Neo-Cons and Bolton Flock to McCain Standard
As I noted in my last post, the withdrawal of both Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson would spur neo-conservatives and their closest aggressive nationalist friends, like John Bolton, to rally behind John McCain as their preferred candidate. Of course, now that Romney himself has withdrawn, there hasn’t really much of an alternative, notwithstanding Mike Huckabee’s ardent Christian Zionism. In any event, Jennifer Rubin, a political correspondent at Commentary’s Contentions blog (which has become much more active, if predictable, under John Podhoretz’s editorship), has a good rundown with useful links of the latest endorsements and commentary:
“On Friday at CPAC, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton sung McCain’s praises and then heartily endorsed him on Saturday. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Fred Thompson got on the McCain bandwagon too. The Wall Street Journal’s editors disparaged the notion that social conservatives should sit home or vote for Hillary Clinton ( “What they can’t do with any credibility is claim that helping to elect a liberal President will further the causes that these conservatives claim to believe most deeply in”) while President Reagan’s National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane doesn’t think much of the talk show critics’ suggestion that we hand management of the war over to one of the Democrats. Newt Gingrich recognizes the obvious ( “He’s had a lifetime voting record that’s dramatically more conservative than Clinton and Obama”) and Larry Kudlow voices support as well.
Bill Kristol thinks the anti-McCain sentiment among conservatives is exaggerated, and a simple account from the campaign trail reveals a obvious truth: lots of conservatives have supported McCain all along.”
Of course, McCain’s main foreign-policy spokesman (and NRA lobbyist who, I had a heard a few years ago, got in trouble with the Capitol Police for carrying some kind of firearm where he shouldn’t have), Randy Scheunemann, tends more to the Bolton camp. A former member of the board of directors of the Kristol’s Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and a main founder of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq (CLI), Scheunemann worked for McCain in 2000. (When at one point just before the Iraq war, I clicked on the CLI website and got the website of Ahmed Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress [INC] instead, it was Scheunemann who told me that the two organizations used the same web server, thus tending to confirm the notion that the CLI — whose honorary co-chairs were John McCain and Joe Lieberman — was a Chalabi front organization.) And, as pointed out in a previous post and in a Friday article by McClatchy’s excellent Warren Strobel, former CIA director James Woolsey has signed on to the campaign as an adviser, too. Scheunemann set up the CLI with Bruce Jackson, a long-time friend and protege of Richard Perle’s.
Does this mean John McCain is a neo-con or would necessarily pursue neo-conservative/aggressive nationalist positions if he became president? No. Unlike Bush, he has his own strong views on U.S. foreign policy, not to mention far more foreign-policy experience — and hence confidence — in those views. He also has advisers who tend to the realist category. But it does mean that, like Bush, there would almost certainly be a major power struggle between the two tendencies if he got to the White House. The best relatively recent article on McCain’s foreign-policy evolution, however, suggests that the hawks would definitely enjoy the upper hand. Read John Judis’ October 2006 article in The New Republic entitled “Neo-McCain.”
Visit Lobelog.com for the latest news analysis and commentary from Inter Press News Service’s Washington bureau chief Jim Lobe.
Visit Lobelog.com for the latest news analysis and commentary from Inter Press News Service’s Washington bureau chief Jim Lobe.
Chris Baker
February 10th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
An NRA lobbyist is actually working for McCain? That says a lot about the NRA.
Here are McCain’s ratings from Gun Owners of America:
2000 C–
2002 C–
2004 F–
2006 F–
http://www.gunowners.org/mccaintb.htm
Sam W
February 10th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
These neocons have an uncanny similarity to the Pod People in that 1950’s movie Invasion of the Body Snatchers. They seem to look for a “host” body to take over so they can perpetuate endless war for their bottomless angst over 1938.
Daniel Maxwell
February 10th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Oh no an NRA lobbyist…good! Too bad there are not more of them in Washington.
The author throws that out there as if we are supposed to be aghast of this ‘NRA lobbyist’, a typical leftist boogie-man.
GM
February 10th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I’m beginning to believe those Mayan prophesies that say the world will be coming to an end by 2012.
Joshua Shoenfeld
February 10th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
McCain is even more committed to perpetual war than GW Bush is. McCain is insane and must be stopped!
Joe South
February 10th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I have great respect Senator McCain, but his policies would be a budgetary and military disaster for the United States.
With current spending at $12 billion per month, we need to look for ways to reduce our presence in the mid-east, not take on Iran as well.
As the Senator said about Lebanon in 1981, what is our national interest in confronting Iran? Unless they attempt to cut off oil through Hormuz — which they haven’t — we have no compelling reason to confront them.
They who claim “Iran supports terrorism” fail to note that they don’t (and never have) supported Al Qaeda. The terrorist groups they support have never targeted the US.
A vote for McCain is a vote for war.
And more military intervention.
And then, eventually, national bankruptcy.
If you like George Bush, you’re gonna love President McCain.
Steve
February 10th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
By all means, let’s elect an economic ignoramus and an inveterate warmonger with a violent temper. Just what the country needs!
Are Americans really this spooked about Islamic bogeymen that they would vote for McCain? Whoever said that we should never underestimate (misunderestimate?) the stupidity of the American people had it nailed.
We’re going down hard, folks.
JC
February 10th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Surely, after all the lies,war mongering,murders and every other wrongdoing by the the present administration, America could not possibly vote them in again…could they?
