If you think John McCain is a straight shooter on the war, wait till you get a load of the video we found from his speeches on the Senate floor. He now claims that withdrawal is unacceptable and that we must stay in Iraq until it is a viable nation that can police itself. He now says he doesn't care if we stay in Iraq a hundred years.
As you will see below this is exactly the opposite of what he argued in Somalia and Haiti when we had a Democratic president. He demanded withdrawal not in an orderly fashion from those countries, but immediately -- damn the consequences. If you don't believe me, watch for yourself:
These politicians drive me crazy. They're all flip-floppers. Their position on any given issue is directly related to who the president is. If he's in your party, you support him no matter how wrong he is and what kind of a disastrous war he's gotten us into. If he's in the opposite party, you demand withdrawal as soon as possible. How do they get up there and make speeches that are diametrically opposed to what they said before and do it with a straight face?
Now John McCain isn't the only one guilty of this but unlike most other politicians he gets a free-ride in the press. They portray him as a maverick and a straight talker when he is nothing of the sort. Look at the video above, if he was a Democrat he would be called the biggest flip-flopper of all time.
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John McCain's Enormous Hypocrisy on the War
Posted Apr 13th 2008 6:00AM by Cenk Uygur
Filed under: Iraq, Young Turks, John McCain, Video
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16. Somalia Time line of events-the truth
Dec 1992-UN asked for assistance in Somalia for "Operation Restore Hope" UNOSOM-1. Between 1991 and 1992, 200000 to 300000 Somalia people died of starvation, 80% of relief supplies were being looted and not geting to the people of Somalia.
Dec 1992-One of Bush's last acts as President was to authorize 25000 US Troops to Somalia for Operation Restore Hope to protect and get food supplies to the starving people. This was a mission to help starving people only.
When Clinton took office he wanted to scale down size of US Forces in Somalia.
In March 1993, the UN changed it's mission objective to disarming the Somalia people, restore law and order, and assisting with setting up a new government-Nation Change.
March 1993 UNOSOM-2 began, support by some 28000 UN Troops.
Clinton supported UNOSOM-2, and UN Troop involvement.
June 1993-US Troops level REDUCED to 1,200.
June 12 to June 16 US and UN Troops attacks target in Mogadishu. 4 Western newspeople went to investigate scene, were slaughtered by a mod.
August 8- 4 US Military Police killed by land mine.
August US troop levels have increased to 14000 men not including the 440 men from elite unit Delta Force.
August 29, Delta Force attack Mogadishu to capture Aidid. US Military Gen Montgomery ask Defense Secretary Aspin for armoured reinforcements, DENIED.
Sept 1993 Clinton begins secret plan to negotiate with Aidid, but not tell the Military Commanders.
Oct 3-4, 1993-Battle of Mogadishu 18 US Troops died, 84 wounded.
McCains speech in Senate "We went to Somalia to prevent starvation... and now we are killing woman and children" McCain said US involvement in fighting in Somalia is wrong and is a mistake.
Senate voted 90-7 to call on Pres Clinton to obtain congressional authorization by Nov 15 to continue deployment of combat troops in Somalia.
Summary
Bush sends 25000 to Somalia to help UN feed starving people under UNOSOM-1
Clinton says he is reducing troop levels in Somalia, and AGREES to operations charge with UN to military action titled UNOSOM-1, from original humanitarian action
Clinton agreed to change mission from feeding starving people to a military "Nation Change"
mission.
Clinton at first reduced troop level to 1200 in 6/93, then increased troop level with combat troops to 14000 in Aug 93.
Clinton had almost all the troops out of Somalia, then put them back into Somalia to fight.
90-7 vote in Senate Hmmmmmmm, Cenk kinda left a few things out.
robert okane at 3:58AM on Apr 6th 2008
17. My prior post
Sources,1- wikipedia, 2-Frontline-PBS.org,3-Washington Post
robert okane at 3:59AM on Apr 6th 2008
18. Somalia? Haiti? Different wars, different times, different situations.
PS. History books are chock full of information on those conflicts and available at a library near you.
YGBSM at 4:03AM on Apr 6th 2008
19. Richard Kluge
Are you suggesting it was Reagans duty to help Iran in the Iran Iraq war after Iran had just siezed US Embassy and held hostages for 444 days, Huh??????????
robert okane at 4:17AM on Apr 6th 2008
20. Cenk's Censorship of news and bias again on display
Cenk-
You left out that Somalia mission was first the aiding of starving people in Somalia. Then it was change to the disarming and creation of new govt. in Somalia, as per the UN and agreed upon by Clinton.
Congress was not involved in either of these decisions.
Then US Troops started to die and Congress wanted some say in what was going on. Senate voted 90-7 for troop pullout. McCain speech
In Iraq, 1st and 2nd war, there was a Congresional vote on both. Second war vote had a 78% approval rating of the american public and more yes votes in Congress than for the 1st Iraq War.
