U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ RYAN CROCKER: Senator, as I said in my statement, we have no problem with a good, constructive relationship between Iran and Iraq. The problem is with the Iranian strategy of backing extremist militia groups and sending in weapons and munitions that are used against Iraqis and against our own forces.
OBAMA: Do we feel confident that the Iraqi government is directing these—this aid to these special groups?
So come on CM let’s see your denouncing of Obama just like you seem to have this problem with McCain.
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ RYAN CROCKER: Senator, as I said in my statement, we have no problem with a good, constructive relationship between Iran and Iraq. The problem is with the Iranian strategy of backing extremist militia groups and sending in weapons and munitions that are used against Iraqis and against our own forces.
OBAMA: Do we feel confident that the Iraqi government is directing these—this aid to these special groups?
So come on CM let’s see your denouncing of Obama just like you seem to have this problem with McCain.
Obama claims Iraqi government in league with Iran! ;)
Better to have McCain, another tongue-tied president who says incoherent things about the most important challenges facing the US?
SEN. MCCAIN: There are numerous threats to security in Iraq and the future of Iraq. Do you still view al Qaeda in Iraq as a major threat?
GEN. PETRAEUS: It is still a major threat, though it is certainly not as major a threat as it was, say, 15 months ago.
SEN. MCCAIN: Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shi’ites, all overall, or Sunnis or anybody else.
McCain keeps thinking that al-Qaeda is a Shiite, Iranian plot, when in fact its leadership is hyper-Sunni Egyptians and Saudis.
He also thinks that al-Qaeda would take over Iraq if the US left. But they are not even popular in most Sunni Arab areas. As for the Shiites, they are a majority of Iraqis and they hate al-Qaeda (which has massacred Shiites), and they would just crush it if given the opportunity.
Then he apparently ‘misspoke’ about not mentioning his massive security (100 soldiers, bullet proof vest) when ‘walking around’ Baghdad and making out it was safe and that people were living normal lives, despite a huge increase in attacks from Feb to March.
The he has a fundamental misreading of Sadr’s aim in respect to the Basra ceasefire......the list goes on.
So based on that I’m glad McCain wasn’t in charge during WWII. He seems to be inhabiting the same non-reality based community as Bush.
…
Last night, Howard Dean issued his latest mean-spirited and, this time, incomprehensible attack on McCain:
John McCain is so wrong on Iraq, he can’t even get the basic facts about the situation on the ground correct.
Today, as he was questioning Gen. David Petraeus, he again confused the difference between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.
At least five times as a candidate John McCain has stated that Iran (a Shiite nation) is supporting Al-Qaeda (a Sunni group) in Iraq. This is not some minor mistake, but a significant gaffe. He clearly does not understand the sensitive political dynamics in that region of the world.
What’s worse is that he’s done it at important times when you’d expect him to be at his best—he did it today in the Senate while questioning the commander of American forces in Iraq, and he did it on a recent trip to the Middle East. ***
We just can’t afford someone who just doesn’t understand Iraq—it’s too dangerous.
I had read the entire transcript of yesterday’s proceedings in the Senate Armed Services Committee, and had no idea what Dean was talking about. Dean, of course, doesn’t quote the offending exchange in his email--a fact which seems telling, to say the least. I went back and re-read McCain’s questioning of Petraeus and Crocker, and this is the only exchange that Dean could possibly be referring to:
MCCAIN: There are numerous threats to security in Iraq and the future of Iraq. Do you still view Al Qaida in Iraq as a major threat?
PETRAEUS: It is still a major threat, though it is certainly not as major a threat as it was, say, 15 months ago.
MCCAIN: Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shiites overall…
PETRAEUS: No.
MCCAIN: ... or Sunnis or anybody else.
Al Qaida continues to try to assert themselves in Mosul, is that correct?
Dean apparently wants to twist this question into a suggestion that al Qaeda is a Shiite sect--a confusion that Petraeus evidently didn’t share. In fact, McCain was obviously contrasting al Qaeda with the Sadrists, the subject of his immediately preceding question, by noting that in the global scheme of things, the Sadrists are an obscure sect compared to al Qaeda. The idea that the Democrats would try to criticize McCain on this exchange--without, of course, quoting it so that readers can see how bogus their attack is--is just one more in a long series of indications of how low the Dems are willing to stoop to defame McCain. It’s going to be a long summer and fall.
