definitely getting senile! Where the hell does he think he will get the money to squander on another war?! And this is the party that is blaming Obama for the gazillions DUH-BYa fail to report on the books when he took us to Afghanistan and Iraq(the stupid war)?
Vote Democratic in November!
We were warned back in the early eighties that the industrial age was over and that we were entering the information age. If we did not make preparations for the change even though it is most unfortunate it is still our own fault.
I just wish someone would make a spirited comparison to what McCain's America would look like today with what we have. No one has the nerve to do that--not even McCain. We would still have troops in Iraq (McCain said that he thought we'd be there for years) and probably the same number in Afghanistan that we had in 2008. so far, status quo. But as for the economy, we'd be finished. he was willing to stay the course and allow companies to go under at a rate unseen since 1929. He was comfortable to let one domino after another fall, and he would've continued to insist that the fundamentals of the economy were strong. In short, total global depression. Herbert Hoover would've rolled over in his grave, that's how bad it would be today.
Rice and McCain will draw a contrast in foreign policy alright--they will show the Republican Party still thinks that we can use the same Cold War policy in the 21st century and their own complete and total lack of ability to come up with anything that could even be reasonably called forward thinking.
Rick,
"We were warned back in the early eighties that the industrial age was over and that we were entering the information age."
That's a good observation. I remember that, and it was true. We were entering the information age and we are in it now, but I'm afraid we are letting it slip out of our grasp. In the 1980's and 1990's the U.S. was the leader in computer technology. After all, we invented the first electronically programmable computer, ENIAC, in the early 1940's. But now India and other countries are rapidly gaining on us in that field, and most of the computers we use here are made overseas. It was just last year, I think, that it was revealed that China has surpassed us in the supercomputer field.
I'm going to listen to the man who picked Sarah Palin as second in line to run the country...he obviously makes good choices and sound decisions!! ( I think I just broke a rib laughing )
Republican vocabulary word, "WAR!" We already got sucked into Iraq and Afghanistan. Thank God Obama kept us out of Libya and now McPain is trying to get us back into war. This time with Syria nd Iran? What a sick party. Profits and greed for the war corporations!
John McCain graduated at the bottom of his class at the USNA. He crashed 5 or 6 planes. The only reason he wasn't cashiered out of the Academy or the service was the his father and grandfather were Admirals.
General Douglas MacArthur: "old soldiers never die, they just fade away." John, just do us all a favor and fade away.
I just want to know who really thinks that going back to the architects of the Iraq war is a good idea. Sodam Insane didn't attacked us on 9/11, didn't have WMDs, didn't really have any animosity towards the US.
But somehow without rhyme or reason, we attack Iraq with borrowed money, kill and wound hundreds of thousands of our brave military men and women, and millions of Iraqi civilians, establish Halliburton Cheney's old favorite, and other contractors, with multiple million dollar no bid contracts, and I forgot how many billions Halliburton can't account for, totally wreck our military readiness, then by leaving, allow Iran to take over, and become more powerful, Sodam Insane was Iran worst enemy.
The Iraq war will, in the future, be regarded as the worse foreign policy mistake in the history of the United States. So now, please explain, again, how going back to these two foreign policy wonks will, in any way, be a good idea. Also one last thing, least we forget, President Obama, then Sen. Obama, opposed the Iraq war from the beginning. In a fact based election, all this would make sense, but as we seem to be moving into a fact optional phase, who knows, but then, as Gust Avrakotos might say, "We'll see".
Dan: you have cut and pasted and given no reference to your information. Interesting that the one ascribed quote from the 60 minute interview confirms the faulty information. Additionally, Saddam did indeed use 'doubles' as have most dictators including Hitler and Stalin.
*************************************************
WELL MYGIRL, its called GOOGLE, that interview is ALL OVER THE PLACE, and if you werent such a sheeple with hooves, you could simply type in FBI interview of Saddam and WHAM, up it pops.....
BigAl Las Vegas -
Hey BigAl, who is advising Romney on matters of foreign policy. Look it up yourself, I don't want you to think another Liberal is lying about Romney's Neo-Conservative advisers.
