Examples Where John McCain Eggs On International Conflict
Not just once, but repeatedly, McCain has invited testing. He's threatened several countries including Iran and North Korea. He can't keep his countries, or their borders, straight. He doesn't know which factions are on which side. But he does advance international conflict. He sung his now infamous song to the tune of the BeachBoys "Barbara Ann." For political purposes he's played with fire. He's said he'd refused to talk to leaders of other countries (unless they do precisely what he says--i.e., take orders from John McCain). Ironically, while he rips the notion of ever talking to dictators, that's precisely what he has done. John McCain has met with and encouraged violent dictators, including Pinochet. He worked with John Singlaub to float the Iran Contra illegal arming of--Iran!!!!! and the Contra war.
Just recently, he involved himself in efforts to fan a major conflict with Russia. (He had no standing to assure Georgia that we stand with them. He's not the president. But he did this anyway.) His daily conversations with the Georgian president and Senior McCain adviser Randy Scheunemann's meddling in the conflict shows McCain will do anything to win. And yet the lapdog press transmits McCain's empty charge last week that Barack Obama will "say anything" to win. In what universe?
McCain Pretense at Being Against the War He Voted For Invites Testing
Vacillation and duplicity invite testing. I've often cited the now-more-than-a-hundred flip-flops (most of them serious). Whatever else he is, John McCain is not a person of his own convictions. He just plays such a person on TV. He was for the war before he pretended to be against it. He voted for it but wants to have it both ways now that the public is angry about it. The "surge" was actually a cleverly designed deceit masking bribery, some would call it welfare for Iraqis in the "Sunni Awakening". But John McCain keeps up the dishonest argument that Barack Obama must say he was right (about the surge). The war was based on a cascade of lies. How would a "surge" make it right? How does a "surge" make McCain right to vote for that war? Only Obama among the major candidates was out in front leading on the wrongness of it.
But Barack Obama has firmly stated he will never hesitate to protect and defend America in a real threat. He will, however, never wage war based on lies. And he will never lie to us about it. The steadiness of his voice and commitment are less likely to "invite war." But, it should be noted, that John McCain wanted MORE soldiers (double the number sent) to face danger for a war that never should have been waged. And John McCain aggressively exclaims "there will be more wars!" This is precisely the reckless talk that will motivate a host of our enemies. And there's John McCain bringing it on. In so doing, he cavalierly offers up as sacrifice our sons, daughters and grandchildren.
Indeed, in a Guardian (UK) article, w see that John Mccain himself is more likely to "invite testing" than Barack Obama. Read the article here. The article reminds:
After 9/11, McCain was one of the foremost advocates of the invasion of Iraq, justified partly on the basis that such an invasion would be a way of "showing strength" in response to the attack on our homeland. It turned out that showing strength by invading and occupying Iraq turned out to be both incredibly provocative and disastrous for America's security. The war attracted thousands of militants to Iraq, fueled unprecedented levels of anti-Americanism around the world and continues to bleed the US of lives and resources.
The article cuts McCain some slack on his claim that's he's been tested. But that's true only in the most limited sense. His "test" had nothing to do with global leadership and the capacity to lead in a global context. What of his military experience?
His Dangerous Behavior While in the Military
McCain's purported showcase is his military service, which by itself is no test of his national leadership experience. But here, in a nutshell, is what we do know. McCain's wrecked several planes (at our expense). He once plunged part of southern Spain into darkness because he flew dangerously low.
In a separate episode, a missile was accidentally launched by another aircraft across the bow of the USS Forrestal, ripping through the fuel tank of McCain's plane. He was about to take off and going through his pre-flight checklist. He ejected, but his "payload" "cooked off" and blew a crater into the deck, killing 134 Naval Air personnel and injuring 161. As the sad job of recovering bodies continued, McCain flew off for some R and R along with a NY Times reporter who befriended him. So much for crisis management! Furthermore, I believe this episode is a metaphor for John McCain's life.
The Big POW Lie
After crashing at least his third plane, he became a POW who now claims he refused early release from captivity without all his fellow POWs. It's a nice myth. Except that left with only a little more than half of the approximately 1200 detainees. What happened to the rest? So he can perpetuate his myth of selflessness, John McCain blocked any inquiry concerning what happened to them and had buried documents which would illustrate his duplicity. And of course, he had a daddy, a general in charge of the Pacific Fleet, to run interference with the Pentagon. Read more here. Other research suggests there is reason to be concerned. But instead of furthering the research, or demanding a release of the documents, most of the press merely passes on the legend without a thought to those really left behind.