Hmmm, I’m not so sure after watching the video. Again, he appears to correct himself. And again, it can’t be explained away as both being a ‘mis-speak’ (which is what he suggests by correcting himself) and ALSO being technically correct (in which case why did he feel the need to correct himself?).
As I’ve said, I’m all for giving the benefit of a doubt on one or two occasions. It’s when a pattern emerges that that benefit starts to look shaky. Doesn’t matter who it is.
EDIT:
Did you notice the (Buch like) smirk when he asks the “obscure sect” question? I imagine this is in direct response to the crap he has taken since his last gaffe, some of it pointing out that Al Qaeda didn’t exist in Iraq before the war. The word “obscure” has been used to describe Al Qaeda before.....
At that time, most experts say, this description of Al Qaeda simply wasn’t true. It was little more than an obscure group of extremist thugs, well financed and intermittently lethal but relatively limited in their global and regional political pull. On 9/11, they got lucky — but despite the unexpected success of their attack on the U.S., they did not pose an imminent mortal threat to the nation.
McCain keeps thinking that al-Qaeda is a Shiite, Iranian plot, when in fact its leadership is hyper-Sunni Egyptians and Saudis.
He also thinks that al-Qaeda would take over Iraq if the US left. But they are not even popular in most Sunni Arab areas. As for the Shiites, they are a majority of Iraqis and they hate al-Qaeda (which has massacred Shiites), and they would just crush it if given the opportunity.
Or he’s playing rope a dope to drive you crazy… because you sort of are drooling on floor here.... need a napkin?
Drooling on the floor? That’s brilliant. If that’s the case then many of you guys must have used up your lifetime supply of drool in the Wright/Obama thread.
That would be one weird game of rope a dope: “I know, I’ll hammer home my foreign policy credentials by establishing a pattern of getting things wrong, or at least appearing to correct myself, or appearing confused - that’ll fox them all”. Hmmmm.........
The drooling seems to come from Joe Lieberman and the Republicans in front of Petreaus and Crocker. Like some type of high school jock-hero worship by the kids in the marching band.
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ RYAN CROCKER: Senator, as I said in my statement, we have no problem with a good, constructive relationship between Iran and Iraq. The problem is with the Iranian strategy of backing extremist militia groups and sending in weapons and munitions that are used against Iraqis and against our own forces.
OBAMA: Do we feel confident that the Iraqi government is directing these—this aid to these special groups?
So come on CM let’s see your denouncing of Obama just like you seem to have this problem with McCain.
That aint likely.
Ooooooooh now that’s an outrage (*drool drool drool*).
He didn’t correct himself, so I assume he didn’t even realise he was saying it. Has he attempted to explain why he was “technically correct”? Is their a pattern?
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ RYAN CROCKER: Senator, as I said in my statement, we have no problem with a good, constructive relationship between Iran and Iraq. The problem is with the Iranian strategy of backing extremist militia groups and sending in weapons and munitions that are used against Iraqis and against our own forces.
OBAMA: Do we feel confident that the Iraqi government is directing these—this aid to these special groups?
So come on CM let’s see your denouncing of Obama just like you seem to have this problem with McCain.
That aint likely.
Ooooooooh now that’s an outrage (*drool drool drool*).
He didn’t correct himself, so I assume he didn’t even realise he was saying it. Has he attempted to explain why he was “technically correct”? Is their a pattern?
Gee CM gets something completely wrong again. Not surprising since he completely lacks any real comprehension skills, and didn’t have a writer from Salon explaining to him that its not racism its anti-patriotism. But hey, Obama’s pastor seems to have a nice streak of anti-semitism running through him too, so of course CM will be sticking up for them.
Shifting the goalposts on a topic 20 times like you do though its not surprising you’ve gotten confused.
McCain keeps thinking that al-Qaeda is a Shiite, Iranian plot, when in fact its leadership is hyper-Sunni Egyptians and Saudis.
He also thinks that al-Qaeda would take over Iraq if the US left. But they are not even popular in most Sunni Arab areas. As for the Shiites, they are a majority of Iraqis and they hate al-Qaeda (which has massacred Shiites), and they would just crush it if given the opportunity.