Consider the Obama foreign affairs record:
Obama's failed personal effort to bring the 2016 Olympics to Chicago.
Obama's failed personal effort to negotiate a climate-change deal at Copenhagen in 2009.
Obama's failed efforts to strike a nuclear deal with Iran that year and this year.
Obama's failed effort to improve America's public standing in the Muslim world with the now-forgotten Cairo speech.
Obama's failed reset with Russia.
Obama's failed effort to strong-arm Israel into a permanent settlement freeze.
Obama's failed (if half-hearted) effort to maintain a residual U.S. military force in Iraq.
Obama's failed efforts to cut deals with the Taliban and reach out to North Korea.
Obama's failed effort to win over China and Russia for even a symbolic U.N. condemnation of Syria's Bashar Assad.
You can't be a real person.
Martha, you make a very weak argument. No other president could have succeeded at those things either so wake up instead of expecting the impossible to be possible.
Says Romney, the Vietnam War ABSENTEE that has NEVER SERVED, but promises to be just as "courageous" and "brave" as George W. Bush.
marta just shows up and mindlessly posts the same partisan hack stuff over and over. doesn't mention anything positive..of course.
Obama's record has failures (as every president does), but anyone who ONLY posts failures might as well hang a sign around their neck saying "laugh at me".
@Irespond and don't forget our VP Uncle Joe who had 5 student deferments.
YEAH! Let's ask Condolezza Rice, who DID NOT KNOW THAT President Bush had BAD INTELLIGENCE about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. She was "surprised" after spending trillions of dollars.
Now Mitt Romney, someone that has NO CLUE about foreign policy, wants to throw us into MORE WARS, because HE CAN. He has promised the Israelis a great war there.
It really doesn't matter what Obama chose to try to do... what is important is that he left a trail of failure. Obama doesn't have a track record of accomplishments in foreign affairs... he has a track record of failure. The fact that he failed at things that weren't worth doing is irrelevant.
and here you are still living in the good ole U S because of Obama is keeping you safe unlike BUSH and the Queen of Iraq RICE
good thing obama's track record at fighting terrorists worldwide is so awful, or martha would look really dull. lol.
"There is no doubt that al-Qaeda's senior leadership in Pakistan is under extreme pressure and that the group is not as effective as it was even a few years ago,'"
His greatest accomplishments are the successful intervention in Libya under the "Responsibility to Protect" doctrine; the institutionalization of the U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific through membership in the East Asia Summit and much more active regional diplomacy; the creation of the G-20 as a permanent leaders' forum, thereby broadening the circles of decision to include many non-Western powers; the killing of Osama bin Laden and the decimation of al Qaeda; the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and a firm commitment to withdraw from Afghanistan; the elevation of development (including food security, global health, climate change issues, and economic growth) as a much bigger part of U.S. foreign policy; the restoration of trade as a meaningful foreign-policy tool by passing three trade agreements and setting up a framework for trans-Pacific free trade; the global defense of Internet freedom (assuming SOPA/PIPA do not pass in anything like their current form) and the transformation of the highly politicized debate about degrees of democratization into degrees of transparency, accountability, and citizen participation through the Open Government Partnership.
vermontguy - Martha is living in her own warped world. No doubt she's a Republican!
Nice post by the way!
Obama/Biden 2012
Gary, face reality: If Obama is reelected the Iranians will have, and use, a nuclear weapon. The world as you know it will end. The world that Obama dreams of will be a reality. Obama is eager to facilitate the neutering of the US.
Wait, he couldn't cut a deal with the Taliban OR North Korea?
Considering they are both about as crazy as one can get, how is this a bad thing again?
To Martha-2024651
Martha we all know you would have done a much better job than President Obama..... unfortunately for you he's the President and your not.... Besides every one of the things you mentioned were Republican and Fox Lies talking points..... That in itself destroys your credibility.
Pay attention liberals, you have 3 days to learn something. Republicans are dropping knowledge on some stupid liberals.
Save America Vote for the Americans Romney/Ryan 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!
Martha - you really should see a doctor.
Brian-NOBAMA - clearly you are beyond learning. Too bad really. Go back to mommy and daddy's basement!
hahahaha SS your soooo funny, but what has Comrade Obama and your party really done for our country.
