Reuters, Special Report echoed McCain campaign's claim that McCain simply "misspoke" about Al Qaeda and Iran
SUMMARY: Reuters and Special Report both reported that Sen. John McCain simply "misspoke" when he said in a March 18 press conference that "it's common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran." But McCain did not refer to Al Qaeda training in Iran just once during the press conference -- he did so twice. Moreover, he made the same misstatement the day before on Hugh Hewitt's radio program.
On the March 18 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume, during a report on Sen. John McCain's admittedly false claim at a March 18 press conference that "it's common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran," chief political correspondent Carl Cameron said McCain "misspoke in the way he accused Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq" -- echoing a position that the McCain campaign has taken. Additionally, in a March 18 Reuters article, reporter Steve Holland wrote that McCain "got tangled up briefly on Tuesday on which Islamic extremist group Iran is accused of supporting" and later quoted McCain spokesman Brian Rogers claiming that McCain "misspoke and immediately corrected himself." But McCain did not refer just once to Al Qaeda training in Iran -- he did so twice during the press conference, a fact that neither Cameron nor Holland reported. Moreover, neither reported that McCain had made a similar misstatement the previous day. As the blog Think Progress noted, McCain said to nationally syndicated radio host Hugh Hewitt during a March 17 interview: "As you know, there are Al Qaeda operatives that are taken back into Iran, given training as leaders, and they're moving back into Iraq."
The Washington Post's Cameron W. Barr and Michael D. Shear reported on March 18 that McCain made the misstatement twice -- once in remarks, and again when he was "[p]ressed to elaborate" on it:
He said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda. In fact, officials have said they believe Iran is helping Shiite extremists in Iraq.
Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."
Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."
The mistake threatened to undermine McCain's argument that his decades of foreign policy experience make him the natural choice to lead a country at war with terrorists.
From the March 18 Reuters article:
Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who is touting his foreign policy credentials, got tangled up briefly on Tuesday on which Islamic extremist group Iran is accused of supporting.
McCain, at a news conference in the Jordanian capital of Amman, accused Iran of supporting the Sunni extremist group al Qaeda in Iraq.
U.S. officials believe Iran has been backing Shi'ite extremists in Iraq, not a Sunni group like al Qaeda.
"Well, it's common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al Qaeda is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran. That's well known and it's unfortunate," McCain said.
Connecticut Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, traveling with McCain on a swing through the Middle East and Europe, whispered in his ear and McCain quickly corrected himself.
"I'm sorry; the Iranians are training the extremists, not al Qaeda. Not al Qaeda. I'm sorry," McCain said.
Democrats quickly jumped on McCain, a strong backer of President George W. Bush's troop build-up in Iraq.
"After eight years of the Bush administration's incompetence in Iraq, McCain's comments don't give the American people a reason to believe that he can be trusted to offer a clear way forward," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney.
McCain spokesman Brian Rogers said McCain "misspoke and immediately corrected himself."
"Democrats have launched political attacks today because they know the American people have deep concerns about their candidates' judgment and readiness to lead as commander in chief," Rogers said.
McCain's next stop was Europe on Wednesday where Bush has been heavily criticized for a perceived "go it alone" approach on a wide range of international issues.
From the March 18 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:
McCAIN: There's no doubt in the king's mind, as he stated very explicitly, if the United States pulls out of Iraq prematurely, it will lead grave challenges and difficulties in the region.
CAMERON: Including, McCain repeatedly warned, strengthening Iran's influence across the Middle East. But in a news conference with local reporters, McCain misspoke in the way he accused Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq.
McCAIN: -- common knowledge and has been reported in the media that Al Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran.
CAMERON: Except that Al Qaeda in Iraq is largely Sunni, and Iran's government is largely Shia. The two sects have feuded for centuries. After a whispered reminder from Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, McCain immediately corrected himself.
McCAIN: I'm sorry. The Iranians are training extremists, not Al Qaeda.
CAMERON: From the Arab and Muslim world, McCain went straight to Israel to meet President Shimon Peres and promised to maintain the special U.S. relationship with the Jewish state.
Other examples of Republican leaders 'mis-statements':
"the British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa" -McBush
"We will be greeted as liberators" -McCheney
"Mission Accomplished" -McBush
"It was like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime" -McCain
Any more mis-speaking, and we're all in BIG trouble.
Oops, forgot one:
"I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency" -McCheney
In summary, vote for McCain if you want to 'stay the course' in Iraq. According to the Republicans, things are going great down there!!
Actually, Kyle, if you don't mind a small correction, but the following
"It was like a normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime" -McCain
was not uttered by the illustrious addle-pated warlover from Arizona, but Indiana's own McPence. Which goes to show what outdoor markets around here are like.
