7
Straight Talk
John McCain must really be getting desperate. He’s now using Drudge to deliver his spin to the wingnutosphere:
Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says he misspoke in comments he made about security in Baghdad and acknowledged that heavily armed troops and helicopter gunships accompanied him when he visited a market there.
You don’t say.
McCain tells this to Scott Pelley in his first interview since the visit for a 60 MINUTES report that will include the only video camera footage of McCain’s market visit, to be broadcast Sunday, April 8 (7:00-8:00 PM, ET/PT).
In two interviews before the Army took McCain and 60 MINUTES on the heavily guarded visit to the al-Shorja market last Sunday, the senator said security had improved in Iraq. Upon his return, he also told a news conference he had just come back from a neighborhood one could walk around in freely. The remarks made headlines and he now regrets saying them. “Of course I am going to misspeak and I’ve done it on numerous occasions and I probably will do it in the future,” says McCain. “I regret that when I divert attention to something I said from my message, but you know, that’s just life,” he tells Pelley, adding, “I’m happy, frankly, with the way I operate, otherwise it would be a lot less fun.”
I agree. McCain’s clowing has been a ton of fun to laugh at.
He continues to maintain that the president’s surge policy has improved safety in Baghdad. “I can understand why [the Army] would provide me with that security, but I can tell you that if it had been two months ago and I’d asked to do it, they would have said, ‘Under no circumstances whatsoever.’ I view that as a sign of progress,” says McCain.
“The fact that I was able to walk around for five minutes guarded by heavily-armed troops and helicopter gunships and not get blown up by insurgents is a sign of progress!” Get outta here, ya maniac!
Continuing America’s military presence in Iraq has been a key position in McCain’s presidential bid. He says he knows he is out of step with the rest of the country. “I believe we can succeed and I believe that the consequences of failure are catastrophic,” he tells Pelley. “I disagree with what the majority of the American people want. Failure [in Iraq] will lead to chaos, withdrawal will lead to chaos,” McCain says.
In other words, McCain will need 50 more troops and an extra gunship to guard him if we withdraw from Iraq.
It’s still early in the 2008 race, but I’m pretty ready to declare St. McCain’s candidacy dead on arrival.
El Cid said,
April 7, 2007 at 3:54
I just returned from a stroll through certain neighborhoods of [name a big city] which are oft reputed to be troubled, and I and my retinue of 500 SWAT members and snipers and helicopters and armored personnel carriers all felt like we could move about freely. I don’t see why people complain about crime, I didn’t feel threatened at all.
steve_e said,
April 7, 2007 at 4:04
Ok, going on 60 Minutes will only make matters worse. It’s like he’s trying to lose. Every campaign move he’s made has ended awkwardly.
The media can’t even vouch for the maverick moderate straight-talking centrist war vet McCain anymore.
Times, they are a changin’.
ifthethunderdontgetyaâ„¢ said,
April 7, 2007 at 4:05
I remember going to Katz’s a couple a times. Neighborhood musta been safer, back then.
a different brad said,
April 7, 2007 at 4:22
McCain is showing his age with that “disguise” ittdgy. Katz’s is a museum piece in completely whitewashed and (re)gentrified LES.
Tonic closes the 13th. Rent’s way, way up and new hipster yuppie glass pyramid apartment buildings have taken over.
And I had thought the whole tact might have been secret brilliance by McCain. The repub core is used to clueless failures. But he failed even at that. Maybe it’s still secret tactical brilliance. Out failing the failures.
ifthethunderdontgetyaâ„¢ said,
April 7, 2007 at 4:44
Back when I visited the lower east side, my primary destinations were Sophie’s (5th between A and B), and A2 (also known as the Betty Ford clinic, located at avenue A and 2nd).
Good times. I spent over two decades in NYC. And I do mean spent.
Time flies like the wind, fruit flies like bananas, etc.
Steve said,
April 7, 2007 at 6:01
McCain isn’t totally dishonest. At least he admits that the majority of Americans disagree with him, unlike Bush who continues to insist that he’s riding on a tidal wave of public opinion, bitches!
¡El Gato Negro! said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:45
“I’m happy, frankly, with the way I operate, otherwise it would be a lot less fun.”
I agree. McCain’s clowning has been a ton of fun to laugh at.
¡Ohhhhh, si!
Por ejemplo:
¡Ah! The Frog-Faced Stranger Who Will Lead Us to The Magic Kingdom!
so.
Qetesh the Pink Abyssinian said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:46
Presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) says he misspoke
I have to stick my paw in here and say that the word ‘misspoke’ makes all my fur stand on end. It’s such a bastard of a word, and it was coined, as far as I can tell, by Cheney, so it’s drenched in evil from birth.
What does the damn thing mean? Is it that McCain opened his mouth and all these words just fell out? Does he suffer from Tourettes? Did he really mean to say “Hell, that Baghdad is about the scariest place I’ve ever been, and I’ve been some scary places!” and accidentally said “No, Baghdad is cool, and me and my 500 heavily-armed homies all had a blast! Ooh, sorry, should I say blast?” Did he accidentally channel aliens from the planet Zorg? What?
I mean, at least with Cheney, you were relatively sure of the meaning. Any time Cheney admitted to ‘misspeaking’, the translation was “I got caught in a flagrant lie, and even now I’m still beating out the flames in my underpantery, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to admit it”.
But what about McCain? Or does he really think that marching around with 500 armed dudes and several helicopter gunships aloft is just the way everyone does things in furr’n countries?