Who in all honesty could vote for these dangerous bastards or their friends again, ever!!
If the above is true, and surely it is, McCain (insane or otherwise) is not an issue.
Stan D. Thomas
February 10th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
People who swallow the mainstream media are generally fatalist and narcissistic. It makes it easier to sell them the “war” message and the “shop and be happy” message. Seems to sell a lot of guns and ammo based on posts around here. Shunning TV and cable news (so-called) seems to have spared me that burden and saved me some money.
peace
February 10th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
A lot are making plans to get out of the USA while the gettings good.
JC
February 10th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
Welcome to Australia then! We have:
Australia wide health scheme which includes people who cannot afford insurance.
A new caring Govt.”just left of centre”
Only snows in the ski fields.
Best climate in the world.
Only 21 million people.
We need skilled workers (even yanks)
Much, much more…
Give the Australian Embassy a call.
sandhead
February 10th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
We need mccain to win this thing. We need more of the same woes that the usa is experiencing. We need the usa to go down. Vote mccain, (although all these caucuses and primary voting is a farce), we need the country bankrupt
Michael
February 11th, 2008 at 1:09 am
ME too.
Joe Allen
February 11th, 2008 at 2:00 am
McCain’s centrism isn’t a coherent political philosophy. It is a split-the-difference strategy from a man who doesn’t have the intellegence to discern the relative merits of any philosophy. McCain is a 120 I.Q. dullard who graduated fifth from the bottom at the US Naval Academy.
richard vajs
February 11th, 2008 at 5:21 am
McCain may be an “economic ignoramus and an inveterate warmonger with a violent temper”, but he is most importantly a new “friend of Israel”, which should explain his resurrection from his dying campaign of last Fall. Israel needs a stooge to replace Moe in the White House and it looks like the Zionists are wanting us elect Curly. This election will ultimately be decided by the candidate who kisses Israel’s butt the most passionately.
ingrate
February 11th, 2008 at 6:05 am
Neo-McCain could be shortened to Neo-Cain.
‘Neo-Cons and Bolton Flock to McCain Standard’ « DetainThis
February 11th, 2008 at 6:14 am
[...] February 11, 2008 By Jim Lobe ∙ AntiWar.com ∙ February 10, 2008 [...]
paulite
February 11th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Sick of hearing about the Islamic-Fascist threat to the US.
We have more weapons of mass destruction than any other country on earth, so why the fear-mongering by McCain and the neocons?
They aren’t really concerned with our safety or progress, only that of other countries, or they would take care of America first.
Gary K.
February 11th, 2008 at 7:20 am
McCain is the second most dangerous man in America, the first in my opinion still being Guiliani. You can bet the neocons still want him and although he might be out of the race for president, they’ll do everything to encourage McCain to take him on as his running mate. Someone must stop these two by ANY means necessary for the sake of world peace.
lester
February 11th, 2008 at 7:44 am
david horowitz has as well
lester
February 11th, 2008 at 7:50 am
He (McCain) understands that the main issue is the war. And social conservatives should be happy, because he is pro-life. He could pull together a new conservative coalition, a winning coalition.”
- CPAC attendee David Horowitz of the Center for Popular Culture, NewsMax, 2/7/08
Jim
February 11th, 2008 at 9:54 am
But your serfs are not allowed to own firearms. No thanks.
brad smith
February 11th, 2008 at 9:54 am
John McCain and Huckabee are both supporters of Rev Hagee. Hagee believes and I quote
“the United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God’s plan for both Israel and the West… a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ.”
Why is Senator McCain seeking political support from an advocate for apocalyptic war ?
Pastor Hagee’s email to members of CUFI :
“CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL
Membership Update
January 29, 2007
Newsflash!
This morning I had an extended breakfast with Senator John McCain of Arizona. Our topic of discussion was Israel and his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States of America.
Senator McCain’s comments concerning Israel are on target! He gets it! While I do not want to put the specifics of our conversation in this update I am glad to report to our leadership and supporters that John McCain is solidly pro-Israel.
We discussed his positions on other matters that I will share with you when I speak with you in person. This newsflash goes to the ends of the earth and I don’t want to read it in the media tomorrow.”
If you have not seen the videos of McCain and Lieberman standing with the Rev Hagee you should. The audience is huge and they are all waving Israeli flags. When McCain and Lieberman state their intent to Bomb Iran for the Chosen people the crowd goes nuts. It is very scary stuff, and trust me they are true believers.
A vote for McCain or Huckabee is a vote for WWIII.
Ashley B
February 11th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I still think the fix is in for an Israeli First president. Sorry guys, but Israel has too many operatives in our government and media.
Stan D.
February 11th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Pro-life cause you can’t kill something that is already dead?
JC
February 11th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Yes we are allowed to own firearms.Target shooting, hunting and the like.
We are just not allowed to shoot our fellow citizens as you in the U.S.seem to have a licence to do!!
Adam Zettler
February 11th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
In a sane world, John Bolton’s endorsement of ANYTHING, I don’t care if its a brand of peanut butter or a Presidential candidate, would be its kiss of death.
lester
February 12th, 2008 at 7:19 am
I call them “Iranasuauus” guys who still talk about Iran post – NIE
Presidential Elections 2008
February 19th, 2008 at 12:47 am
John McCain’s Doublespeak on Iraq John McCain, the Republican candidate running for Presidentship, has gained notoriety for being a flip flopper—he has consistently changed his views and opinions on a number of issues of national interest.