I remember that thompson got iran and iraq confused.
George W. Bush has a similar problem telling the difference between his a$$ and a hole in the ground.....
FRIED
WHAT SEEMS TO BE YOUR PROBLEM BO?
Nonbearing is probably a guy named HstyBuff who was banned for controversial statements (borderline racism if not flat-out). However, whenever a historical event or name was brought up, he had a connection. For example, he was a poll-watcher in Ohio in 2004, he did fundraising with Rudy G, you name it, he had a personal experience. Yesterday he told us that he golfed with someone who knows Obama and considers him Obama to be a liar.
I am just kidding around since he seems to know everyone or at least met them at one point
Well maybe he needs longer than five years to learn all about those "Iraqistans."
Maybe he could ask Bush to help him get information off the Internets. :-)
You mean the "internets" has more than Asian porn, Bush would be shocked.
Obviously this is a gaffe, an embarassment, for McCain - but he certainly did misspeak. He stated an incorrect fact, he misspoke - what is the big deal?
I know this "gotcha" game is played with delicious delight by uberpartisans, and MMFA can't get enough of this latest morsel - covering it from every conceivable angle, but how far do you want to twist the needle here?
McCain screwed up, it may or may not be trouble for him in the future, and he has some repair work to do to improve his tooting of his own horn on all things foreign policy, but let's see how this plays out in the next few months in the context of debates and their overall knowledge.
Things such as this come back to bite all candidates from time to time, if you relish so when the other side does it, be prepared to live by the same sword when your side does it.........because they all do.
"He stated an incorrect fact, he misspoke - what is the big deal?"
Tommy, he has done it on three separate occasions. I have a few theories about it, some kinda crazy, some kinda right.
1. He just simply doesn't understand the difference between the extremists in Iraq and Al-Qaeda. He conflates the two only because he believes that they are one in the same.
2. He's actually starting to show signs of senility.
3. It's the "last throes" of a desperate attempt to still conflate Iran and Iraq with Al-Qaeda in order to get the political will to invade Iran. In other words, neo-con conspiracy.
pretty crazy ideas, I know. But I simply can't imagine it's a mistake when he made it three times.
My point DB, is that we all need to step back and see if this is just an isolated incident, or three, or is it indicative of some pattern of ignorance and lack of knowledge that will display itself in the months to come.
You can hardly accuse McCain of being senile based on this, if he continues to make mistake after mistake on important foreign and domestic issues throughout this campaign, then that is another matter, and the voters will have to decide if he is fit for the job, or not.
no no, I agree...sorry, it was a poorly worded joke. I don't believe he's actually senile.
Though it's just my opinion, I don't believe it's a mistake. He has basically the same campaign staff Bush had in '04, and Bush never knew what the hell he was talking about when he spoke of the middle east. And when he did show some semblance of competence, he was lying.
After wall to wall coverage of Hillary saying "as far as I know" it's now suddenly unfair to focus on a candidate's choice of words. McCain did not mis-speak, he was wrong. He was wrong repeatedly and he did not correct himself until Lieberman whispered in his ear.
And if this were a Democratic candidate we would be seeing pundit panels endlessly asking "Is X ready for the challenge of foreign policy?" focussing completely on this remark. That would be then followed by angry editorials disguised as analysis asking why the American taxpayer is paying for all the security and resources required for a global campaign appearance.
I'm going with not at this point, irrespective his mental acuity.
His foreign policy takes care of it for me.
It's hard to excuse a "slip of the tongue" that many times. Tommy is right that it goes both ways, the difference is McCain doesn't ever seem to get the same attention for his "misspeaking"
I heard an actual slip of the tongue over the weekend on the Beltway Boobs. Morty or Fred (can't remember) noted that Fuzzy Zoeller said that Barack Obama was going to serve fried chicken and watermelon at his PGA banquet. I did not know that.
If there's going to be fried chicken and watermelon, I'm there.
I mean really, who doesn't like fried chicken and watermelon?
As a result of the diligent work of Media Matters (very little) and in the interest of discovering the truth:
Just view this and add, "This message approved by me, Hilliary Clinton"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khuu-RhOBDU&feature=related
Keep the chaos of the left moving forward!
So what "truth" exactly does that idiot tell? For one, he's lying about Obama. He didn't put that video out, and it's surely not part of his campaign. Second, that girl looks anything but "white." So tell me again what point you are making?
And a little issue with your "Media Matters (very little)" schtick. Are you saying the media itself matters very little? Or that Media Matters for America matters very little? If it's the latter, which I'm assuming it is by your presumptuous postings, then your little gag show is too vague. You need to up-date.
Personally, I like this video better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IYrI-3ksyk