Congress had a right to be involved in any decisions on the Somalia campaign, not just Clinton on his own.
robert okane at 6:38AM on Apr 6th 2008
21. Of course this blog airs on Air America (the liberal radio failure) and links you to the Huffington Post, another far-left hate site. Misleading title of the blog, by the way.
XSVForce at 6:42AM on Apr 6th 2008
22. Let's hold on to our seats until the swearing in of a new President that Bush doesn't lead us into another Country for War. 2nd I can not forget McCain singing Bomb Bomb Bomb Iran. He may have been kidding but that scares the crap out of me. The last thing we need is to be pulled into another war. I hate that these politicians can not pick a stance and stick to it. Every election you see the flip flops going on. We started this war in Iraq on false pretenses. The good side is that Saddam is gone and his torture ruling is too. The bad news is that our young men and women are serving in a war on foreign land that many of them do not want to be in. They are doing it because it is their job but the media portrays things one way but if you talk to the soldiers and/or to the captains and Lt's over the soldiers they will tell you a totally different story. I know we can't just up and leave but I do believe the time has come for us to stop sending more troops in and even if it is only 10 men a week to start reducing our troops and let the Iraqi's take over for themselves. We need to finish building the hospitals and the power grids and get fresh water running to as many places as possible and do all that we can as soon as we can and then start pulling even more troops out. Our economy and our Country can't stand to keep dragging this out forever. I so support our troops but I so question some of the policies that keep so many of them there.
Kim at 8:50AM on Apr 6th 2008
23. Cenk, this is a load of poop. You who have immigrated to the USA ought to know that McCain at the very least fought for the USA. I am not a fan of McCain but at least he did more than any of us or you on these blog boards.
Sharon at 9:00AM on Apr 6th 2008
24. 4 paragraphs and a video, where do I sign up for this job? I can write at an eighth grade level and hate conservative republicans also. Wow, these young turds suck. Hey AOL, where's the dotted line?
Ken Green at 9:17AM on Apr 6th 2008
25. Your argument only makes sense if all wars and military actions were somehow equal. They aren't. While for instance the collapse of Somalia has had a terrible effect on the people there, the situation is contained there. There is little chance that a collapsed Iraq à la Somalia would not drag the rest of the Middle East into the conflict.
He simply is choosing which battles to fight and which ones to not fight. That's not hypocrisy, that's judgment. If you disagree with his judgment, that's one thing, but call it what it is.
Saber at 9:35AM on Apr 6th 2008
26. here we go again first it was Bush's fault now it will be Mc Cain's fault. democrats are suppose to be the acceptance party and all I hear is hate
maxmd747 at 4:37PM on Apr 6th 2008
27. I don't think anyone who is against the war is against the soldiers. They just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the wrong things their superiors order them to do. No one blames the soldiers, except when they snap and do things they know are wrong (Abu Grahib, Haditha). I blame the leaders for putting them there for no reason.
Sarah at 10:09AM on Apr 6th 2008
28. Really, Sarah? Ever heard of the groups called "Code Pink" or "Int'l A.N.S.W.E.R."? There are plenty of far-leftwing, pro-Communist org's who don't support the troops OR the mission. There are some who openly advocate for the fragging of our troops by their fellow troops. Do a little research and then re-think your comment.
Stryder at 11:12AM on Apr 6th 2008
29. To all you partisans, no matter which party or affiliation you claim:
We have no choice but to remain in Iraq. By invading that god-forsaken wasteland, George W. Bush stuck this nation's hand into a hornets nest. If we leave, Iran and Syria will divide what's left of Iraq into sections (Sort of like what Syria has already done to Lebanon.) The result will be a radicalized population either Sunni or Shi'ite and both hating the U.S. and ready for jihad. Our only hope now is a democratic and secular Iraq, and our only way to get one is to remain there, shedding U.S. blood, until it is achieved. And success is not assured. I hope, in years to come, when American historians write about the fall of the American Empire, they can point back to this conflict and identify it property, as Little Bush's Little War.
Chris Schultz at 11:22AM on Apr 6th 2008
30. Obama supporters... How's it feel to know that if you contributed money to the Obama campaign using the internet , that all your credit card information had been taken ,by a group of computer hackers.. Rumor has it this was done a few weeks ago, but Obama failed to address the issue publicly.. Guess he thinks it was no big deal, but it is a serious matter.. All this information can be used by these hackers at anytime they feel free to use it.. Obama's computer security system to safeguard against hackers ,is very poorly designed.. So it is suggested that you "DO NOT USE the Internet when sending funds to his campaign. Rumor has it that his system is being attacked on a daily bases and his computer experts are not good enough to defend these attacks.. So be warned if you contribute to his campaign using the internet chances are your credit card information will be stolen by these hackers..
code at 11:40AM on Apr 6th 2008