Save America Vote for the Americans Romeny/Ryan 2012
TO: Martha-2024651 who wrote:
Well hell, why didn't George "Curveball" Bush take out Iran's nuclear capabilities during the 8 years that Republicans were bombing everybody else in the middle east?
Obama/Biden 2012
martha: lol, "face reality", iran WILL use a nuke if obama is elected? hey, how about sharing the winning lottery numbers while you are at it. :)
brian: the GOP is dropping SOMETHING on people on the convention. Knowledge? well, fertilizer maybe. :)
Martha, get back in the attic before the nephews and nieces come to visit.
Way to go Martha!!! Fear mongering....
If Romney is elected, the bird flu virus will kill millions of Americans...
[/sarcasm]
That's the ticket, gang up on a poster because they write something contrary to the myth. While you all blat and bleet about how Obama has saved us from terrorists, not one of you has a clue that it was the dreaded George Bush who deserves that credit. You all bash Bush and praise Obama and yet, what is Obama doing? Continuing the Bush legacy. If you were intelligent enough to read history and pay attention to world affairs you would understand that Iran was put in a serious bind by Bush and Obama came along and deemed 'talking' the answer to the issue of Iran, Iran, not being stupid. realized that Obama was full of hot air and proceeded to thumb their noses at him.
Now, bray and berate but you all only open your mouths to change feet.
Iran will indeed use nukes if they can, the Ayatollah and Akmadinajhad both follow the belief of the Twelth Madhi.
You pretend to be so "smart" Why don't you EDUCATE yourself about the FACTS
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/01/23/grading_obama_s_foreign_policy?page=full
The facts are that Obama had an open mic moment telling Putin to wait until after the elections were over. Over so that he could do what? Putin is no fool, Obama is handing him the keys to the nukes and you are ok with that. Pro-democracy is working out soooo well in the Middle East, just look at the new 'leaders' and their stance on democracy, women's rights, etc. Then why is Obama building up the Pacific fleet? Why has Russia been playing war games on Alaskan islands and most recently, how did a Russian nuclear sub escape detection in the Gulf of Mexico?
For a more objective analysis of Obama's foreign policies and their aftermath:
http://www.bdlive.co.za/articles/2012/05/15/gideon-rachman-obama-s-greatest-failure-is-in-foreign-policy
@ Martha;
You mean Obama's inability to kiss other countries arses?
This statement alone shows your ignorance of how things truly work, it does not matter who is in office,China and Russia would have the same stances as would the DPRK, please get a clue mam.
@mygirl1#2.25: And just what do those voices tell you the President meant when He spoke to Putin about waiting until the elections were over with an unknown open mic? What were the two talking about at the time? Could it have been the missile defense shield? Do leaders ever use such things as levers? Was JFK overheard telling Nikita Khrushchev via the "RED PHONE" during the Cuban Missile Crisis; "Mr Chairman, I need some help here". "Too many here wishing to go to war with your country and I can't control them much longer". "We need to strike a deal here before this thing gets out of control for both of us"? Gwaddamn! Try to control your imagination. Everyone saw GW Bushs ugly ass. No amount of defense by you or the world will tame that mental, and historical image.
Iran will use the one nuclear weapon they have? Who exactly are they going to use it on? And how many minutes after they send it off will it be before they tell everyone in their country to kiss their loved ones goodbye? because they know and you know that there won't be an Iran the next day. You're confusing them talking about nuking Israel with them nuking us. that's 2 wildly different scenarios.
The fact is Romney will be the one who gets us in a war, he's basically promised it.
Martha is out to lunch,
Probably true. Otherwise she would have another crazy aunt in Arsenic and Old Lace.
More foreign policy like that of Rice would ruin us. The Republicans would just get us into more ground wars with only temporary victories like we saw in Iraq. We would draw fire from every side in the region.
We can't afford more Republican foreign policy, it doesn't work, it's expensive and it's pointless.
Our very presence just draws every Jihadi to come after us. Better to attack from the air like Clinton did, when there are clear targets.
