McCain Bashes Panetta, But In 2004 He Said Bin Laden Gave GOP A “Boost”
John McCain has now condemned CIA chief Leon Panetta for suggesting that Dick Cheney might be hoping for another terrorist attack to vindicate his national security policies.
McCain said this morning that Panetta’s comments had crossed a line, adding that he “knows better.”
But McCain himself said the following about the release of a Bin Laden tape on the eve of the 2004 elections:
“Bin Laden may have just given us a little boost. Amazing, huh?”
There’s no direct contradiction between McCain’s condemnation of Panetta for suggesting that Cheney wants another attack and his earlier claim that the Bin Laden tape would help the GOP. The point, though, is that McCain and other Republicans historically are not shy about making the claim that they benefit politically from terrorism.
Dick Cheney himself responded to Panetta right here, for what it’s worth. Meanwhile, the unwillingness of other GOP leaders thus far to step up and defend Cheney remains striking.
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There’s been a growing gap between elected GOOPers and their wingnut peanut gallery. (Witness Soto’s nomination.) The former has to worry about getting re-elected.
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There’s a group in the middle — elected GOOPers who won’t be running again. They’re more free to listen to their conscience and/or delusions. Dunno what Johnny Mac’s intentions are for 2010, but he is looking a bit (or perhaps more) long in the tooth.
yeah, Jzap, makes sense to me. also, those responsible for electing more Republicans — the heads of the party committees, the Congressional leaders — didn’t want to take this on.
No surprise here: McCain just wants to get back into the cycle: he’s been away awhile. Is McCain a central voice among the Republicans? Don’t think so. The nutballs have the bit between their teeth and the political leadership has been awol, asinine (Steele) and hypocritical (McConnell).
Drudge starts the race and Limboff runs away…
It is absolutely mind boggling that McCain thinks that Panetta has crossed the line, but has no problems with what the dick said. He needs to talk with his daughter.
The Repubs have made it clear that they regard the treatment of prisoners by US troops to be a recruiting instrument for the terrorists (the reason that they give for objecting to release of the pictures), but then they turn around and say that it has kept us safe for 7 and a half years. You can’t have it both ways, boys. Either they have kept us safe and it is NOT a recruiting instrument for the terrorists or the only reason we have not been attacked is that Cheney/Bush did such a good job of dismantling our society that the terrorists saw no reason to exert themselves and the prisoner treatment had nothing to do with it.