McCain Announces That Lieberman And Graham Are Going To Georgia
At a press conference just now, John McCain redoubled his efforts to thrust himself into a leadership role on the Russia-Georgia crisis front, announcing that two top campaign surrogates, Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, are going on a visit to Georgia. McCain said:
"The situation in Georgia remains fluid and dangerous. As soon as possible my colleagues senators Lieberman and Graham will be traveling to Georgia. They're both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. I hope that other members of the Armed Services Committee in the Senate will go together."
Lieberman and Graham, of course, are key campaign allies of McCain. The Arizona Senator has been using Obama's absence on vacation to associate himself more directly with the Russia-Georgia war in the mind of the public.
The idea is to showcase himself as a man of action during a time of international crisis and to remind people that the world is a dangerous place that's still filled with aggressive actors, something that the McCain camp presumably thinks will play in his favor.
McCain's announcement of his key campaign allies' trip abroad also seems designed to shoulder Bush aside as the primary GOP leadership figure here.
Presumptuous? Uppity? Impudent?
August 13, 2008 4:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly. If Obama did this he would be crucified by the press. Team Obama better make sure to press this point. McCain is not the President and he should stay out of this precarious situation.
August 13, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds pretty presumptuous to me.
August 13, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
yeah, what do you want to bet the US Media misses the irony?
Sigghh, double standards.
August 13, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not only will they miss the irony, but I expect there will be many articles praising McCain's initiative.
August 13, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Our media is a bunch of goat ball lickers (no offense to Steven Colbert's grandfather.)
Sad, truly sad.
August 13, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
The sad part is nobody cares about what's going on in Georgia except McCain. He won't get one vote for all of his posturing. His warmongering might cost him a few votes.
August 13, 2008 5:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Unless his people get hit by an errant bomb or something. Then McCain will be given the sympathy vote instead of the idiot who sent his people into harm's way for no bloody reason....
August 13, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, sarcasm aside, the sad part really is that nobody cares about what's going on in Georgia including McCain. Political posturing is not caring.
And that is the reason Russia attacks Georgia: because nobody cares.
Russia chose its latest target carefully: it has not attacked, e.g., the Baltic republics, where it alleges ethnic Russians are being discriminated against. I'm sure that if Georgia was a NATO member before the start of the conflict, Russia would think twice and not invade on Georgia after all.
Putin or his marionette Schmutin-or-what's-his-name, they're basically all KGB guys, Nazis in sheep's clothing. Not caring now will cost us later.
Another sad part of all this is that Bush and the Repubs can't say anything because the U.S.'s unprovoked invasion of Iraq in 2003 destroyed this country's moral authority to say anything to any invader.
August 13, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh! I think a lot of people are concerned about what is going on in Georgia (not our state, but the nation).
The question is whether McCain cares about anything but getting reelected.
This is so presumptuous and uppity that he would definitely be put down several notches and SHOULD be especially if he isn't officially representing the POTUS in this case; and I certainly haven't read that.
On top of that, if McCain went to Georgia some of those folk would probably shoot at him anyway.
August 14, 2008 12:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
I thought it was pretty risky of Bush to send Condi into an active war zone and now McCain would like to send the entire Senate Armed Services Committee if he could. Then if anything happens to them, he'll be all ready to start an all out war with Russia. McCain has no judgment and he's dangerous. You don't let your kids play with knives, you don't stand in the middle of the freeway and you don't send major portions of the U.S. Senate into a war zone. Does McCain EVER use judgment?
August 14, 2008 12:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. And tsk-tsking Obama for not doing same.
August 13, 2008 5:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain is totally dominating the issue. This is the kind of active response the American people expect when it comes to Russia. Obama couldn't have devised a better way to get himself permanently labeled as "not American" than to sun on the beach in Hawaii while the US is in a major and dangerous confrontation with the Russians. Mark my words. McCain is going to tie Georgia to Afghanistan and ask Obama why he hasn't been on top of these issues in his subcommittee and done more to get Georgia into NATO.
August 14, 2008 9:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Remember the fit that the White House had when Nancy Pelosi went to Syria? They said she was interfering with foreign policy.
How could she interfere with something that doesn't exist?
Lieberman and Lindsey are going -- well, we can all sleep better tonight. (But who is going to whisper in John's ear to correct him when he makes the next blunder?)