I think it should be stated that if you don't like Rice, you're a racist! Racist I tell you! Racist, Racist, RACIST!!!
Right little libbies?...
I think it should be stated and if you post things like "little libbies" you are posting like you are 12 years old. :)
Steve Baker - I think it should be stated that if you admire Rice you are stupid! Stupid! Stupid!!!!
Obama/Biden 2012
Color doesn't make a person smart or stupid, or foolish or wise. All the categories apply to any race.
I agree Mark. Shortly after I came to this Country I found it necessary to change my last name from Cortez to something that would not make me a target to discrimination from the Right. I knew my first name would be acceptable to them so I had to come up with a name that represented Prominence,Religious Moral Authority, and the Greenbacks, something so snooty, you know the true values of the Right.
Right on Mark! Phucked up people, idiots, morons, dummies, etc. come in all colors
Jesus Cromwell
I wonder why Susana Martinez did not change her name especially when she was running as a republican for Governor of New Mexico.
This is too easy. Comrade Obama's foreign policy consists only of apologizing to every nation on the planet for America's superiority and giving most of them money to like us.
Save America and Vote for the Americans Romney/Ryan 2012!!!!!!
you need to post more fox talking points to get paid. "comrade" and "apologizing" don't earn you a payment.
there is no cure for your stupidity.
There is no known cure for ignorance.
John Sidney McCain the loser !
What exactly did this RINO do to be considered a 'war hero'? NOTHING at all. He graduated at the bottom of his class. He single handedly nearly destroyed the USS Forrestal, killing fellow sailors due to his irresponsible acts of stupidity.
He lied about his broken arms. He said the Viet Cong, then the Viet People broke his arms. The truth is he was so afraid as he was headed for a crash that when he ejected his arms were NOT inside the matrix as required by the training program and they were broken when he hit the sides of the cockpit.
He trashed his first wife in favor of a younger, richer, thinner and not disfigured woman. His first wife was seriously injured in an auto accident. She never told him while he was in the comfort of the Hanoi Hilton. He was repulsed by her when he returned.
He immediately began skirt chasing and ended up with a Beer baroness with LOTS of cash.
Sid, our loser navy Pilot, never held a job in commerce or industry. He has always sucked on the teat of the free lunch provided by the US government.
He has no business sense but is good at sniffing out available 'skirts'. This poor excuse for a 'hero' should do the honorable thing and resign so a real Republican governor can fill the seat with a REAL Republican.
Shame on McCain. He may have deliberately thrown the Presidential Race but there is no proof YET that is the case.
He is and has always been over rated. He played footsie with Keating and barely escaped with his Senate seat.
Time for this Neanderthal to go !
McCain and Rice??? That is the best they can do? One who got shot down in Vietnam and the other who was "on watch" when 9/11 happened and got us into years of war...make that two wars.....with no plan to get out of either one? Oh...yeah...weapons of mass destruction. LOL! Not even the rest of the world bought into that with millions upon millions pouring into the street of Europe protesting against Bush and Co. And as a veteran of the Iraq War, I can say with first hand experience that those protestors turned out to be right!!! Rice should be in jail for lying out her teeth the Karl Rove talking points of "mushroom clouds" over our cities in order to scare the public opinion into war in Iraq! McCain is just a blowhard. The "Maverick" who should have been put in his stall for good years ago! GOP is a flat out joke, ruining this country and having the audacity to take us back to the same damn policies that got us into our messes today! Of course, anything is possible. W got re-elected in 2004, one of the saddest days of my life. So I would not put it past this country to elect these a$$es again to finish off this country once and for all. Good Luck America and Good Night!
You guys really don't get it.
No kidding. Considering Condi as much as admitted that she ignored specific warnings about 9/11 ("Who knew?"), and lied with the best of them about the threat Iraq presented in order to justify going to war for oilfields for her former employer, Exxon... well, I just don't know how she can possibly have anything negative to say about the man who finally took out the trash (Bin Laden).
Pedestrian
Clinton was like oh, yes there are some threats, but they are no big deal.