John McCain Wages War Against His Own Countrymen and Women
John McCain did several grandstands wherein he pretended to support Constitutional protections. He pretended to oppose spying on Americans before he was for it. He was opposed to torture before he was for it. He supported the right to habeas corpus before he was against it. But John McCain also took a more aggressive stance about war critics, including trying to move masses of citizens to rage about honest debate and the citizens who Constitutionally ask questions of their government. Before and after the beginning of the war, John McCain has acted as if anyone criticizing the war is criticizing the military and now he's an early opponent? He's sanctioned robo-calls this fall which try to turn Americans against each other. John McCain's foreign policy has more flips than a gymnast. He talks of the so-called "Real America," while condemning more than half of America. He talks as if he's at war with part of our own country.
He threatened to kick the three million members of MoveOn out of our country. What will happen to them should he be elected? Given his propensity to get even, long reported in the Arizona press, and his legendary incendiary temper, which far exceeds that of even the worst of the temper mongers who've served as president, John McCain would more than invite testing. He himself is a ticking time-bomb. There are dozens of incidents in which McCain had aggressive confrontations with others. Thad Cochran once said that the thought of McCain having the power to launch an attack sent "brings a cold chill down my spine." More here.
This is a man who grabs people by their clothing and intimidates them. He can't get along with members of Congress. There's a whole section on McCain's overblown anger in book, The Real McCain. He had a physical altercation with one member of Congress here.This is a man who threatens people's jobs if they don't march to his tune. In one episode in downtown Washington, he double parked in front of a major hotel. When the doorman told him he had to move his car, McCain raged, "Do you know who I am?" And he threatened the man that he (McCain) would make sure he was fired. A country at war with itself is vulnerable to guess what--testing. How safe would we be under a President Hothead?
Campaign Is a Simulation
John McCain cannot even run a campaign based on ideas, policies and an honest case. His campaign is a shambles. If he should win (and I do not think he will), it will only be because of the fear he manages to drum up. Barack Obama has run a near seamless campaign. He is calm under the day-to-day crush of events. McCain is tired, negative, angry, argumentative, and forgetful. He lacks focus. His chaos-driven approach "invites testing."
Time and again, Barack Obama has shown that he has the diplomatic skill, the judgment, the calmness under pressure that John McCain does not. Barack Obama worked constructively on the economic crisis, talking repeatedly with Treasury Secretary Paulson and leaders in Congress BEFORE John McCain did anything. McCain was still alleging that the "fundamentals of the economy are strong" when Barack Obama was taking it seriously. Barack Obama accurately diagnosed the problem and pressed for four principles important to a constructive resolution to the crisis. And his principles were embraced by Congress. McCain's prescription is more deregulation. John McCain changed his message daily contradicting himself repeatedly. Would not a foreign government note that vacillation and test him?
Then John McCain erratically "halted" his campaign, but lied about it. As we all learned later, he was caught on video giving an interview to Katie Couric. His campaign offices were still in full swing. And his negative ads flooded the airwaves. At the White House meeting of US leaders on the economy, McCain stormed out. He not only failed to "solve anything, but also acted as if it were all about him. John McCain hasn't had any executive experience. But in all the simulations of how he'd run our nation's foreign policy, as in the episodes above, he's flunked. The would-be emperor has no clothes.
[Note due to an error, in which I inadvertently conflated two separate incidents in McCain's Naval history, I have corrected the original article. My sincere apologies for the error.]
You can make the points you need to without that.
PS It should be noted,though, that McCain's taking off while the bodies were still being recovered still happened.
The bombs on McCain's aircraft cooked off as the result of a fire started by the accidental launch of a Zuni missile from another plane on the flight deck. There is nothing McCain could have done under the circumstances other than run for his life. McCain was absolutely blameless in the incident.
McCain did absolutely wrong in connection with this incident, you are drilling a dry hole, and would do well not to pursue it any further.
For a brief moment about ten days ago (Friday the 16th of Oct) he was briefly. At that rally, when the women claimed Obama was "an Arab," McCain found a moment to say reassuringly that people had nothing to fear from an Obama presidency. Then he could say he tried to put a stop to it. But at the same time he was tone deaf about how his answer complicated life for Arab Americans. And he failed to completely make the right statement. When he went on to talk about Obama as a decent man, it was almost as if he were saying there's something not right and decent about being an Arab in America. That was appalling, but he didn't even get it.
