McCain: Clueless as... as... Saying that Some Neo-Confederate Group Is Secretly Funneling Money to Louis Farrakhan

Hilzoy is the shrillest woman in the Boswash Megalopolis:

Obsidian Wings: Clueless: I didn't want to let this gem from John McCain pass unremarked:

Sen. John McCain, traveling in the Middle East to promote his foreign policy expertise, misidentified in remarks Tuesday which broad category of Iraqi extremists are allegedly receiving support from Iran.

He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda. In fact, officials have said they believe Iran is helping Shiite extremists in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."

Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

It's important to be clear about exactly how clueless this is. It's like saying that some neo-confederate group is secretly funneling money to Louis Farrakhan, and then having an aide have to whisper: no, no, it's the Aryan Nation; wrong extremists! It's like suggesting that McCain is making a play for Kucinich voters, and having to be told that, no, you really meant Ron Paul: wrong losing candidate! No one who had any understanding at all of Iraq, or for that matter about the Shi'a/Sunni split and which side Iran was on, would get confused about this....

McCain gets to say silly things like this without being challenged. His reputation as a serious thinker on national security can only survive so long as people don't notice things like this....

Today we saw exactly how intelligent and nuanced Obama is. In this series of remarks by McCain (and others; it's not unique), we can see exactly how unprepared he is to win an argument against Obama.

In terms of intellect, grasp of policy details, nuance, and depth of knowledge, McCain is just not in Obama's league -- or, for that matter, Clinton's. When we have a chance to see McCain debate a Democratic nominee, I have every confidence that this fact will become painfully obvious.

Comments

[christofay]

Don't you worry about Johnnie McCain, when the time comes the press will help level the playing field by tilting it in McCain's favor by 45 degrees. After all no one is questioning McCain about his seeking support from anti-Jew, anti-Catholic pastor (see Plank 2 of the RNC).

To book end Obama's speech Bush is ready for another cloud cuckoo land speech, " Bush to hail prospect of Iraq "strategic victory""

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080319/ts_nm/iraq_bush_dc

[zinc]

Luckily the Mossad representative was with him to correct his error.

[jm]

"When we have a chance to see McCain debate a Democratic nominee, I have every confidence that this fact will become painfully obvious."

It already has been painfully obvious for some time now. Unfortunately, it is also, largely, painfully irrelevant. Far too many of our brethren and sistren don't want an egghead as president. They are looking for someone who will reinforce views already held.

Further, many of the people who might be swayed if they knew about McCain's shocking lack of knowledge will never find out about it. The mainstream political press is in the bag, dontcha know. The accepted narrative was established long ago: McCain is a straight talkin', no-nonsense maverick. Beginning, middle and end of story. Nothing the man actually, you know, says will change that.

[bigTom]

"Today we saw exactly how intelligent and nuanced Obama is. In this series of remarks by McCain (and others; it's not unique), we can see exactly how unprepared he is to win an argument against Obama." If winning an argument means convincing the low information voters no! To them all of the bad guys over there are towelheads, and all towelhead badguys fit the AlQaeda label. It worked in the runnup to the war. It may well work again. I hope the media won't be too intimidated by St. John. They (and we) carry a quilt complex over his former stay in the Hanoi Hilton. How dare we criticize someone who had had to go through that!

[bigTom]

Also. How dare we hold premature senile dementia against St. John. That affliction may well be a long time delayed effect of his former captivity. Captivity that occurred as a direct result of his service to the country! Let the old man live out his dream, before he his too far gone to realize it.

[Antonio Manetti]

"When we have a chance to see McCain debate a Democratic nominee, I have every confidence that this fact will become painfully obvious."

Wishful thinking. To reinforce a previous comment, the same was said about the first Bush-Gore debate.

[Duncan]

"Lord knows, Shiite Iran would never have anything to do with Sunni oganizations and do something ridiculous like funnel money, training and weapons to Sunni groups like Hamas or the Islamic Jihad ...er...nevermind."

Presumably you feel the fact that those Sunni groups are fighting against Iran's enemies while the Iraqi ones are fighting Iran's allies is entirely irrelevant to the question (and yes obviously the Iraqi Sunnis are doing some fighting against the US, but that's a sideshow to the Sunni-Shia conflict).

[Auto]

About a year ago, wasn't McCain quoted telling guests at a big-$ Repub fundraiser that if he were president, he'd fix Iraq by grabbing the Sunnis and the Shiite leaders by the back of the neck, bang their heads together and then tell them to "knock it the f*ck off"?

