by Mark Silva
Republican Sen. John McCain, who has been urging the White House to support a significant new troop deployment in Afghanistan, says he is "past being a bit angry.''
"I'm disappointed that we haven't made a decision,'' McCain (R-Ariz.), said in an appearance on FOX & Friends this morning. "The fact is, we already have men and women over there, and, the longer we delay in sending them the needed resources they need, the greater danger they are in. And, that is just a fundamental fact of warfare."
President Barack Obama is considering the recommendations of Gen. Stanley McChrystal for a deployment of tens of thousands of additional troops in Afghanistan. The president has met for weeks with senior military and national security advisers, and plans to leave Nov. 11 for an annual APEC summit in Asia.
McCain, who challenged Obama for the White House, has been urging him publicly to accept McChrystal's strategy for the way forward after eight years of war in Afghanistan, where the U.S. already has deployed nearly 70,000 troops, including a boost of 21,000 this year
"I am past being a bit angry, I am just very disappointed,'' McCain said today. "I hope the president will make the right decision soon and believe me I also want to emphasize, half measures won't work."
Former Vice President Dick Cheney has been even more outspoken about the White House's decision-making, accusing Obama of "dithering'' with the decision." What Vice President Cheney calls dithering,'' White House spokesman Robert Gibbs has said, "President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and the American public. I think we've all seen what happens when somebody doesn't take that responsibility serious.''
Obama senior adviser David Axelrod and others have said that the president is taking time with a consideration which would not result in any immediate deployment even if it were authorized. The White House has been considering a number of factors, including the fitness of the government in Afghanistan, where the presidential election was settled only this week with the withdrawal of a challenger to President Hamid Karzai.
"I appreciate Mr. Axelrod's talents,'' said McCain, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and retired Naval pilot who was imprisoned in Vietnam for five and a half years. "I don't know what his credentials on military deployments are, but the fact is that every day you delay will be another day until they get there and that's just an indisputable fact."
"The signal we send to our allies with this delay and the signals we send to our enemies as to whether we will be steadfast,'' McCain said. "The other countries over there, if we leave the neighborhood, they have to stay in the neighborhood and accommodate.
" I just hope the president will make the right decision soon,'' the Republican senator said. "I intend to support him when he does."
Comments
Hey, " Crash " McCain, why don't you and the Republican-Libertarian Calvary charge on over to Afghanistan? You want war, than go and fight in it !! That should be the golden rule of statesmanship: Those who promote war, must fight in it !! Let's see how fast we see the good old peaceniks, once again !! Make love, not war !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | November 5, 2009 10:59 AM
Grandpa McCain is 'very disappointed'. Well isn't that too bad. I say, let McCain and all other elected and non elected patriotic Republicans and others who support his stance on Afghanistan ship on over there and fight the Islamic extremists. Give them each a loaded M-16 and get them over there. And take the draft dodgers, Limpbaugh, O'Reilly, Weinerface Savage, Butthead Beck, and Cheney with you.
Posted by: Doug R. | November 5, 2009 11:25 AM
Hey, Obama has had only 8 months to consider the strategy in Afghanistan, which he championed. What do you expect from a "decision-maker" who voted 126 times as "present" in the state Senate? Empty suit? No, empty head is more like it.
Posted by: McKinley | November 5, 2009 11:39 AM
So, the same goes for the Warmonger Obama? The presidential candidate that promised Afghanistan would be his priority, unlike the Bush administrations dilly dallying around and forgetting the reason we're there? The current President who back in March (that's eight months ago for you to consider Don) said he "Had The Plan" for Afghanistan and part of that plan was increasing the existing troop count by another 21,000 soldiers! which he did Don - even though you keep beggin him not to!
Don, you have such a hate for all things Republican and that terrible diaper rash you call Bush in your shorts, you can't smell the stench coming from your messiah Obama. You've been lied to over and over again and still can't get it?
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Hey, " Crash " McCain, why don't you and the Republican-Libertarian Calvary charge on over to Afghanistan? You want war, than go and fight in it !! That should be the golden rule of statesmanship: Those who promote war, must fight in it !! Let's see how fast we see the good old peaceniks, once again !! Make love, not war !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | November 5, 2009 10:59 AM
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Well Don, you voted for this guy who told you he was going to "Get Busy" in Afghanistan and now you're not happy being lied to but just can't bring yourself to admiting it! It's Obama's War and he ain't listening to you Don although I wish he would and just bring them all home. I'm just not as dumb as you in thinking my message would ever get through.