Or he’s playing rope a dope to drive you crazy… because you sort of are drooling on floor here.... need a napkin?
Drooling on the floor? That’s brilliant. If that’s the case then many of you guys must have used up your lifetime supply of drool in the Wright/Obama thread.
That would be one weird game of rope a dope: “I know, I’ll hammer home my foreign policy credentials by establishing a pattern of getting things wrong, or at least appearing to correct myself, or appearing confused - that’ll fox them all”. Hmmmm.........
The drooling seems to come from Joe Lieberman and the Republicans in front of Petreaus and Crocker. Like some type of high school jock-hero worship by the kids in the marching band.
There you go again. Just can’t resist going into a tizzy over it. ;)
U.S. AMBASSADOR TO IRAQ RYAN CROCKER: Senator, as I said in my statement, we have no problem with a good, constructive relationship between Iran and Iraq. The problem is with the Iranian strategy of backing extremist militia groups and sending in weapons and munitions that are used against Iraqis and against our own forces.
OBAMA: Do we feel confident that the Iraqi government is directing these—this aid to these special groups?
So come on CM let’s see your denouncing of Obama just like you seem to have this problem with McCain.
That aint likely.
Ooooooooh now that’s an outrage (*drool drool drool*).
He didn’t correct himself, so I assume he didn’t even realise he was saying it. Has he attempted to explain why he was “technically correct”? Is their a pattern?
Gee CM gets something completely wrong again. Not surprising since he completely lacks any real comprehension skills, and didn’t have a writer from Salon explaining to him that its not racism its anti-patriotism. But hey, Obama’s pastor seems to have a nice streak of anti-semitism running through him too, so of course CM will be sticking up for them.
Shifting the goalposts on a topic 20 times like you do though its not surprising you’ve gotten confused.
OMGzors, he’s not patriotic, whatever the hell that means.
I assume that you condemned Romney due to his ties to the Mormon church and their questionable history, much of it recent.
McCain keeps thinking that al-Qaeda is a Shiite, Iranian plot, when in fact its leadership is hyper-Sunni Egyptians and Saudis.
He also thinks that al-Qaeda would take over Iraq if the US left. But they are not even popular in most Sunni Arab areas. As for the Shiites, they are a majority of Iraqis and they hate al-Qaeda (which has massacred Shiites), and they would just crush it if given the opportunity.
Or he’s playing rope a dope to drive you crazy… because you sort of are drooling on floor here.... need a napkin?
Drooling on the floor? That’s brilliant. If that’s the case then many of you guys must have used up your lifetime supply of drool in the Wright/Obama thread.
That would be one weird game of rope a dope: “I know, I’ll hammer home my foreign policy credentials by establishing a pattern of getting things wrong, or at least appearing to correct myself, or appearing confused - that’ll fox them all”. Hmmmm.........
The drooling seems to come from Joe Lieberman and the Republicans in front of Petreaus and Crocker. Like some type of high school jock-hero worship by the kids in the marching band.
There you go again. Just can’t resist going into a tizzy over it. ;)
What always gets me is how reluctantly the tender poet Iraqis loudly screamdance in the streets, proudly waving their guns everytime they are forced to kill in pure self-defense those who violently support the imperialist Xtian for-profit KKKongloms whilst selfishly and short-sightedly ignoring peak oil, murdering handicapped, sleeping Iraqi in their beds at night, from behind, with silenced lead bullets to the knees and elbows.
I’m sure if I somehow defied the mega corporations’ directives and managed to steal only 5 minutes of their time to communicate in rapt wonder over said earth childrens’ peaceful, kind and nurturing outlook on life, spontaneous poetry would burst forth, and I would be moved to convert to Islam and join the Euro Green Party. I’d likely even be inspired to wear Che T-shirts forthwith, like the discerning Euro Thinkers absorbing myriad foreign cultures whilst vacationing in Tunisia and Ibiza. (They are quite quite good at it even when they’ve soiled their Speedos in a beer-induced, sun-burned stupor. Such is the advantage of true culture ingrained from the womb.)
Just imagine what a neverending lovefest they’d stage if the US allowed oil to become obsolete and tender poet Middle Easteners could once again simply concentrate on being tender poets for love in a more modest, green environment. Cmon, they didn’t know the definition of “terrorism” prior to 9/11. It wasn’t even in their otherwise ancient vocabulary.
