OMG Iran is training al-Qaeda!

I wrote a previous diary about McCain deliberately twisting Obama's words on Pakistan. But now I'm seriously wondering if he even understood what Obama was saying.

First, a little back history  

OBAMA: There are terrorists holed up in those mountains who murdered 3,000 Americans. They are plotting to strike again. If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and [Pakistani] President Pervez Musharraf won't act, we will.

So in response McCain says: "Or will we risk the confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate who once suggested bombing our ally, Pakistan"

...as if Obama suggested he would go after the country of Pakistan. A deliberate and dishonest account of what was actually said, or is he just getting senile?

Let's continue

We're all well aware of this exchange so I want you to focus entirely on that segment with McCain (10 seconds into the video). Watch it again and pay close attention to his arrogant, condescending attitude toward Obama. Watch how McCain blinks his eyes and shakes his head in supposed disbelief, as if to say "what are you stupid?" And watch as his little followers all chuckle.

Let's continue

You wouldn't suppose McCain, who is running on experience, wouldn't know THE FRICKING BASICS! like Iran is mostly Shiite and al-Qaeda is Suni... would you?

John McCain, I don't even scratch the surface of being qualified to be President. And even I am blinking my eyes and shaking my head in disbelief.

•  Tip Jar

  by USArmyParatrooper on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:21:13 AM PDT

  •  Dems are digging themselves into rhetorical hole

    with this harping on supposed "McCain gaffe."

    McCain was not betraying his ignorance in saying, "Iran is training Al Qaeda."  

    He was tipping the administration's hand:  that is the argument the admin will use to sell the coming war on Iran.

    the evidence will be supplied from documents Judy Fenner & Phil Zelikow uncovered in NSA files in the last days before Zelikow completed the 'fix' of the 9/11 Commission report.  Philip Shenon reported on the "surprising" discovery of this "goldmine" of documents in "The Commission:  The UNCENSORED History of the 9/11 Commission," published in 2008.

    by MozartVio5 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:28:22 AM PDT

    •  Um....

      McCain was not betraying his ignorance in saying, "Iran is training Al Qaeda."

      After claiming "it's common knowledge" he abruptly corrected himself after being corrected by Lieberman. He wasn't even a gaff, it was ignorance.

      by USArmyParatrooper on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:36:47 AM PDT

      •  asdf

        the administration and the neocons think they have smoking guns.

        I copied much of two pages from Shenon's book in a comment to an earlier diary along the same vein:  "McCain is ignorant....he thinks Iran is training AlQaeda...he is ignorant because everybody knows Iran is Shiite and AlQaeda is Sunni."

        But that slam-dunk "refutation" of McCain's statement is in itself misinformed:  The administration DOES have documents that they will use to convince themselves and the American people that Iran IS training AlQaeda.  McCain knows this.  Philip Zelikow knows this -- he's read the documents.

        It is not very intelligent for Dems to think they've scored points for pointing out McCain's supposed ignorance; the neocons think they have proof that Iran DID and/or IS cooperating with Al Qaeda.

        It would be far more intelligent to find a way to force McCain to say WHY he said, "Iran is training Al Qaeda," and force Lieberman to say why he corrected McCain.

        Why doesn 't Lieberman want it to be known that Philip Zelikow and the administration have information that they think proves that Iran is training Al Qaeda?

        capisco?

        by MozartVio5 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:45:39 AM PDT

        •  That doesn't make sense

          If it wasn't a gaff then why did McCain correct himself, and uncomfortably so?

          by USArmyParatrooper on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:47:49 AM PDT

        •  well, the same folks convinced themselves

          that Al Qaida was in league with Saddam Hussein, improbable as that sounded on its face. And what do you know, it turned out not to be true.

          How many tries are we going to give them to get something right for a change?

          by elmo on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:56:38 AM PDT

  •  NO tip, USArmy; you've got it wrong

    by MozartVio5 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:29:36 AM PDT

    •  For starters

      Would you care to elaborate a little?

      Also, I don't care about tips, "online mojo" or anything of the like. I only add a tip jar because prominent members insist on it.

      by USArmyParatrooper on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:38:51 AM PDT

      •  see above

        by MozartVio5 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:46:18 AM PDT

        •  Thanks for reminding me

          I'd missed the tip jar and had to go back and get it.

          by DaNang65 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 11:06:02 AM PDT

        •  so Dems will lose neo-con vote? bwa-

          haha!