Pedestrian-in-SF
Osama bin Laden declared war on the US in 1996. The FBI put him on their 10 most wanted terrorists list in 1998. So Clinton had at least three years to aprehend him and add to that the fact that reportedly the Sudan offered bin Laden to Clinton sometime in the 90s. And Bush and Rice had something like 7 months to prepare for him.
Clinton caught and prosecuted the people who first bombed the WTC. When he tried to get congress to act and warned them repeatedly about the potential for more terrorist acts, they cried "Wag the Dog!" and impeached him. Bush and Rice had 7 months and did absolutely nothing. They were too arrogant to take any advice from the Clinton administration.
Rice on foreign affairs? Haaaaaaaa--Haaaaaaaa. Don't bring my memories back of Bush Jr. and Cheany. They destroyed a good man(Colen Powell) by sending him to the UN with lies that was gave him by that group.
I can only speak from experience, I lived thru the Bush, McCain and Rice years in politics, and it sucked. None of them had a clue what they were doing, and they put us deep into a recession. Their foreign policy got us into an Iraq war that we should have never been in. So let them lie about their foreign polices and lie about Obama and Clintons foreign policy. Hilary Clinton has done one hell of a job and so has Obama, so republicans let the lies begin. Will do you no good, people of America can see right thru your worthless fasad. I won't be watching the lies on TV tonight, but I can already predict what lies they have to say. Lets vote out all repugs from politics in Washington D.C. and in each individual state. They are a dangerous bunch of BIGOTS.
Vote O&Joe 2012
Gustifer
Don't forget that Bush's policies really hurt our stance throughout the world. The President has gone a longwaytorepair our image. Anyone who actually travels overseas (like we do) can see a real difference in attitudes toward Americans. Bush's Iraq policies were bad, but his attitude of 'if you're not with us, you're against us' were the worst.
Thank goodness we now have a President who actually has a foreign policy. Going back to the Republican policies wouldbe disasterous.
Lets vote for limited terms if we could get a Democrat or Repub to put it in the hands of thye people. Folks these politicians are corrupted. Make a law against all the bad things in government. Don't leave anyone in office who can or is corrupted. We are the people stop this senseless corruption. Get a petition to show congress we are tired of them not representing the people only themselves. 535 men and women are making decisions for millions. This is not a Democracy
As long as you have lobbyists with access to Congress and no campaign finance reform, anyone you elect to office is subject to corruption.
Why do you dummies keep repeating the lie that it was the Bush administration put us into a deep recession. Most say it was due to the collapse of the housing bubble that happened under a democrat congress.
Obama has failed to win over China and Russia , that's because they also are worried that it could happen to them. They are against a democratic countries .If you hadn't noticed they like to crush people that do not comply.
Somebody please cite an Obama accomplishment in the realm of foreign affairs... and stimulating the Spanish economy with his wife's extravagant vacation doesn't count.
Killed Bin Laden and kudafee (sp)
This saved thousands from being killed. Stupid has no cure.
I bet you loved the regans he a b- movie star and she a wantobe movie star and queen. Sick sick sick
Martha I think your ran out of tin foil again. Make yourself a suit out of tin foil quit watching faux news and the bad thoughts will quit invading your "mind?".
Ended the Iraq war, and responsibly ended it with no troops left in Iraq, allowing the Iraquis to run their own country, which would not have happened elsewise.
Kept us out of war with Iran, while Iran has made no significant progress towards a nuclear weapon as the UN team has affirmed.
Pressured China into a 7.5% increase in the value of the yuan, helping to improve trade deficit.
Osama bin Laden - dead
Al Queda - all but dead, even Republicans admit they are no longer a legitimate threat
Trade deals with South Korea, Panama, Columbia
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Much better than Bush's abject failures, although Romney doesn't think so since Bush's advisors are now Romney's.
Oh my, so trade deals with S Korea, etc. aka: outsourcing jobs, are now a plus? Since Obama does it it is ok.
Ended Iraq on Bush's timetable and because the Iraqui government essentially kicked us out.