August 13, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, we can all sleep better knowing that two warmongers whose only answer to every contingency is, "Bomb them!" are going to Georgia.
Sweet Jesus I hate the US media.
August 13, 2008 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen a thousand times. Tonight's coverage will be focused on McCain's "leadership" and Obama's "absence," I can almost guarantee it.
August 13, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can hear McCain now.
The people of Atlanta are happy that my friends have quelled the invasion by the Soviet Union.
WHY WHY WHY is the press not reporting any of this?
Oh! I remember the press is owned neocons for the most part.
August 14, 2008 12:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
The Presidency, even in its decay, still dominates the media landscape. When Pelosi went to Syria, the White House denounced her and this was widely reported. The White House will not denounce McCain but if Obama were to pull a similar stunt, it would be the end of his candidacy.
August 14, 2008 7:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
Time for Obama and/or his surrogates to dust off his "There's only one president at a time" remark from his overseas trip.
August 13, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's certainly time for someone to point that out.
A candidate for president meddling in the affairs of another country? What's with this?
August 13, 2008 5:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually we should be happy Leiberman is finally willing and able to serve in some capacity oversees...this pompous pervayor of patriotism had his share of draft deferments when HIS generation had to serve in Vietnam...he's of the same ilk as the other Chicken Hawks who dominate foreign policy and decide to send someone else's kids to fight the battles we refused to fight ourselves.
August 14, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hate to say this, because it's a shame in many ways and people SHOULD care about this conflict...but my guess is most don't.
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
August 13, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I may not be the typical low-information voter, but I do care since I'm worried about what another war, say in Georgia, would do to our national deficit and our resources. This is going to really fuck up the economy.
August 13, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're absolutely right on substance. Both about the war...and about not being a low-info voter!
But really, this war was less about Russia trying to fuck up world economies than it was Russia asserting it's strength with a show-of-force on the world stage. They're pissed at having been marginalized by Bush's rushing to get all the countries on their borders into NATO and even more so by building the missile defense system. So now, once Russia's economy is in order, they've decided to make clear that everyone knows they're a power to be contended with.
http://strategy08.wordpress.com
August 13, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is wack - there's a war there (and we didn't start it) and a couple of low-ranking American politicians don't have any business over there doing this.
Isn't this against offical policy or something? O I bet Commander CooCoo Bananas will be all over this.
BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAhahahahahaha!!!!!
IOKIYAR
August 13, 2008 4:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
We shouldn't be rushing to help Georgia, who started this whole thing with attacking Russian peacekeepers, and doing ethnic cleansing. They're not the innocent victims here that McCain think they are.
Russia did overstep their boundaries, but all the rhetoric from McCain, Bush, and Saashkavilli, isn't helping the situation either.
August 13, 2008 4:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Russian peacekeepers"? That's a joke if I ever heard one. All they do is provoke Georgia into some type of military response that would allow Russia to attack Georgia. And, as we can see, they were pretty successful at that.
But they don't keep any peace, only instigate war. Just recall the Russian "peacekeepers" in Afghanistan or Chechnya. Mmm, how they keep the peace.
August 14, 2008 4:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I feel silly asking this, but what is IOKIYAR? I've seen it so many times, and I always feel like that guy who laughs at a joke he doesn't get, just because everyone else is laughing.
"Hahaha IOKIYAR, I know what you're saying! Hahahaha, me too!"
Seriously, what does it mean?
August 13, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's okay if you are republican.
August 13, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Stands for
It's OK If You Are Republican, basically a long-ass acronym for calling out the double standard which this case is a perfect example of.
August 13, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks!
August 13, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks to all of you guys for answering the question my comment raised - I didn't see the question.
:)
August 13, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
McMentum!
August 13, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Isn't this dangerous sort of rhetoric? It sounds like McCain wants to bring the Cold War back.
Georgia really screwed up on this one, and their President is insane, thinking that McCain is President already with his talk about US bringing in reinforcements to Georgians.
August 13, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly.
I'm not a fan of Putin's, but Georgia started this and fucked up by doing so - or so it looks to me right now.
I'm sure KindaSleezy Rice will find out more soon and report back and then it will be clear.
