McCain had advance knowledge of Colombian raid
ON BOARD THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN PLANE, En route to Mexico City (CNN) - After a scheduled meeting between John McCain and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Tuesday, the presumptive Republican nominee was briefed on the upcoming hostage rescue raid carried out Wednesday.
As he left Colombia Wednesday afternoon, McCain learned that raid had been successfully completed, and congratulated Uribe by phone.
Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham, both traveling with McCain, were also briefed. Lieberman said McCain's advance knowledge of the raid signals a vote of confidence by foreign leaders.
UPDATE: John McCain released a statement on the operation later Wednesday afternoon. (Full statement after the jump)
“Today, I spoke by phone to President Uribe. He told me some of the details of the dramatic rescue of the people who were held hostage. Three Americans are now free and Ingrid Betancourt is now in good condition. I’m pleased with the success of this very high-risk operation. Sometimes in the past, the FARC has killed the hostages rather than let them be rescued.
“So I congratulate President Uribe, the military and the nation of Colombia. It is great news. Now we must renew our efforts to free all of the other innocent people held hostage. With regard to the three Americans and Ingrid Betancourt - they had been held many years, as many as six years.
“Last night, President Uribe and the defense minister did brief us that the operation was going to take place today.”
This McSame is an opportunistic.What a disgrace for real American people!! Any voter who doesn't see the economic and political suffering that we've been through the last seven years, is a moron and an idiot. I don't care about democrats, republicans or independants, I care only about the well being of my country America. And our country is destroyed the last seven years, and this McBush wants to continue another four more of this.
Wake up America for America, and put Obama in the Oval Office and let's start some butt kicking!!!
Obama 08 and we'll see how he deliever and decide for 2012
No disrespect for McCain, as he isn't the story anyway. Was it a "raid" or a "trick helicopter ride", whatever that is ? Maybe next time we can just leave a trail of M & M's through the jungle and lead the captors into a jail cell ? Something stinks in Denmark ... errrr Columbia.
Joe Watkins is a joke
Lets look back in history for a minute. What made people so blind, gullable, and awestruck that millions followed the likes of Hitler, Mussolini, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro and Saddam Hussein, Because we're seeing it before our very eyes happening once again. Obama the 'Pied-Piper of America' leading his followers into the depths of the abiss. NOTE; Obama cannot walk on water, even though he says he can.
I'll bet if I went to Columbia to push NAFTA, I would have been briefed on it too! How many American jobs did that little, political stunt cost us?
OBTW, Lieberman is a joke. Why hasn't CT began a recall on that idiot? Maybe, he should move to Israel and man a gun in their defense. What an idiot.
This has gone from a campaign to a "Bucket List"! McCain needs to cut Lieberman loose and surround himself with younger fresher supporters. Lieberman is spinning this very important and historic rescue to make it seem as though McCain had something to do with the operation. Come On!!! Give credit where credit is due Lieberman! Every event that occurs in the news does not have to equate to an opportunity to endorse McCain.
CNN is too touchy! What is appropriate for CNN? Sometimes I think I am posting for Fox News!
Brian, you can't have it both ways. Either it is a sham and they only briefed McCain because he was in the country or they scheduled the time to go to the country because they knew the hostages were to be released. When you grab anything and try to make a negative, you will often become confused.
"Lieberman said McCain's advance knowledge of the raid signals a vote of confidence by foreign leaders."
maybe to some small ammount of foreign leaders, but the polls suggest foreign countries PEOPLE do NOT want McBush as president....
Oh and Lieberman is a political opportunist and smells funny
Yes of course he did, Did Obama?...did the current "President" even know? Why was McCain so special? OH....the raid was in celebration of McSame's visit?...give me a freakin' break!
Sen. Lieberman is a crOCK POT, JUST LIKE MCCAIN.
Here comes the bush-hype by the new mcshame campaign manager (bushes old boy)
Where do people get the knowledge to make statements such as, "Cindy McCain spends $750,000 on her credit cards?" Cindy McCain was not dating John while he was with his wife. They were seperated for months before he met Cindy. Cindy had a drug problem, which she overcame. Obama, according to his book, also had a drug problem which I hope he has overcome. Cindy is not my main concern, nor is Michelle. I would prefer to not ever see either one of them again. When Bill Clinton was running for office they drug Hillary through the mud. It is called politics and it stinks. We love to hear the nastiest things said about people, it is called news and it also stinks. People without money love to hear people who have it aren't happy either. It is called jealousy and it stinks as well
McCain had knowledge of the raid....meanwhile, Obama can't find Columbia on a map.
Political sham!!! This is a beauty contest, McSham is trying to rig foreign policy credentials by begging foreign Leaders to give him credit where he deserves none.
There is no poitical scor point on this. Just a waste of time.
Fox News is disgusting. Really disgusting. America needs to petition to FCC to censor and monitor the garbage that spews from that network. CNN is 10x the news agency Fox News can ever be. MSNBC 20x what Fox can ever hope to be. Libermann is just like Fox News, full of baloney and touting disgrace to his constituency.
And why am i always being moderated, i have been posting for months
so there is some insider trade going on..hmm. funny it is a sham and I thought that before I opened the comments section and read somebody else thougth so too..
McSHAM..............
and Free Trade is an OXYMORON
how conveniant for john at a time of his visit i agree with brian hint hint!!!!
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE NEED THIS MAN AS PRESIDENT. AND THAT AND HIS NOT PUTTING UP WITH OF THE DRUG DEALING ORTEGO CROWD THAT HE JERKED THE FELLOW UP BY THE COLLAR. WE CAN FINALLY HAVE A PRESIDENT WITH GUTS. NOT LIKE THIS CRY BABY BULLCRAP MESS OBAMA IS TALKING ABOUT OR HIS SUPPORTERS. YOU PEOPLE MAKE ME SICK. PLUS JAPANS IMAGE OF AN OBAMA BEHIND THE PRESIDENT'S EMBLEM IS RIGHT ON NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF MONKEYS TRYING TO BE SOMETHING THIEY'RE NOT. IF OBAMA GAINS OFFICE IT WILL REMIND ME OF THE PLANET OF THE APES.
JUST CURIOUS, Was Senator Obama provided with advanced knowledge. Or did no one feel it necessary to inform him..........was it one of those "for Republicans only " ELITIST club meetings........"GOP only need know about this military operation" plans?
DEMOCRATS UNITE!!!!
Just shows you how far out of touch Obama is with foreign policy. And Foreign leaders do not even acknowledge Obama. Makes me wonder if Obama wins the election, if foreign countries will deal with him, or deal with McCain instead and ignore Obama if he is President. I have a feeling Obama is just going to be a figurehead. No foreign country will take take him seriously.
What an Interesting campaign tactic. A Columbian rescue is definitely original but hardly believable as anything other than a tactic. McCain’s advance briefing tells the story. Good try, no cigar.
One can look at this event from many perspectives, but folks held against their will for a long time have been released, so I will take it as a good omen. Lets hope the rest of the folks being held in Columbia will be released soon. Maybe McCain brought some "good luck" when he visited Columbia.