McCain raises impeachment - if boots hit ground in Syria
WASHINGTON (CNN) - After endorsing President Barack Obama's plan to launch military strikes against Syria, Sen. John McCain warned the president would face impeachment if he were to put "boots on the ground."
McCain told Phoenix radio host Mike Broomhead on Thursday that the president had "bungled" the entire handling of the Syria crisis and would open himself up to impeachment hearings if he overstepped the limits of the authorization before Congress.
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"No one wants American boots on the ground," McCain told the KYFI audience. "Nor will there be American boots on the ground, because there would be an impeachment of the president if they did that."
While McCain said he still supports the current plan to intervene in Syria, the Arizona Republican's statement seems to reflect his contentious Thursday town hall meeting with some Phoenix constituents. At the meeting, McCain, who has favored a more robust American response to the Syria crisis, faced intense criticism.
"We didn't send you to make war for us. We sent you to stop the war," one man said.
Despite his warning to the president, McCain spoke out in favor of the Syria authorization again Saturday, endorsing former Army Gen. David Petraeus' endorsement of the administration's plan in a tweet.
Only one of three Republicans in the Senate Foreign Relations panel to approve the measure, McCain has vocally advocated for a stepped-up American response to alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. He even refused to pass the White House resolution out of committee until it included provisions to bolster Syrian opposition forces deemed moderate.
McCain's support for action hasn't stopped the Arizonan from blasting his former 2008 presidential rival for inaction.
In an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room" on Tuesday, McCain told Wolf Blitzer the president needed to "explain to the American people" why urgent action in Syria is necessary. The Republican senator also said President Obama made a mistake by consulting Congress instead of immediately launching a bombing campaign against the Syrian government.
"It's common sense you don't warn them and give them plenty of time to disperse," McCain said.
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In my opinion, Senator McCain is suffering from a state of dementia ever since he selected Sarah Palin as a running mate in his unsuccessful attempt to be POTUS. Let him play with his IPhone, and send him back to Arizona.
A double face person is the most dangerous one, Mac Cain!
Can it get any screwier. Here's a man that advocates violence at any and all turns, but when it gets right down to it, to him it's all political. The really sad part of this equation: We (the people), are the pawns.
Uncle Sam is wearing a dunce cap these days.
Impeachment for the President? How bout treason for Republicans. They side with a dictater against their own country.
Poor John, you just can't make up your mind. No one in our government wants war more than you do.
"No one wants American boots on the ground," McCain told the KYFI audience. Except McCain.
It makes since that this guy and Obama agree
this guy is off his head ...first barks that the Prez should do something and now when the Prez has made it clear he wants limited strikes he is now manuevering ... its a yes and no question ...you are not the governement and cannot control the president...Im not american but this guy is worse politician i've seen in recent year, not even in my country we have such scheming politicians. I think he is just mad he lost elections to a colored guy
Rups love to throw that word around regarding President Obama.... McCain should be impeached for poising the airwaves with Sarah Palin
oh like it was a Cincinati IRS employee but the head person took the 5th and nothing done, or how about the lie about Libya that it was a video and their "expert" sent out to all the tv stations to sell us??? nothing is done about anything, boy is this germany prior to wwII???
These guys just love to use impeachment as a sword over Democrats even though Speaker Pelosi took it off the table during the Bush reign of terror as a gesture of good faith. What a bunch of hypocrites these Republicans are. This clearly defines which party plays well with others. Speaker Pelosi should have impeached our resident war criminals Bush & Cheney!!!
Isn't it amazing that McCain is so ready to impeach President Obama but didn't even raise the issue when Bush and Cheney along with Rumsfeld were committing war crimes. Hypocrisy at the highest level.
McCain's statements are an example of the problem the public is having with this debate: Is the opposition working in the best interest of the US or are they still trying to make the President a one-termer? After wanting the US to arm the rebels without throughly vetting the varius factions, Mr. McCain has lost credibility.
Remember when you see same news everyday, means our attention is taken away from something important here at home!
Can this man be serious? The political narcissism from this crackpot is nauseating. No matter what your view is on the war ( I oppose it) I cannot stand this type of political rhetoric meant to undermine the power of the presidential office. Especially after he favored more robust action in Syria.
Public Service Announcement:
Reminder, as of July 2, 2013, the US Government is allowed to use propaganda on its own people again due to the repeal of the anti-propaganda law (that was in place for decades). This was repealed by the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, which was part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.
So because he might not actually go to war, he bungled the whole thing ?
McCain is right. The focus of the international community has to be not on a one-shot military strike but on a sustained camapign to overthrow a monstrous dictator. This means arming, training and politically educating the opposition. It may take time, it's a longer term starategy, but this approch will yield the outcomes that the world wants. The world needs to learn from the errors of Iraq and Libya.
McCain needs to Retire, It's time now.... He must be "clicking his heels" now that we are on the verge of War with Syria, since he has done more to promote this crazy idea than anyone. I really think we need to focus on our economy, our infrastructure, and our strength from within, we are on the cusp of an economic recovery, this will set us back. these Syrians if you remember, we're the same people dancing in the streets when our Trade Centers fell. The world is littered with evil people, evil acts, we have to stop thinking that we are the World Police.....
We need to invade Syria and start WW3 so the biblical prophecy can be fulfilled and bring on Armageddon so that Jesus will return and clean up the huge mess we made of the Garden of Eden. Sort of like when your mom cleaned up the mess you made with mud pies when you were 6 years old – only on a global scale.
this old man don't know what he have in his mind, we the americans don't want any war outside our soil, the only war we need with extreme urgency are against the unemployed, democrats or republicans, independent, blacks, whites, legals manitos, or illegals manitos needs JOBS TOO, everybody here in america we look for jobs, not for stupids wars between that semites people we don't care if some of them belong to the book, or some not. first created some millions of and we talk later ,OK. MORON.
Where was McClown when Bush 43 put boots on the ground in the Iraq war? Why did he not threaten W with impeachment? McClown's support the Republican but impeach the Democrat for doing the same thing makes me sick.
SMDH! How long will McLame hold a grudge from the bruising defeat he suffered during the 2008 election? Let it go dude. You and that folksy talkin' idiot would have done far worse.
Let's get real people. John McCain is a fool or worse. Barrak Obama is a socialst pretender who became President thru fraud, lies and decit. My problem in all of this comes from having been trained in CBR warfare I question how they got the videos as well as just exactly how they can prove definatively who fired the gas canisters as it is highly probable that they were fired by the rebels rather than by the Assad military. Never the less, it is not the business of the USA if they kill each other with gas, bullets, iron bombs, clubs or rocks and bottles. Any one who wants to start another jihad against our people is a fool.
Could McCain and the rest of the Republicans make up their minds. Let's see, if it's an odd day let's go to war; if it's an even day let's don't.
Of course he feels this way. McCain is a war monger and why he was completely crushed by Obama in 08. McCain wanted the president to go full "invade, steamroll, and eradicate" on Syria and anything less than that he feels is not up to his standards. But thats why Obama is the president and he isn't.