BWAAAAAAAHAHAHAHahahahahaha!!! - I'm cracking myself up this afternoon.
August 13, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
In his soft-ball interview on NPR this morning McCain even brought up the cold war and said he didn't want to restart it. He spoke in generalities and platitudes about how we need to "adjust our relations" with Russia. Let them know we mean business. Unfortunately Renee Montaigne then switched to asking him about negative ads, which he denied and weaseled around.
No follow-up questions, like, "What SPECIFICALLY do you propose we do regarding the situation in Georgia; can you list 3 things that are actual actions?
I think his camp heard about the cold-war-mongering and they decided to put it to rest by having John say he isn't going to do it. It would be really nice if we could believe at least one word out of his mouth like the msm does.
August 13, 2008 5:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hawkish politicians were pretty lost after the end of the cold war. There was no insidious force lurking just on the other side of the earth, ready to strike. "Terrists" fit that bill for a while, but people are starting to figure out that they're not the same unified "threat" that the Soviet Union was.
I'm sure that McCain would be more than happy to have a big enemy again. It would make his job much, much easier.
August 13, 2008 5:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Did McCain's senior foreign policy adviser, Randy Scheunemann, put Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili up to provoking Russia?
LINK
August 13, 2008 4:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's what I'm wondering too. Is McCain's advisor, who was a foreign lobbyist for Georgia, pushing McCain to up his rhetoric in order to draw the US into a war against Russia?
August 13, 2008 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just watched his presser and no one mentioned Scheunemann, although Lieberman's politicization of the war came up.
August 13, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is what I've been thinking, McCain seems to have an arsenal of criticisms and punishments for Russia at the ready - i.e. kick 'em out of the G8, NATO and the WTO? Forfuckssake I can't believe we have such a group of assholes at the helm.
August 13, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
The timing of this is very interesting as well. Obama's vacation?
If it in fact was a conflict that was pushed along by the McCain campaign, I imagine that it has escalated far beyond what they expected.
August 13, 2008 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Actually, das2003, I do care but I don't see that situation as terribly clear cut, frankly.
August 13, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
They should give ole Lindsey and Joe some guns and ship them right in to combat. That'll prove that they're serious.
August 13, 2008 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
One must ask...what is their purpose and role there? Is it for Bush or just McCain's campaign and future ads...this is so twisted and really beyond belief. that's is all we need right is for lieberman and graham to do something stupid because I can't imagine what they can do about the crisis and war! Maybe they have secret powers...This is fucked up!
August 13, 2008 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I could not agree more.
This is one of the most fucked up things I've ever heard of a candidate doing.
August 13, 2008 4:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe McCain is just trying to fill up the vacuum while Dubya re-reads "My Pet Goat."
GEEEEZ -- Has anyone heard anything from Cheney? Talk about scarey reactions!
August 13, 2008 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Maybe (and I mean 'maybe' in the hypothetical on a cold Tuesday in August if a cloud is shaped like a bunny rabbit kind of way), they are trying to pull a Jimmy Carter or Bill Richardson as helping averting a crisis, gaining accolades from the press, and being seen as the savior of Georgia or something.
August 13, 2008 8:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not that Lieberman is anything like Carter....
August 14, 2008 1:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is crap there can only be one President at a time. As McCain said this should be non-partisan. He is greatly overextending his position. George Bush and Condi need to call this man out on his bullshit.
August 13, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not so presumptuous as dangerous.
August 13, 2008 4:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
Saakashvili will probably show up on the talking head shows as a McCain surrogate, while screwing up the foreign relations that actually matter to his country (those with Russia) even more.
August 13, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just saw Bill Kristol on FOX reporting that Colin Powell will endorse Barack Obama at the Democratic convention.
August 13, 2008 4:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bill Kristol is always wrong. About everything.
August 13, 2008 4:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
VEEP? I doubt it, (two black guys? -- There goes the red-neck vote!)
August 13, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not for VP! Supposedly just an endorsement.
August 13, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
According to CNN Powell is not going to the Dem convention, and is not even endorsing anyone until he hears who the VEEP will be. Don't know!
But I will say this: Kristol is a major ass-hole!
He may have floated this to sabotage an endorsement.
August 13, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not for VP! Supposedly just an endorsement.
August 13, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink