
Hawkish senator cheers neocon shift, says president 'is growing and he is listening'
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) told NBC News Meet the Press host Chuck Todd that he hoped President Donald Trump was being drawn into the so-called Washington establishment during an interview Sunday.
Ever since Trump ordered an airstrike in Syria in retaliation for the chemical attack that killed more than 80 Syrian civilians earlier in April, he has received increasing praise from the neoconservative wing of the Republican Party.
Weve got to have strategy. And Ill give them some more time, but so far that strategy is not apparent.
When Todd pointed to those who say the Washington establishment sucked [Trump] in and compromised his conservative populism and America first agenda, McCain unequivocally expressed his glee at the prospect.
I hope so! McCain said before laughing.
Todd, appearing a bit taken aback, laughed before replying, Oh, ok!
Both McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), frequent critics of the president, cheered the action against the Syrian regime and have called for expanded U.S. intervention in the messy Syrian conflict. In a joint statement released April 6, both senators said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must pay a punitive cost for this horrific attack.
In addition to other measures, the United States should lead an international coalition to ground Assads air force, the pair of hawkish GOP senators said. Ultimately, the grounding of Assads air force can and should be part of a new comprehensive strategy to end the conflict in Syria If the President is willing to take the necessary action, he deserves broad bipartisan support, and we will help build it.
Graham went even further during an appearance April 10 on Meet the Press, telling Todd that the U.S. must send five or six thousand more troops to Syria.
I want more American troops, five or six thousand, like we have in Iraq, to help destroy ISIL, Graham had said. That means that well accelerate the demise of ISIL.
Neither McCain nor Graham voted for Trump, and both senators have been notoriously vocal critics of Trump throughout his first few months in office.
I think that [Trump] is growing and he is listening to some very wise, intelligence people, McCain said. But I do believe that we do not have and I support what he did and I support the bunker-buster bomb but weve got to develop a strategy. There is still not an overall strategy that he can come to Congress and his advisers and say, Ok, this is how were going to handle Syria. Heres how were going to handle post-Mosul Iraq.'
Weve got to have strategy. And Ill give them some more time, but so far that strategy is not apparent, McCain said. Because I dont think hes absolutely sure what he needs to do.
Noting that the war crimes in Syria are horrendous, McCain insisted that to just say were only after ISIS, in my view, rather than regime change, is something that we have to rethink.
The Arizona senator expressed his confidence that the president had assembled a strong team on national security, and his belief that Trump is very appropriately listening to them.
Todd noted "not everybody thinks the Washington consensus on foreign policy has worked in the Middle East over the last 25 years," and that this fact provided some of the impetus behind Trump's "America first" platform and his ultimate Election Day victory.
Although McCain admitted that U.S. foreign policy over the past 25 years hasn't worked, he still called for more foreign intervention.
"For eight years we basically did nothing in response to some of the most horrendous war crimes in history. At least [Trump] did something," McCain said. "Now, I hope that there will be a strategy to follow that up. And America is about a moral superiority and our willingness not to fight every fight but at least respond to horrendous acts of inhumanity and war crimes, and also, by the way, Syria will continue to have the spread of al-Qaida if we don't take care of Bashar al-Assad."
Poster Comment:
The comment's @ 12:29
#1: goldilucky To: hondo68 (#0)
Compromised? McCain is the only one who compromised especially where we see him posing with ISIL assassins considering that ISIS was created from his homestate. I bet we won't see Trump posing with them.
goldilucky posted on 2017-04-17 22:50:28 Reply Private Reply
#2: rlk To: hondo68 (#0)
And I hope that McCain and Graham succumb to the infirmities of old age permanently permanently within a week.
rlk posted on 2017-04-18 00:27:05 Reply Private Reply
#3: Deckard To: hondo68 (#0)
That in itself should tell you how wrong Trump was (is).
Deckard posted on 2017-04-18 06:31:06 Reply Private Reply
#4: Gatlin To: All (#0)
Do you know who Kathryn Blackhurst is? No, you dont? And you never bothered to check before, while, or after reading her article? Nope, you didnt? You just read the article and formed an opinion. Okay! Now, was the opinion you formed really your opinion, or was it the opinion that Kathryn Blackhurst, The Blaze, NBC News, Chuck Todd and Hondo [by posting this article] wanted you to form?
Since you dont know who Kathryn Blackhurst, I will tell you .she is an Assistant Editor for TheBlaze and a free lance writer. She also authored this article: Republican Voters Are the Ones Rejecting You in The Blaze. Do you see a trend here .No? Then let me suggest one to you. This article today is not really about McCain, it is another anti-Trump hit piece in disguise. Maybe you will share that observation when factor in consideration that The Blaze and Chuck Todd are decidedly anti-Trump.
In her article on this thread, Kathryn Blackhurst was quick to call attention to
Now folks, right there is contentious yellow journalism at its very best. Kathryn wanted to leave you with those words and that picture in your mind. When being an objective journalist, she would have continued with: After saying I hope so in jest [obviously it was, as emphatically evidenced by McCains laughter after saying it], McCain laughed even louder than Todd .then McCain went on to complete his answer, by saying Folks, I ask that you carefully consider what you read and always give due thought to why it was written or posted on LF.I will now leave you with two thoughts:
Ive have my say about this, thank you Now, its your turn
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-18 06:36:23 Reply Private Reply
#5: Deckard To: Gatlin, hondo68 (#4)
****
American POW's Against John McCain. Plus a hard core look at John McCain's cozy relationship with radical muslim terrorists and the military industrial complex.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-18 06:43:36 Reply Private Reply
#6: Gatlin To: Deckard (#5)
It never takes me long to come on any thread to present and defend the TRUTH....but you really know that already.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-18 06:45:35 Reply Private Reply
#7: Gatlin To: Deckard (#3)
This will tell you how right Trump was (is)
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-18 06:48:51 Reply Private Reply
#8: Deckard To: Gatlin (#7)
You're a shill for McStain. The truth about him is well documented.
Deckard posted on 2017-04-18 06:58:49 Reply Private Reply
#9: A K A Stone To: Deckard (#3)
I think you have been sticking your tongue out and eating many flies insect breath.
A K A Stone posted on 2017-04-18 07:10:51 Reply Private Reply
#10: Gatlin To: Deckard (#5)
Also, Orson Swindle, 71, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel who shared a cement pad with McCain at the Hanoi Hilton prison, said that McCain had character beyond what most of us can understand.
Furthermore, Robert Timberg, author of John McCain: An American Odyssey , who has interviewed many POWs who served with McCain, said there's no evidence that he ever collaborated with the North Vietnamese. "I've never known of any occasion in which Sen. McCain provided the North Vietnamese with anything of value," Timberg said.
Believe what you will, you are free to do that in America.
God Bless America.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-18 07:21:10 Reply Private Reply
#11: Gatlin To: Deckard (#8)
Some of are true, while some are fabricated lies.
I am a firm reconciler of truth.
When McCain does something I feel is wrong, then I condemn him.
And during the very few times McCain does something I feel is right, then I support him.
That you libertarian asshole is logical objectivity .something your warped philosophy will never accept.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-18 07:36:05 Reply Private Reply
#12: Gatlin To: goldilucky (#1)
So how did ISIS begin and evolve? Here's a refresher for you:
No, my dear, ISIS was not founded in Arizona .it was founded in Iraq. Please show where that factually happened .and not where someone with an agenda alleged it may have happened.Gatlin posted on 2017-04-18 07:59:04 Reply Private Reply
#13: Deckard To: Gatlin (#12)
Seriously?
What a naive little shill you are.
America Created Al-Qaeda and the ISIS Terror Group
Assange released 500,000 diplomatic cables which reveals how the CIA created ISIS
Deckard posted on 2017-04-18 08:09:32 Reply Private Reply
#14: Gatlin To: Deckard (#13)
What a naive libertarian asshole you really are.
Also: Here's how ISIS was really founded
You need to stop with your dedicated effort to continually post only anti-government propaganda.
Offer a little variety from time to time .occasionally post some truth.
Gatlin posted on 2017-04-18 08:46:14 Reply Private Reply
#15: Deckard To: Gatlin (#14)
Good Grief! The Wall Street Journal, a neocon, Deep State Mockingbird, CIA controlled cheerleader for war? Yeah - what a shock that the one who cries "fake news" at anything posted from alternative media sources is so enamored of the MSM.
...anti-government propaganda.
It's not propaganda when it's true.
Your selective blindness when it comes to U.S. government crimes is laughable.
Even Ann Coulter gets it.
Ann Coulter: I am through with Neocons endless wars in the Middle East
Deckard posted on 2017-04-18 09:07:35 Reply Private Reply
#16: HomerBohn To: hondo68 (#0)
HomerBohn posted on 2017-04-19 11:57:30 Reply Private Reply