I’d be enlightened to where I’d be dangling from a bridge somewhere decrying China’s’ human rights record regarding Tibet. I’d buy anti-US torture stickers for my Prius to raise Awareness.
Yep. Iraq is love. US is hate. Death to the infidel. Go Euro Thinkers.
You know: It never fails to amaze me how these “desperately poor” Arabs all seem to own at least one AK-47 (every male over the age of puberty, I mean) and unlimited bullets. I’m sure that even in the Middle East AK47s and bullets must cost something!
You know: It never fails to amaze me how these “desperately poor” Arabs all seem to own at least one AK-47 (every male over the age of puberty, I mean) and unlimited bullets. I’m sure that even in the Middle East AK47s and bullets must cost something!
Check out those furniture grade walnut stocks. Those babies aren’t cheap.
You know: It never fails to amaze me how these “desperately poor” Arabs all seem to own at least one AK-47 (every male over the age of puberty, I mean) and unlimited bullets. I’m sure that even in the Middle East AK47s and bullets must cost something!
I thought guns were all important to existence and happiness.
You know: It never fails to amaze me how these “desperately poor” Arabs all seem to own at least one AK-47 (every male over the age of puberty, I mean) and unlimited bullets. I’m sure that even in the Middle East AK47s and bullets must cost something!
Apparently Iran supplies them to everyone for free. There’s no need for a black market anymore.
I thought guns were all important to existence and happiness.
The loving, tender, poet German “Red Army Faction” for a better, more Commie/Russki-based, less for-profit McDonald’s poisoned Krautland thought so:
Nowadays, when set by tender poets for peace and love, fire can actually lower global warming:
An Iraqi man celebrates atop a burning U.S. Humvee after an explosion that destroyed a building and set four Humvees on fire, killing at least one U.S. soldier.
Somebody gift the guy with a Che T-shirt. Cmon, its all in good fun.
This T will get even the most typically inspid, clueless, culture-free gringo Ami laid over in Europe, because its all about rock and roll, and Thinking, and stuff, over there:
Brigade Rosse Shirt
Replica Brigade Rosse t-shirt, as worn by Joe Strummer of the Clash in the film Rude Boy. Rock ‘N Roll was never the same after the Clash was done. Were they the only band that mattered? If you beleive this is true, our Brigade Rosse tee is a must for you. Don’t let the rock die, roll out with this cotton on your back. $ 18.99
Hugo Chavez is not a friend of ours, but he does come up with some good ideas. As reported in the Wall Street Journal ("Venezuela Passes New Oil Tax” 04.16.08), on Tuesday, at his direction, Venezuela’s National Assembly passed an oil windfall profits tax that will be assessed against all of Venezuela’s oil producers ranging from the state oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela and extending to its foreign partners such as BP, Chevron, Total, etc.
The tax is levied when the price of benchmark Brent crude rises above $70/barrel. The state will take 50% of the difference between this level and the monthly average of the final sales price above the $70 level. As the price exceeds $100, the government’s participation rises to 60%.
Before you have Adam Smith turning over in his grave, consider the following. Were the price of oil a true reflection of market forces your point would be well taken. But patently, it is not. It is a manipulated price, the result of collusion of the OPEC cartel as Venezuela knows well, being one of OPEC’s most hawkish members. There are further strong indications (Congress, when are you going to investigate this seriously) that the price of oil is being pushed ever higher by targeted trading in the commodity pits. And now with the rise of sovereign wealth funds, the one way direction of oil price trading becomes even more suspect (please see “Oil at $111 a Barrel. We Are Being ‘Sovereignly Screwed’”, 03.17.08)
In any case we are dealing with a commodity that has left all ballast of free market determination far behind. The results are profits for oil companies that are so egregious that they surpass all definition of “windfall profits”. If monopoly collusion is viewed by our laws as illegal, then the monopoly/cartel induced oil prices we are currently experiencing and paying for at the pump are in effect crooked profits and it is time our government acts to redress this injustice visited on all of us, and finally begins to level the playing field.
How ironic, in our ongoing saga with the oil barons, we need Hugo to show us the way.