AL Quaeda is alive and well and has many names. Kept us out of war with Iran while he and Hillary industriously waved sabers and that little play hasn't finished Act I yet meanwhile the UN just stated that Iran has tons of enriched uranium hidden away. Interesting how Obama was veerrry quite during the Iranian uprising, even ignored the butchery and yet was all over Libya (smaller, weaker, easier to destroy) and who is to say what Iran would be like today had he helped her citizens out a tad like he did in those other Arab Spring countries.
But yeah, his accomplishments look great when you leave out the important facts.
Bob-1585806
Actually the Iraqis said leave and don't come back after Obama ignored them for two years.
So will Rice bring a little yellow cake to show and tell and pictures of mushroom clouds to back up the GOP plans to bomb Iran, bomb bomb bomb Iran, which is why McLame will be up there, to sing in the background.
Explain the WMDs in Syria.
John Sidney McCain the loser !
What exactly did this RINO do to be considered a 'war hero'? NOTHING at all. He graduated at the bottom of his class. He single handedly nearly destroyed the USS Forrestal, killing fellow sailors due to his irresponsible acts of stupidity.
He lied about his broken arms. He said the Viet Cong, then the Viet People broke his arms. The truth is he was so afraid as he was headed for a crash that when he ejected his arms were NOT inside the matrix as required by the training program and they were broken when he hit the sides of the cockpit.
He trashed his first wife in favor of a younger, richer, thinner and not disfigured woman. His first wife was seriously injured in an auto accident. She never told him while he was in the comfort of the Hanoi Hilton. He was repulsed by her when he returned.
He immediately began skirt chasing and ended up with a Beer baroness with LOTS of cash.
Sid, our loser navy Pilot, never held a job in commerce or industry. He has always sucked on the teat of the free lunch provided by the US government.
He has no business sense but is good at sniffing out available 'skirts'. This poor excuse for a 'hero' should do the honorable thing and resign so a real Republican governor can fill the seat with a REAL Republican.
Shame on McCain. He may have deliberately thrown the Presidential Race but there is no proof YET that is the case.
He is and has always been over rated. He played footsie with Keating and barely escaped with his Senate seat.
Time for this Neanderthal to go !
The only time I'm willing to listen to Condoleezza Rice is when she's playing the piano. And that's only if she doesn't sing.
As for John McCain, the man is irrelevant.
I am glad they are going to talk about foreign policy. I have always admired McCain as a war hero and was going to vote for him in the last election until he picked Palin for the VP slot. Having said that, if Americans feel unsure about themselves it is in part because of two invasions in the mid east that have lasted much longer than we were told and has not had any positive results. McCain and Rice were two of the key players in this mess. I am amazed that they are so myopic that they would agree to speak on it or anything else for that matter. Obama has his faults but being lectured on foreign policy by these people is almost laughable.
Oh dear Martha has put out a dare, well poor Martha she thinks GB and Dick were just wonderful, um let's see President Obama gave the seals the order to take out Bin Laden, President Obama instructed the Generals, CIA to take out the terriorist cells in Al Queda and more of them have been killed in three short years then in the eight of GWB. I'd go on but I'm sure your madly flipping through FAUX NEWS for some more talking points. Oh one little thing more, he didn't put on a flight jacket and land on an aircraft carrier with a big mission accomplished banner behind him.
If Martha thinks GW and Dick were great she's a fool. But I suspect it's more that she simply hates President Obama. I doubt that he could ever do anything right or positive in her eyes. And she's not alone. Too many are seeing nothing but hate for the President and are not giving him credit for the things he has done right.
Really sad to see so many blinded by hate that they cannot see anything else. And that's what's driving this election, hate, and the Repubs are fueling it in order to gain power. They don't care about the country as a whole.
dsb
Most of what you posted is a lie.