McCain: 90% Bush, 10% Maverick
This is by McCain's own admission.
McCain: Erratic, Impulsive, Hothead
Sarah Palin, Response to the financial crisis, his dealings with others above. Is this someone you want in charge of a nuclear arsenal?
The answer is simple.
Throughout his lifetime, Barack Obama has had ties with corrupt politicians - anti-American terrorists - a group that promotes voter fruad - and, his minister of twenty years is a racist who sprews hatred. These are documented facts.
He could not even qualify for a security clearance! And yet we are going to give him total power over us - and access to our most sensitive military secrets? I don't think so!
Everyone blames the Republicans for the mess our economy is in. Just remember that it was a Democrat - Barney Frank - who was supposed to be in charge of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - and that it was John McCain who tried to warn us about it two years ago! Experts agree that Obama's economic policies would make the situation worse instead of better - and that the recent plunges in the Dow reflect Wall Street's lack of confidence in an Obama presidency.
Any citizen should have a right to ask our leaders a question. But notice how 'Joe the Plumber' was smeared and harrassed by the media for doing so. It has ruined this hard-working single father's business!
What is this - Nazi Germany?
This is the way people were forced to live under Saddam Hussein!
This is a democracy. It is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Our forefathers shed their blood in order that we might enjoy the freedoms that we have today. And the American people are not going to tolerate having their constitutional rights of free speech taken away from them!
Joe Biden says he expects there will be another terrorist attack in order to 'test' Obama. This is the last thing our country needs. I'll never forget the horror of those innocent people jumping to their deaths out of burning buildings on 9/11.
John McCain does not need to be tested. Because the whole world knows that he's a strong, loyal, and experienced leader who loves this country. Just knowing that someone like him is in charge would act as a deterrent to our enemies and to terrorists - thus reducing our risk of ever having to use our troops in the first place!
What has Obama ever actually done for America - except to aggrandize himself?
Our founding fathers founded this country on Christian principles. Their belief that human life is sacred has been the whole basis for the human rights we have enjoyed - and have championed all over the world.
The majority of Americans are still Christians - and in a democracy, the majority rules. Mainstream America cherishes its Christian values above all else.
Obama's father, grandfather, and step-father were all Muslim - and it is a known fact that some radical Muslims hate the United States.
I have a very dear friend who is a Muslim, and I believe most Muslims are good Americans, who deserve the same rights I have.
However, being the President is not a right, but a privilege - a privilege that should rightly be granted only to those who have passed the acid test of trust -and of character.
Obama has stated that this is no longer a Christian nation. Apparently, that is his wish. He let his contempt for Christians slip when he said, 'See how they cling to their religion?'.
At Saddleback Church, the two candidates were asked to explain their positions on abortion. McCain gave a straight, honest answer - that he is not for it.
But Obama talked all around the issue, trying to 'snow' people in that clever way that he has. At the end of his long spiel, you learned that he is for abortion. But it was worded in such a way as to make it sound less bad - and make the pro-life person feel less bad about it.
He never gives a straight answer. When asked about Bill Ayers, he replies that Bill Ayers is 'a professor of English'. No - Bill Ayers was, first and foremost, a member of the radical Weather Underground. And even Geraldine Ferraro says that he should not be allowed to teach students.
He is clever enough to use this kind of truth-twisting on all of the issues. This is very dangerous.
Those who are Christians, take note: Obama voted against a bill that would ban partial-birth abortions. If you are not familiar with exactly what this entails, look it up. I was taught this as a nursing student.
It is illegal to kill a late-term baby once its head is born. That would be murder. So, in order to get around this, they pull the baby's legs out and - while the head is still inside - stab a hole through its skull, and suck its brains out. Talk about getting away with murder!
Please do not think that any nation who practices such will have the blessing of God. They will not!
The greatest danger facing us today is not the economy, nor is it terrorism. The gravest danger of all - is that of losing our soul. And when that happens, nothing else will matter.
From the beginning of time, charming, smooth-talking politicians have made promises that they can't keep - because they want power.
People today are desperate for change. But are we really so desperate that we will elect a president without knowing who he really is? - and what kind of 'change' we are really going to be in for?
