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John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq War

By Jeralyn, Section Elections
Posted on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 05:31:36 AM EST
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John McCain was interviewed in the new issue of Esquire. Asked about Hillary Clinton's chances in 2008, here's what he had to say:

I think the biggest mistake we could make is to underestimate Hillary Clinton. She's smart and she's tough. She's very disciplined in all ways--unlike her husband--and I think she's formidable. Plus, she already has $20 million in the bank. If we don't get our act together..."

Asked about Bush, he said:

He also believes that the war has been botched badly. "I don't blame Bush," he says. "I blame Rumsfeld. It's his failure that we didn't have enough troops in Iraq, because he ignored the advice of the military. We never had enough troops over there from the beginning, and that's where most of our problems come from."

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    John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq War | 16 comments (16 topical)
    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 01:28:27 AM EST
    "I don't blame Bush." Who appointed Rumsfeld, kept him?

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 04:02:43 AM EST
    "I don't blame Bush," he says. "I blame Rumsfeld.
    The Cossacks work for the Czar . . .

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#3)
    by dab on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 05:39:29 AM EST
    I think the biggest mistake we could make is to underestimate Hillary Clinton.
    Gee, why do you think McCain would want to give Hillary encouragement? Maybe because he knows she could never win a national election. Repubs have been daring/begging Dems to put Hillary on the ballot since before the '04 elections. I hope we aren't dumb enough to listen.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 05:54:12 AM EST
    I think the biggest mistake we could make is to underestimate Hillary Clinton. And I think the biggest mistake we could make is to overestimate the importance of the views of a media slut like John McCain.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#5)
    by aahpat on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 06:20:41 AM EST
    As long as Hillary is a right wing Jim Crow drug warrior who has rupert Murdoch for a financial patron she and her party will not get my vote. I don't vote for Jim Crow politicians. That means all drug warriors.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#6)
    by soccerdad on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 06:25:17 AM EST
    And I think the biggest mistake we could make is to overestimate the importance of the views of a media slut like John McCain.
    true!!

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#7)
    by Repack Rider on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 08:06:59 AM EST
    It's his failure that we didn't have enough troops in Iraq, because he ignored the advice of the military. We never had enough troops over there from the beginning, and that's where most of our problems come from."
    This falls into the framing that we must obliterate. THE FACT THAT WE ARE THERE AT ALL is the problem, not the conduct once the invasion took place.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#8)
    by oldtree on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 08:23:31 AM EST
    mcPain is a simple man, beseiged at all sides with intelligence and duty. these "higher" concerns never bother him though, or he would do at least one thing and just continue walking until submerged

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#9)
    by Joe Bob on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 08:27:40 AM EST
    RR, thanks for saying it first. Most of our problems in Iraq originate with starting an unnecessary war on a false premise. Bush and his enablers, and yes that includes John McCain, would like us all to think that some different tactical decisions might have lead us to a better result. Anything to distract people from the fact that they were 100% wrong from the very beginning.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#10)
    by squeaky on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 08:30:43 AM EST
    He also believes that the war has been botched badly. "I don't blame Bush," he says.
    Pure rhetoric made to justify bush lies and an illegal war. Arthur Silber deconstructs this strategy:
    I repeat: the entire war and occupation are immoral. If you criticize the Bush administration on the grounds that it "bungled" the war, this leaves one, and only one, inevitable implication: if they had prosecuted the war and occupation "competently," then you would have no complaints whatsoever. That is: you think the invasion and occupation of Iraq were justified and moral. If that's what you actually think, you belong in the Bush camp. You're arguing over managerial style, and about issues that are entirely trivial.
    Hillary, we are waiting for you to stop supporting the war and start supporting the troops by bringing them home.
    Jonathan Tasini, who is running against Clinton in the New York Democratic primary, is gaining the most visible support. His position on the Iraq war is solid, as he wants all U.S. troops home now.
    link At this point Tasini is a better choice. He has my vote and support.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#11)
    by Dadler on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 09:29:56 AM EST
    Once again, the otherwise personably honorable John McCain fails to say ANYthing or do ANYthing as a politician. How this man is SO afraid to stand up and speak the ugly truth, after all the ugliness he survived, I just don't fathom it. I just don't get a whiff of passion of genuine imagination from the guy. And on a comical, but relatively upfront side note, if, as McCain says Hillary, were more disciplined than her husband, I doubt he'd still be her husband. Hint: he and Hillary have perfectly complimentary personality weaknesses. They fit like puzzle pieces. It's called co-dependence, and they are the poster children for it. But good ones. Since we're all that way to some degree. And they raised a hell of a smart and hardworking daughter.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#12)
    by desertswine on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 09:43:58 AM EST
    "I don't blame Bush," he says. "I blame Rumsfeld.
    Because Bush was a known idiot? And Rumsfeld was only a suspected one?

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#13)
    by squeaky on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 11:53:35 AM EST
    Hadn't seen this, and I don't wonder why. If Hilary said anything close we would be hearing about for years. Another example of the liberal bias in the MSM.
    We should remember that this man who is going to save us from coarseness once quipped: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno."
    atrios

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 12:22:37 PM EST
    I just faxed Senator McCain's office to inquire when and where I should report for my $50/hour job picking lettuce. I called his offices to apply a few months ago after he asserted that Americans would not pick lettuce for $50/hour and challenged his audience stating he would be willing to pay that much and still no one work for that pay. I could use the monies so I called and left my telephone number. I said I would pick lettuce for $50/hour and I meant it! Now where and when should I report? Aloha to all..

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#15)
    by Andreas on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 12:24:26 PM EST
    McCain said: "We never had enough troops over there from the beginning, and that's where most of our problems come from." He advocates more troops, not less. That is an attack on Donald Rumsfeld from the right.

    Re: John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq Wa (none / 0) (#16)
    by jimcee on Tue Jul 11, 2006 at 05:58:27 PM EST
    Squeaky, I'm glad your voting for Tasini against Ms Clinton, good on you. Principles above politics and all. Now if Sen Clinton runs for president....?

    John McCain on Hillary and the Botched Iraq War | 16 comments (16 topical)