This party is so bereft of talent that they have to bring up two people who endorsed, crafted and implemented the worst foreign policy in the last 100 years. Senator McCain has strong opinions and served his nation well and honorably but in his dotage has not seen a muezzin he would not like to blow up. Clearly we need negotiated settlements not gunboat diplomacy and sabre rattling. Secretary Albright whom I admire greatly thinks the world of Ms. Rice so I have tried hard to find her positive accomplishments in counterbalance to her negatives but I just can't get there. As National Security advisor she was engaged on European missile defense and would not even accept direct briefings on Al Queda and the threat of terrorism not viewing it as a significant threat. The only interest was directed to Saddam Hussein while ignoring Shiite Fundamentalisms growth and threat. She was a prime player in lying to Americans about Iraq's nuclear capacity and the imminent danger posed to the US. She was the director of the Iraq Stabilization group starting in 2003. That really worked out well. She demanded immediate free elections in Iraq,Palestine and Lebanon ensuring A Shiite Fundamentalist government , the legitimization of Hammas and the rise of Hezbollah as a political organization. Why we would care to follow the lead of an advocate of preemption and war and a diplomat for and advisor to the least competent foreign policy possibly in US history beggars the imagination.
jkh
Are you talking about Senator John McCain who was a major player in the Savings and Loans scandals recession? Also one of the main players in the repeal of Glass Steagall -act which allowed for the financial debacle/depression in 2008? This is a wing-nut I would want to learn policy from. NOT
Um, you need to get your facts straight here. McCain wants to REINSTATE Glass-Stegal.
Funny how PMSNBC still hasn't reported about the yahoo news chief being sacked for getting caught (open mic) saying what everybody in the lamestream press (ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC) believes. Yes its embarassing but illustrative of the widespread bias against conseratives.
It would be better if the press just admit its bias and dropped all pretense to being objective reporters. A swear, Wolf Blitzer and Andrea Mitchell look like their chewing on sweaty socks when they have to talk to a conservative.
Is there much difference between the insufferable nags that host "The View", Chris Mathews, Ed (Sgt.) Schultz and Rachel Madcow and the mainstreem evening news?
Plleeaazzee! Spare me the pretense of objectivity!
Obama is going to loose based solely on the state of the economy. Funny how ABC, CBS, CNN & NBC don't want to talk about any of that at the moment.
I assume you are talking about the WSJ and Fox?
Have you ever watched Fox News? Bias? Are you kidding me? You're nuts.
Fox even claimed in their court filings that they weren't a 'news' agency and therefore weren't required to tell the truth. And they won.
Gee Jeff, the DOW is over 13,000 today, which is in direct contrast to where it was when Bush left office. The auto companies and the companies who rely on them are all still in business, thanks in large part to Barak Obama.
Obama is saddled with paying for 2 wars, which he inherited from Bush and Cheney, who put them on the US credit card for the next administration and future generations to pay. It is estimated by experts that the cost of the Iraq war will exceed 3.5 trillion dollars. That is quite a little mistake, don't you think? WMD indeed.
Please do not forget that Romney has many of the same foreign advisors that Bush and Cheney relied upon, all intent on a war with Iran.
RalpH, you are wasting your time, Republicans refuse to accepts facts....
every time they claim Obama is a big spender, I point out his deficit spending growth is only 1.4%. The only reason he has run a deficit is because he did the right thing and accounted for the wars on his watch and the lost revenues due to a GOP recession and Bush tax breaks to the rich.
They never listen...
Ray.
Depends on how you work it Ray. If you figure how much Bush II increased the debt compared to how much Clinton increased the debt and then compare how much Obama increased the debt to how much Bush II increased the debt then Obama looks pretty good. But if you look at the rate of growth and insist that Obama be responsible for all he spent then Obama don't look so good.
President Barack Obama
President George W. Bush
Remember these two along with Chaney, Rumdum, and Wolfowitz have gotten us bogged down for 10 years in conflicts with no resolution in sight. Afghanistan is just another Vietnam in the sand. What is Romney going to do to "get tough" with China? Invade?
He has already declared Russia as our enemy... seems he wants to try and use the Reagan playbook 34 years too late...
How come every time the Moderator asked the Republican and TeaBilly Candidates their Ideas for the Economy and Jobs …all ya heard was Crickets Chirping? You Bet Cha…Fer Sure.
Then all of a sudden they say, “Let’ Spend Billions on da Middle East”?
They will say the GOP line.... let's have a MidEast war to defend Israel.... what the heck... we have two now that we are not winning...
America's Biggerst Welfare Queens, Big Oil and Big Finance.
America's five largest oil companies receive $20 billion in welfare annually, largely through tax breaks afforded to no other industry. Big Financiers pay half the personal tax rates of their brethren at community banks.