Steve, I do agree with you, though: McCain at least deserves a few ‘honest and aware’ points, unlike Bush, who seems to be off with the fairies the whole time.
Retarded Donut said,
April 7, 2007 at 9:53
“Misspeaking” is something that Republicans do, and it proves they are regular guys who you wanna have beer with. (Although I don’t think McCain needs any more beer.)
Now when a Democrat is said (by a Republican) to have said something iffy (that he often didn’t really say), then it proves Democrats are flip-flopping liars and divisive figures who only want to get elected. (See Gore, Al, inventing the Internet, or Kerry, John, dissing the troops)
Col. Klink said,
April 7, 2007 at 10:05
I used to live on 9th and B on Tompkins Square Park way back when it was a shithole, but rent only cost $600 a month. I never had an armed escort like McCain. Wish I had.
Marq said,
April 7, 2007 at 10:09
Did somebody call my name?
Right. On to business, then.
“clowing”?!
“clowing“!?
Hmm… cloning? No, no–Republican’ts don’t like that…
Cleaning? Cleesing? No… clamping? Agh! No! Feh!
Climbing? Clenis? Columbia? Cracker Jack®? Closing? Cleavage? Collagen? Classic Rawk? Colostomy bag? Cracker Barrel? Chickenhawk? Churlish? Chrysanthemum? Corgi? Carp? Cillian Murphy? Cobra? C.O.B.R.A.? Cretin? Cunting whore? Chimp? Croc? Cleavland Steamer?
Oh! I know! Pelican!
Gary Ruppertpupkin said,
April 7, 2007 at 10:13
The fact is, Senator McCain is a comic genius and you liberals are only jealous of his talent.
Qetesh the Pink Abyssinian said,
April 7, 2007 at 10:48
Now when a Democrat is said (by a Republican) to have said something iffy (that he often didn’t really say), then it proves Democrats are flip-flopping liars and divisive figures who only want to get elected.
Whereas when a Republican does it, it’s because they’re disgusting vermin with the morals of a maggot?
the_millionare_lebowski said,
April 7, 2007 at 10:49
Since McCain is doing clearly the opposite of what he claims to do (“Straight Talk”™), can we now say that he “Gay Talks”®?
Qetesh the Pink Abyssinian said,
April 7, 2007 at 12:05
lebowski, I believe you may be right. Well spotted.
Nice change, really.
El Cid said,
April 7, 2007 at 16:47
John McCain: Fake Talk Excess.
Smiling Mortician said,
April 7, 2007 at 16:54
At least he admits that the majority of Americans disagree with him
Steve, it may be a subtle distinction, but what McCain actually said is I disagree with what the majority of the American people want.
Which I look forward to seeing as the sound bite that fuels his campaign. What a yutz. How wrapped up in your own self-important head do you have to be to say something like that?
billy pilgrim said,
April 7, 2007 at 17:01
Who’d a thought that Saint John McCain would self-destruct this early?
Now the question is, how long will the news media’s love affair with the “Maverick” continue to prop him up?
Dan Someone said,
April 7, 2007 at 17:15
Failure [in Iraq] will lead to chaos, withdrawal will lead to chaos,� McCain says.
In my dream edition of the Drudge Report, there was one more sentence after this in that paragraph: “Staying [in Iraq],” McCain continued, “will lead to chaos. I am fucked if I know what to do.”
What? None of you have dream editions of the Drudge Report?
Side note to Qetesh re “misspoke”: I think it’s actually only a matter of time before Cheney the Necromancer revives the corpse of Ron Ziegler to start telling the American public that certain statements of prominent Republicans are “not operative.”
Mo's Bike Shop said,
April 7, 2007 at 17:37
Well, if there is a silver lining to this whole story – that photo of McCain in Baghdad does at least reassure me that Man-At-Arms was able to find work after He-Man and She-Ra ceased production.
n
Rufus said,
April 7, 2007 at 18:48
My fellow Americans, I stand before you today, knowing that I disagree with what a majority of you want our country to do about the situation in Iraq. Nevertheless, I hope you elect me President, so I can do what I want to do, and not what you would want me to do as President. Perhaps once you see how great it is in Iraq for anyone with access to a heavily armed escort, you will be brought around to my way of thinking.
skippy said,
April 7, 2007 at 18:57
of course i am going to misspeak and i’ve done it on numerous occasions and i probably will do it in the future,
at least he’s got a plan.
mikey said,
April 7, 2007 at 20:44
How come when McCain “misspeaks” he gets on television, and when I “misspeak” I usually get punched in the mouth?
Maybe if I was a Republican?
mikey
Detlef said,
April 7, 2007 at 22:30
This is a funny answer to McCain.
“Baghdad in the Midwest cornfields”
h/t to hilzoy at Obsidian Wings.
mdhåtter said,
April 8, 2007 at 3:51
I’m sorry I sometimes totally misrepresent facts.
“Oopsie” seems to cover it.
No big deal, i mean, what more could you expect from a president?
Forrest said,
April 9, 2007 at 0:24
Wait a second…
“If it had been two months ago and I’d asked to do it, they would have said, ‘Under no circumstances whatsoever.’ ”
…didn’t he announce his candidacy only about one month ago, on Letterman?
Of course, only a cynic would say that a congressperson is one thing, but a presidential candidate is another.
Realist said,
April 9, 2007 at 18:55
Hmmmm. “Misspoke” did he? Better haul out the GOP Unabridged Dictionary for that one:
MISSPOKE: (v) lied, prevaricated, fibbed, falsified, deceived, misrepresented.