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The Neocons and John McCain
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Jim Lobe has a great profile piece on the movement of neoconservative sympathies in the Republican race and notes that a number of neocons and their chief pugnacious nationalist ally John Bolton have moved to support John McCain. This has gotten Sam Stein to speculate that Bolton would be high on the list of those McCain might appoint to serve as his Secretary of State (would I love to help manage the opposition in that confirmation battle!).
Bolton has been overstating McCain's support of him during his Senate confirmation battle. McCain certainly did support Bolton -- and even showed up at a press conference with Bill Frist once to make that point. However, when I asked what was really driving John McCain's support of Bolton at the time and his decision to appear at a press conference -- McCain responded "I'm here because Bill Frist asked me to be."
That's a very different line than McCain saying he believed John Bolton was the be-all of American diplomacy.
For those interested, I'll be moderating a book salon discussion today between 5 and 7 pm EST at Firedoglake on Jacob Heilbrunn's important profile on the neoconservative movement, They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons." Join us and have a live online chat with Heilbrunn about this group of folks trying to secure new lifelines connected to John McCain.
-- Steve Clemons
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Reader Comments (4) - post a comment
My odds of being Secretary of State in a McCain administration are better than John Bolton's.
A history of insubordination on Bolton's part is the reason. George Bush would tolerate that as long as Bolton's insubordination wasn't directed against him (or his Vice President) personally. McCain isn't made that way -- or perhaps more accurately was not made, by the Navy, that way. A President McCain might appoint people with strikes against them, but not that kind of strike.
Zathras -- I assume you are right, but politicians can throw some curve balls. I just want to signal to John McCain's people -- many of whom read this blog -- that if the Senator potentially turned President did appoint Bolton, I'd be there with all we had before (and more!) in working against a confirmation vote. He'd never get through -- for the SecState job.
Steve
Kristol is advising McCain on foreign policy
All you needed to know about America's favorite "maverick."
"McCain's foreign-policy team is sprinkled with people, including Scheunemann, who were ardent backers of the 2003 Iraq invasion and who dismissed critics who warned of unintended consequences. They include former CIA Director James Woolsey, an adviser mostly on energy security, and William Kristol, the editor of the conservative Weekly Standard."
Well, this should be interesting. Steve posits that Huckabee may be McCain's running mate.
I think it will be Lieberman.
But irregardless which one it is, is anyone else terrified at the fact that this country has fallen so far that EITHER of these wackjobs could possibly get their fingers so close to the nuclear trigger?
Ya know, this Huckabee maniac, when describing John Hagee, (while actually giving a December 07 sermon at Hagee's church), said that Hagee is "one of the great Christian leaders of our nation". Now THAT should not only remove Huckabee from qualifying for ANY public office, it should also land him in an asylum. Apropos, considering that that is EXACTLY what the White House seems to have become; an asylum for the criminally insane.
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