Things could be much, much worse. If you don't believe me, just ask all those people living in oppressive regimes all over the world. They would give anything to have the rights we enjoy - even if it were under President Bush!
So to sum up - in answer to your question, Ron Howard: The reason people are afraid of Obama is NOT because they are 'rednecks', NOT because they are racist or backward or uneducated -
But because Barack Hussein Obama himself has told them - through his associations, through his slips of the tongue when he thought no one was listening - and through his choice of a minister for the last twenty years - who he really is - and how he really feels about whites, Christians, and America.
America has good reason to fear!
We are not fools, Ron Howard.
Have the courage to follow your heart - not the herd.
Vote your conscience. Vote McCain!
*Obama's ties are at best arm's length. If Ayers were a domestic terrorist, he would be in jail. Instead, Ayers is a respected professor in Chicago, he was named citizen of the year in 1997. Ayers helped to secure $50 million for the project from the Annenbergs, personal friends of Ronald Reagan. His wife is a big supporter of McCain. It is a lie that Obama and Ayers ran the project together.
*McCain on the other hand was a member of the Keating Five, implicated in the collapse of Lincoln Savings and Loan in 1989. McCain supported the Contras, found by Congress to have tortured and killed unarmed civilians including children. McCain supported Ollie North, found to have arranged illegal arms sales to Iran to help fund the Contras. McCain is personal friends with Gordon Liddy, convicted and jailed for the Watergate breakin and coverup. In 1994 Liddy advocated killing federal law enforcements agents.
*The Palins have ties to an anti-American fringe group, The Alaskan Independence Party. The AIP claims that Alaska is an illegal state and wants a revote. It wants to bring in United Nations monitors to make sure the revote is fair. Many of its members support making Alaska an independent country. Todd Palin was a registered member of the AIP for years. Sarah Palin gave a welcoming speech to its convention this year.
Everyone blames the Republicans for the mess our economy is in
Actually the bush administration and the republican party including John McCain are responsible. There is an extreme element of the party that I call the unrestricted free traders. These folks believe in a world without rules where they can do anything they want. McCain has been a member for years. His good friend and economic advisor, Phil Graham, is a leader of the fringe element. The bush administration had 6 years to change things. Instead it listened to McCain and the unrestricted free traders and refused to do its job of regulation. The root cause of the financial crisis is the refusal of the bush administration to do its job and regulate these folks.
John McCain does not need to be tested. Because the whole world knows that he's a strong, loyal, and experienced leader who loves this country.
Actually he has in recent months shown himself to be erratic and impulsive. On impulse he picked Sarah Palin, a person who most of us feel is obviously NOT ready to be President. During the financial crisis, he was completely erratic and impulsive. He was not debating, he was debating. He was suspending his campaign, he was not suspending his campaign.
You Are Right In That America Does Have Reason To Fear, if it elects John McCain (an erratic, impulsive, hothead) and Sarah Palin (a person NOT ready to be President).
We've tried it their (the GOP) way. It isn't working because the conservative theories of governance and economics are fatally flawed. And so they try every pitiful fear-mongering trick they can conjure up.
It's amazing. We try hard to state the facts. If we make an error, we admit it and correct it. But the GOP, and the McCainiacs in particular, don't even care what the facts are. And neither does this troll.
Barney Frank in charge? Ha! Congress has little power under this administration because George W. Bush has assumed unconstitutional (that's illegal, for the troll's benefit) power of his so-called theory of the unitary executive. He doesn't enforce the laws we have. He vetoes everything else --unless it's what he wants, or the Senate is able to muster 60 votes to over-ride his veto. And McCain/Palin want to expand the power of the "unitary executive." Palin doesn't even think Cheney has exerted enough power.
This is what they create--hate and total ignorance (this person knows absolutely nothing about Obama's record or who he is). But she arrogantly presumes to save the world.
Obama's father, grandfather, and step-father were all Muslim - and it is a known fact that some radical Muslims hate the United States.I have a very dear friend who is a Muslim, and I believe most Muslims are good Americans, who deserve the same rights I have.
You're saying that "most Muslims are good Americans"; you're then postulating (incorrectly) that Obama is a Muslim. Therefore, your syllogism then becomes "Obama is probably a good American", which makes your rant indefensible.
Or, you could be saying "Muslims hate the US"; "I have a dear friend who is Muslim"; therefore, my dear friend hates the US.
See how silly you look?