          Earth to MozartVio5: Dems have small chances with non-reality based folks.

          However, the tide turned and an increasing number of voters is keen to have some reality based policies.  And if neo-cons think that they have "inconrovertible proofs", well, this is THEIR problem.

          Besides, why McCain corrected himself on the advise of Lieberman?  Lieberman is as neo-con as they come, except he is not senile.

          by Piotr on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 11:08:10 AM PDT

          •  cheeezus h kreist

            that is the frickin point:  LIEBERMAN knows the marketing plan for soon to be on your teevee Iran war.

            Lieberman knows because he part of the cabal that wants it REAL BAD.   Why do the neocons want a war on Iran?  Same reason they wanted war on Iraq:  back to Salon.com: how Chalabi conned the neocons:  Chalabi promised Doug Feith that if the US toppled Saddam & put Chalabi in charge of Iraq, Iraq would then be amenable to running that little pipeline-thingy from Kirkuk to Haifa.  

            The battle between Israel and Iran (with Bush as the dupe, US military as puppets, US taxpayers as financiers) is Bibi Netanyahu's bid to regain for Israel the multibillion dollar oil concession Israel had going with Iran until Khomeini turned off the tap, AND until Iran won a massive lawsuit against Israel which Israel refuses to pay.

            In "The Commission," Philip Shenon dedicates three pages to how Philip Zelikow found out about NSA documents purportedly linking Iran to Al Qaeda.  Yes.  Shiite Iran.  to Sunni Al Queda.  but but but... sputter away; that's the evidence the neocons think they have to sell the frickin war. McCain knows this. Lieberman knows this.

            But IT'S NOT THE RIGHT TIME to roll out the marketing plan for Iran, the War; that's why Lieberman had to shut up McCain.  McCain was NOT being stupid, he was committing the worst crime of all for a warrior:  Loose lips.  

            by MozartVio5 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 12:50:07 PM PDT

            •  making sense != correct

              So you start with a factual observation: both Israeli establishment and our neo-cons have an "obsession" to "solve the problem of Iran".

              It does not alter the fact that al-Qaeda are not just "some Sunni", but they are Sunnis who blow up Shia by hundreds, including one of the most sacred shrines, and in Iraq radical Shia and Sunni hate each other more than they hate us, and Iran has connection with Shia radicals (although they pet politicians/warlords are actually moderate).

              So what McCain said is manifestly implausible.  And who will find plausible apart from neo-cons and people who think that the only way to secure Israel is through a complete military domination of the region (and who think that this is exactly the thing to do).  I have hard time figuring it out.

              So, McCain says a false thing, in Amman where the audience is intimately familiar with the context.  In what sense that was not stupid?  Politically, this is a lead balloon.  And launching lead balloons is not the sin of "loose lips" but idiocy, if the task at hand is an election with a war-weary public.

              by Piotr on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 01:12:13 PM PDT

              •  that's all you need to know

                And who will find plausible apart from neo-cons and people who think that the only way to secure Israel is through a complete military domination of the region (and who think that this is exactly the thing to do).  

                who do you think McCain is pandering to, Gingerich's gay daughter?

                He just visited Israel.
                Israel hates Hezbollah more than they hate....well, hard to complete that analogy.

                Iran's nuclear technology is not the problem--David Wurmser said that in a round table in advance of the Annapolis conference.

                Iran "meddling" in Iraq is a joke; Ahmadinejad cruises down the streets of Baghdad in a car; Cheney crawls in wearing his wife's wig & girdle. Of course Iran is involved in Iraq, for a million reasons:  some bad Iranians are probably exacting vengeance from the Iran-Iraq war; some Iranians profiteers are probably in there to make a few bucks; Ahmadinejad just signed a contract to rebuild part of Baghdad; Iran has built hospitals in Iraq and has pledged to build more.  US has not been able to make the case stick that "we found Iran markings on IEDs" (written in English).

                "I have hard time figuring it out.

                start with $2 + $2.  Or better yet, start with Sheldon Adelson & the Venice casino in Las Vegas; Adelson = Bibi's moneyman; Adelson is 3rd richest person in US; Adelson is fanatically pro-Israel.

                still have a hard time?

                by MozartVio5 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 01:45:28 PM PDT

                •  not so simple

                  If I can decipher what you are saying, it makes sense for McCain to pander to people who are extremely passionate and who do not stint money to politicians they support, while the majority does not care.

