Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told CNN’s State of the Union, in an interview taped Friday and aired today, that President Obama “waited too long” to address the Libyan crisis. “There is no doubt in my mind about it,” he said. “But now, it is what it is.” Still, he emphasized, “We need now to support him.”
McCain “regrets” that President Obama did not initiate a no-fly zone sooner. “If we had taken this step a couple of weeks ago, a no-fly zone would probably have been enough,” he said. “Now, a no-fly zone is not enough. There needs to be other efforts made.”
But the former GOP presidential nominee ruled out using American ground troops. “I want to preclude ground troops,” he said. “That is not what we are talking about.”
The silver lining here is that conservatives are not stuck defending a President McCain. But it's cold comfort that he understands as little about this as Obama appears to understand. But in Obama's defense, he doesn't really care that he doesn't understand what he's doing. He's only interested in pursuing his own evanescent purposes and sees everything as a potential road to them. But the conservatives who urged this president to take military steroids are likely to regret it soon enough.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's hard to make sense of McCain's increasingly incoherent TV ramblings: A no-fly zone instituted a couple of weeks ago would probably have been enough?
Enough for what? To keep a tyrannical government in place but prevented from attacking its own people?
And for how long would the U.S. - presumably out on its own - be expected to maintain this zone and on whose dime?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI was thinking the Republicans ought to write a resolution in support of the President, and bring it to a vote in the House and Senate.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt doesn't need any language about reasons or justification, only support for our Commander in Chief in waging war.
This would force the Democrats, many, I am sure, who would rather not be on record supporting military action, to vote for their man or be on record voting against him.
I concur with McPhillips that at least it is not McCain leading this idiocy. Sadly it confirms that neither party understands the proper use of the military.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI certainly didn't vote for Obama, and I'm so glad I didn't vote for McMilitary either. Go away, John. The USA is in its final stage of domestic decline, having nothing to do but random armed adventures in remote places. Think Rome, fourth century.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMcCain and Graham have ruined all Republican credibility on foreign policy. Remember the nonsense "We are all Georgians"? And Georgians at least like us.
I can't want to see their retirement.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI think Rome 1st century.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt is really too bad McCain got reelected to the senate. How did he become the Republican presidential nominee last election?
There is absolutely no obligation to support the president in an undeclared war that he initiates without first consulting with congress, let alone permitting congress to vote on the war before starting the war. It is an abdication of responsibility by congress to let Obama get away with this. Congress is happy to abdicate its constitutional duty because they don't want to go on record (by voting).
This war is a bad idea and will probably not end well. The USA needs to stop getting into these very expensive, avoidable wars.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbusePalin wanted US to act few weeks ago
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McCain's comment make perfect sense. If we had acting a few weeks ago, the rebel forces may have been able to defeat Gaddafi. At this point Gaddafi was on the verge of destroying the rebellion. Early on we could have stopped him from using his superior air power against the rebellion.
Now the country's rebel forces are spent, and infrastructure has been destroyed. Now what will be done? Hopefully, French troops, blue helmets or AU forces will be able to stablize the country post Gaddafi. If we had acted sooner perhaps French troops, Blue helmets or the AU would not be needed.
(Blue helmets - UN soldiers, AU - African Union soldiers)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'm not one to defend Obama but ...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abusehe can always say he moved at the same time as our allies - and that they all waited for U.N. approval. It sounds reasonable enough. The most important outcome is that we don't get involved in more nation building. And that remains to be seen.
Better late than never, Johnny.
PS - I just learned addition without counting on my fingers and they changed the authentication thingy. Kind of sucks.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIf Obama waited too long, where was McCain a week ago?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI happen to agree with the former GOP joke of a presidential nominee, but McCain is like so many other senators scoring political points after the fact instead of actually leading. Could he not have started a senate initiative to authorize the use of force in Libya? At least then Obama would have the necessary constitutional authority (had it passed), and at least the orders for our military would originate from our own country and not the UN.
A multilateral force is great to have in this situation, but since the US always carries the heaviest burden we need to be in the lead, not at the beck and call of the UN.