1993 John McCain Battles 2008 John McCain

John McCain's faux gravitation to the right during his most recent campaign is readily apparent. What has been lacking, however, is any significantly-deep look into just what that entails. While at times McCain seems to be looking through his notes to see what his positions are supposed to be, it is McCain's own words which may do him the most harm. You Tube never forgets.

On Somalia:



Priceless

Transcripts below the fold

In 2008, he's campaigning as the war candidate, but in 1993 he was making the exact case opponents of the Iraq war are making now. It's uncanny.

Mr. President, there is no reason for the United States of America to remain in Somalia. The American people want them home, I believe that the majority of Congress wants them home, and to set an artificial date of March 31 or even February 1st, in my view, is not acceptable. The criteria should be to bring them home as rapidly and safely as possible.

Check.

What's the criteria and what should be the criteria is our immediate, orderly withdrawal from Somalia. And if we don't do that, and other Americans die, other Americans are wounded, other Americans are captured, because we stayed too long, longer than necessary, then I would say that the responsibilities for that lie with the Congress of the United States who did not excercise their authority under the Constitution of the United States and mandate that they be brought home as quickly and safely as possible.

What is this...Constitution...you speak of?

But the mission which the American people supported and this Congress supported, in an overwhelming resolution, has been accomplished. The American people did not support the goals of nation-building, peacemaking, law and order and certainly not warlord funding. For us to get into nation-building, law and order, etc, I think is a tragic and terrible mistake.

Amen.

But the argument that somehow the United States would suffer a loss to our prestige and our viability, as far as the No. 1 superpower in the world, I think, is baloney. The fact is, what can hurt our prestige, Mr. President, I'll tell you what can hurt our viability, as the world's superpower, and that is, if we inmesh ourselves in a drawn-out situation, which entails the loss of American lives...

Absolutely. Unbelievable.

But that's not all. In 1994, he takes on the US presence in Haiti.

The right course of action is to make preparations as quickly as possible to bring our people home. It does not mean as soon as order is restored to Haiti, it doesn't mean as soon as Democracy is flourishing in Haiti, it doesn't mean as soon as we've established a viable nation in Haiti, as soon as possible means as soon as we can get out of Haiti without losing any American lives. Now there may be different interpretations of this Resolution on the other side but it is my view and I want to make it clear and I think the majority of the American people's view that as soon as possible means as soon as possible.

Wow.

These two videos really speak for themselves, but humor me as we count the arguments McCain goes through on his way to laying out the 2008 case against the Iraq war.

• The American people want the troops home
• The US military is not a police force
• The goals of the resolution authorizing US action had been accomplished
• Immediate withdrawal
• No loss of US prestige
  

He literally walks through the entire catalog of reasons for the Iraq withdrawal twice in two years. This is the exact thinking he thinks presents a danger to America. And. It's. His. Own.

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