John McCain Opens His Pie Hole, Accuses 2012 GOP Contenders of Isolationism

Yes, yes, he would have made a better President than Obama. Undeniably. That doesn't mean he's not an idiot; pickings were slim in 2008.

This morning Sen. McCain opined that the folks competing to beat the man he could not are behaving in an isolationist manner by insisting that Obama get congressional authorization before waging wars overseas.

"This is isolationism. There's always been an isolation strain in the Republican party, that Pat Buchanan wing of our party," McCain told "This Week" anchor Christiane Amanpour. "But now it seems to have moved more center stage."

At the first major Republican presidential primary debate in New Hampshire last week, several candidates criticized U.S. military involvement in Libya, while on Afghanistan former Mass. Governor Mitt Romney said, "It's time for us to bring our troops home as soon as we possibly can" based on the advice of military commanders.

"I wonder what Ronald Reagan would be saying today?" questioned McCain, saying the isolationism is a stark departure from traditional Republican foreign policy positions. "That is not the Republican party that has been willing to stand up for freedom for people for all over the world."

McCain's inexhaustibly stupid premise that it is "isolationist" to expect Congress to have a say in the wars American Service Members fight was parroted by that other mincing ninny, Sen. Graham:

On Meet the Press this morning, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) said “Congress should sort of shut up and not empower Qaddafi” by discussing the possibility of cutting off funding for military operations there.

He also said it was a mistake for Republican presidential hopefuls to think that getting “to the left” of President Obama on national security is a path to victory in the GOP primary. He warned that any candidate evincing skepticism about our military mission in Afghanistan and elsewhere the Middle East would face strong “headwinds” from the party.

With very little respect: Senators, you're wrong. It does not "empower Gadhafi" to behave as if we actually believe the words written in our own Constitution, nor can any of the GOP candidates, except that mutant subcreature Ron Paul, be fairly called "isolationist." I'm just going to say it: I'm not 100% convinced McCain even knows what isolationism is.

The Libya War is being waged without even the token cover of the War Powers Resolution. It is not constitutionally kosher, even according to President Obama's lawyers. So whether or not the United States should "be willing to stand up for freedom" in Libya is only relevant to the question of whether Congress would approve intervention in Libya. Since Congress obviously won't, McCain, Graham, and President Obama have decided to forgo that constitutionally-mandated step. Shame on them.

And shame on McCain for calling it isolationism. If he has nothing to say other than pathetically inaccurate name-calling, perhaps he should take Graham's advice and shut up.

posted by Gabriel Malor at 06:37 PM

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