This is about Politics and Polls, Votes and Money to Obama. You must be very proud of helping put him in the White House huh?
Posted by: springfield | November 5, 2009 11:51 AM
And take the draft dodgers, Limpbaugh, O'Reilly, Weinerface Savage, Butthead Beck, and Cheney with you.
Posted by: Doug R. | November 5, 2009 11:25 AM
Ahhhh . . . the "diversity" loving (as long as "they" march in lock step with UltraLib "ideals") Lefties are showing us all of their usual "compassion"
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Keep up the good work, ladies. 2010 here we come!!!!!
Posted by: Billy Mobbie | November 5, 2009 11:52 AM
Ahhh, Don and Dougie spout their usual inane hate and ignorance.
Anyway, it is apparent that the Man-Boy Prez is clueless and incapable of making the proper decsions.
Posted by: John D, still right, as usual | November 5, 2009 12:20 PM
"I am past being a bit angry, I am just very disappointed,'' McCain said today.
McCain is always angry, which is why he can't be relied upon to know what's rational. Nothing he says merits consideration because he's no longer the man of nine years ago, someone who could be trusted to make wise, principled decisions. He's too old to remember what others haven't forgotten which is that in his desperate bid for the presidency, The Maverick abandoned what he formerly stood for and he did it for a party that despises him. What now comes out of his mouth has underpinnings of ambition. So, if anything is a "disappointment," it's that McCain ceased being a man of integrity who can be trusted to make the right moves on issues of foreign policy.
Posted by: Diane | November 5, 2009 12:20 PM
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | November 5, 2009 10:59 AM
&
Posted by: Doug R. | November 5, 2009 11:25 AM
Don/Doug- Could you two twin towers of ignorance and stupidity be any more clueless? Quick update for you...We are already at war in Afghanistan-we already have soldiers in place that need help completing the mission... if Obama is not willing to listen to the guys he put in charge of coming up with a solution to winning the war he needs to pull everyone out now..
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Remember Obama the campaigner saying that Afghanistan was the right war, and then claiming to have "comprehensive strategy" in place last March, and then as recently as August claimimg that Afghanistan was a war of necessity? Nothing has changed on the ground other than the place is becoming more dangerous by the day-
The only thing that has changed is that the ditherer in chief is now confronted with a real decision where he cannot vote present... hoping that somehow, someway he can find some political cover.
Posted by: heartburn | November 5, 2009 12:28 PM
If I may interject, McCain might be known for his trips to the market, with and sans bulletproof vest, but he did see a need to alter strategy during stay the course, and backed the unpopular surge that was effective in getting us to here and now Iraq. When it comes to the military strategy, and when his strategy is largely unpopular by the left and right, I tend to have confidence in his cannery calls from inside the mine.
Posted by: wombat | November 5, 2009 12:51 PM
What does Gramps McCain know about warfare? He did the complete opposite of what they train you to do in his tour of duty. Wrecked some planes, caused a fire on an aircraft carrier and then allowed himself to be captured. I'd rather get advice from an accomplished soldier.
Posted by: bobby backpeddle | November 5, 2009 12:57 PM
What the Hell! McCain says he is past being angry? Maybe he should have sat down with Bush and Cheney seven years ago and sorted this thing out. Did you want Obama to make a decision before or after the crooked election in Afganistan? Maybe we should consult Mr. Cheney or his daughter? Remember the Republicans never do anything for this country they only do things to this country! whiteagle38
Posted by: Raymond L. Juneau | November 6, 2009 9:45 PM
I hear on the back channel that McCain is so mad he's gonna hop up and down on one leg in circles, close one eye and fart all at the same time.
Posted by: C.Morrisā§ | November 7, 2009 8:49 PM
It occurs to me that perhaps, had Mr. McCain NOT been in the active service of the US Navy during the Vietnam debacle that just perhaps we might have prevailed?
Posted by: T. Herman Zweibel | November 8, 2009 7:44 PM