Republican TeaBilly Conservative Politicians will do Everything in their Power to keep this is Place.
If you want to know the Truth follow the “Money Trail”. It will usually lead to the Lobbyist, Special Interest and the Self Righteous!
These racist Democrats tried to put one of the most prominent black women in the country in chains.
Consider what the traitor Obama whispered to Russian President Medvedev:
It is Obama's intention to sellout to the Russians after the election... if he wins.
Martha, what exactly is going to be soldout to the Russians? We'll import more vodka? You need to step away from Fox News.
Martha - you are many brain cells short of a working brain.
As anyone knows, a President has more latitude to deal with matters after an election than right before one.
The stupidity of your post is overwhelming and your willingness to show it astounding!
RRuin - I fear Martha has already been hitting the Vodka pretty hard!
Obama/Biden 2012
Martha, your guys allowed an attack that killed 3,000 of our people. Screw you for calling our president a traitor. You are an idiot.
andy j w
#23.3
And now you liberals just want to mark that up as a price we pay for the oil and raw materials provide.
McCain and Rice, what a pair. He is an insane old hawk and she ignored all the warnings leading up to 9/11 along with her boss GW. Then she helped sell the war in Iraq using the fake WMD argument. The Bu@!$%#es need to go away.
You are so freaking racist, accusing Rice of such stuff.
Brent, either you're going for satire or you're nuts.
BrentAZ - she admitted she had been told we would be attacked by our own aircraft. She said they chose not to say anything because they didn't know how and they didn't want to create "panic." So, how'd that work out for us?
Obama/Biden 2012
.
Satire...but it is as plausible as the other racist accusations going on here.
They are accusing the Republicans in general of that, not just Rice. They are right to do that. They are dreamers when it comes to foreign policy, thinking that because we are America they will come around to our side. The Middle East needs to grow up and its not going to happen quickly. Better to try to stay out of the way and let them fight it out amongst themselves. We should probably continue to airstrike them whenever they get dangerous long range weaponry, like Bush gave the Pakistanis, but that's about all.
Let me guess...their vision involves two decade long, ineffective wars that cost taxpayers trillions of dollars. I've already seen that one. Pass.
You know, I honestly guffawed when I saw who the GOP was going to have give an opposing viewpoint on foreign policy, vs. the President's. Who in their G-damn right mind thinks the economic, foreign policy, national security, and disaster preparedness people from the GW Bush administration are good reps for what to do in the future. How can anybody not smell their own stink at that level? And people VOTE for these imbeciles?!?!
To American Girl
Try look up the miltary record of John McCain. Service our country during the Vietnam War. His plane was shot down over N Vietnam and was a prisoner of war for five years. He was repeatly tortured by the N Vietnamese and sustained permanent disabilities. When he was returned he underwent years of therapy. Do you really want to compare anyone to this man for love of country?
This man is a true American hero and you just showed you ignorance and stupidity.
Whether he graduated 10 years or 50 years ago matters little. Are YOU insinuating that an educated seniors has no idea of what they are doing? On the contrary. Many of us have honorable served this country. We went to school and raised families. I find people like you to be a moronic bore.
Instead of trying listening to what people have to offer you try to make some sort of cute remark that just make you look dumb.
I'm not sure if you dispise the elderly, or a war hero, or educated people but in the end you just turned off anyone who has a brain. Maybe next time you kick Mother Theresa for her compasion.
You need to apologies to Senator McCain for you absolutely stupid assine remarks.
@commonsense53#25.2: I don't know about all educated seniors, but, the truth is; McCain needs to shut up and go on home. He is no more a War hero than all the others who fought in that hellish nightmare. Doesn't make Him, or any of the others who were mired in that hell hole an expert on foreign policy, or, the art of war. He was a prisoner of war, as were many, but as many recall and reason, that does not add very much to the mental ability to reason, nor does such a horror temper judgement to the point of unerring conclusiveness. McCain isn't in the military now. He's a US Senator who often displays piss poor judgement. I wish him no harm, yet, He would do well to go on back home before He indeed does the country much harm. Regards