                  One thing is that if he continue to mis-speak like that it may cost him a non-trivial amount of votes.

                  The second thing is that the class of people whom you kindly put in bold is actually heterogeneous.  Those of them who are very rich Jews are not so unanimous anymore (were they ever?), I guess that can tell a train wreck after watching it for several years.  Thus Marty Peretz, of all people, sees appealing sides of Obama.  Bloomberg decided to be neutral.   Basically, if USA will have particularly insane policy in Middle East and shit will hit the fan, Israel will be there for the fallout.

                  And Adelson seems a right wing nut, McCain does not need to pander to him.

                  by Piotr on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 02:17:49 PM PDT

                  •  the point I argue

                    is that McCain is not "misspeaking."  He may be speaking prematurely but I would argue that he believes what he says. I don't think he is "ignorant" of the difference between Sunnis and Shiites; I do think democrats are making fools of themselves by braying that that distinction is all that is necessary, or important, to know about the entangled relations between Iran and Iraq.  And not approaching McCain's 'gaffe' from a more intelligent perspective, I believe Democrats will end up looking more foolish than McCain.

                    I most certainly do believe McCain is trying to woo the Jewish vote; so is Obama, so is HRC.  

                    It's hard to see Israel as the fragile victim of US foreign policy "gaffes;" Israel advocates--Doug Feith, Richard Perle-- did their best to bring about war on Iraq AND to benefit Israel from the war on Iraq.  These were not anonymous, non-influential actors, they were persons in positions of huge impact.  And they payoff they bargained for was not for the US, it was for Israel.

                    When Bush says "Iran is a threat to the US and to its allies," he means Iran is a threat Israel.  Bibi Netanyahu ran all over Europe and the US pushing local, state, and national governments to divest from Iran with the goal of bringing Iran to her knees.  

                    by MozartVio5 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 03:37:56 PM PDT

•  LIEberman For President. McCain For Shoe Shiner

  by DFutureIsNow on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:22:45 AM PDT

•  BREAKING: McCain says the Vatican is training...

  ...the Protestant militias in Northern Ireland!

  by Finck II on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:23:42 AM PDT

  •  Everyone knows the Orange Marchers are Catholic

    snarkety snark

    by cskendrick on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:28:58 AM PDT

•  and a Majority of

  AQI Al-Q in Iraq are from Saudi Arabia

  btw:Funky trivia as the Airport code LAX is LA Airport and JFK is the code for NY JFK airport the Airport code for Qaisumah Airport in Saudi Arabia is AQI

  by JML9999 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:25:03 AM PDT

•  What?

  You wouldn't suppose McCain, who is running on experience, wouldn't know THE FRICKING BASICS!

  That is an outrageous assumption.  McCain shouldn't be expected to know something about the world and the threats to us if he wants to be President; he's running for Bush's third term, after all.

  by DH from MD on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:26:06 AM PDT

•  McCain wants to bomb Iran

  to compensate for his surrendering in Vietnam.

  The man just has issues.

  by pacified on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:29:07 AM PDT

  •  Smears against Republicans are

    no more attractive than smears against Democrats. The circumstances of McCain's capture hardly constitutes "surrender" unless you believe every military man should fight to the death in every situation. If that's your belief I will be glad to personally drive you down to the recruiting office.

    by DaNang65 on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 11:11:12 AM PDT

•  BREAKING:McCain says New York is training Red Sox

  by Finck II on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:32:18 AM PDT

  •  Ha!

    Ha! A big Christ Matthews Ha!

    by kingfishstew on Wed Mar 19, 2008 at 10:36:27 AM PDT

    •  "Christ" Matthews?

      Wow. You really are a fan!

      by Finck II on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 03:33:58 AM PDT

      •  Cosmic Keyboard

        Ooops. One typo and there's a new god in town. Got to be careful with my cosmic keyboard!

        by kingfishstew on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 05:27:54 AM PDT

        •  I'm the typo king

          I only pointed this one out because it was, well, pretty funny.

          by Finck II on Thu Mar 20, 2008 at 06:27:33 AM PDT