That this man is said to possess foreign policy expertise is mind-boggling.

McCain talks like the jerk at any neighborhood bar in America telling anyone within earshot that America's problems in the world have simple and easy solutions if we would just do as he suggests.

[Monte Davis]

You know you're in trouble when your recovery from a foreign-affairs gaffe depends on Joe Lieberman.

[Monte Davis]

"Let the old man live out his dream, before he his too far gone to realize it."

I did that in 1981-1988. Can I be excused this time?

[Monte Davis]

"Let the old man live out his dream, before he his too far gone to realize it."

I did that in 1981-1988. Can I be excused this time?

[bakho]

McCain's debate opponent will be excoriated for sighing.

[kusaka]

So McCain is insane, what else is new.

[me]

My mother is McBushs age. I love Mom but she is too old to be president. Look, St.Ronnie slept walked through history and isn't it more dangerous times to have another bad actor in charge?

[Doctor Jay]

Sure, Obama is all brainy and articulate and stuff, but what will happen when McCain threatens to beat him up? Or, more seriously, when McCain sends him a "bitch slap"?

The American people like smart people, but only when said smart person does't make them feel dumb. And they prefer strength to smarts.

[otti]

That's politics: make war and know nothing about the enemy!

"Why oh why" can "this person" (Rumsfeld) make politics?

[aimai]

But, but...he's *gentleman johnny* Mccain, according to Maureen Dowd. As long as he's dapper and dashing, I don't care if he's not all that well informed.

aimai

[Darren]

To reiterate what has been said above, it has already been conclusively demonstrated (twice now), that getting your ass handed to you in a US presidential debate is not an insurmoutable problem.

American voters sadden me.

[save_the_rustbelt]

Iraq is much safer, which is why McCain was surrounded by so many big guys with sub-machine guns.

As bad as McCain is, he could win because the Democrats have an incredible urge to self-destruct, which is playing out as we speak.

Hillary cannot accept defeat, and Obama is busy making enemies in Michigan and Florida. Duh.

[Steve LaBonne]

I know this is another voice in the swelling chorus, but- if being exposed as an ignoramus in debates made any impact at all on voters, we wouldn't have had to suffer through the Reagan and Shrub mal-administrations. If anything it's the other way around- average Joe Dumbass doesn't like smarty-pants candidates, because they make him feel stoopid. Which makes me worry a lot about the fall, since both Obama and Clinton are conspicuously intelligent whereas McCain...

[ed]

How about some straight talk, straight shooting questions for Mr. McCain? Things like, "Did Saddam Hussein kick out the weapons inspectors in 2003, as President Bush has claimed on many occasions?" YES OR NO YOU SENILE OLD GOAT? AND PLEASE NO HELP FROM YOUR WHINY ASSISTANT!!

[rex]

Don't you remember how painfully obvious it was in 1980, and 1984, and 2000, and 2004?

The more painful it is, the more it hurts when the idiot wins.

[dilbert dogbert]

I have a feeling that voters will enter the booth thinking they will vote for Obama or Clinton but the hands will shake and the eyes blurr as they try to vote but the fact that Obama is black and Clinton a woman will move their hands toward McCain. Sad Sad Sad!

I, like McCain, am 72, married to a beautiful younger woman -11 years younger, was in Viet Nam -non combat, and with vigiorous activities - horseback riding, skiing and sailboat racing. You don't want me as your president! I can't conceive of pulling all nighters when the nation is in crisis and making good decisions. I can conceive of me wanting to take naps frequently.
God Help Us All

[Sood]

Dr. DeLong,

This is a brief comment about the site design - we would greatly appreciate it if you would allow for a multi-page design with an extraordinary number of posts not crammed on the home page. It makes it really hard to navigate - the slider is not the most convenient instrument. Please contact me if you need free help.

[christofay]

Don't worry about the work load. Bush has demonstrated it can be managed in a 6-1/2 hour day. It's expected that only one weekend out of the year, when the finance system melts down, for example, will presidents or secretaries have to work. The terrorists didn't strike on a weekend, no golf games were interrupted. Plenty of time for napping to recharge the suitable to be commander-in-chief batteries, oil powered batteries. I should have been born earlier I might have the talent to write the lyrics to the Beverly Hillbillies ditty.

[albatross]

What is it with folks who want to build an eternal American empire not knowing the most basic stuff about the places they want us to run? I mean, an empire seems like a bad idea to me, but if we are going to have one, maybe we should find ruthless, hard, and *smart* people to run it, who can at least keep track of which faction is which, who should and should not be sent to restore order in Basra, etc.