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.
And you wonder where all the security leaks come from? This administration sure like to toot it's own horn.. It's nuts how they play the old bait and switch every day. Total deception !!
Old-man McCain's choice of Palin as a running mate just shows his complete lack of judgement and character. He needs to be in a retirement home, not Congress.
It's hilarious that McCain is supporting Obama, and he's saying things that Democrats would love to have come from a Democrat. But since it came from McCain, it's nonstop hate.
I hope the house of cards falls in on these political goons. They'll all scurry like the weasels they are and we the people can start rebuilding our country back to the way it could and should be. Our time to act is near folks.
Term limits please!!!!!!!!!!!!
The single most disgusting term in the English language is "career politician".
The man, "McCain", has reached senility stage of his life. The older he gets the more he flip-flops about issues. He's the one who's been raising issue of us invading countries' we have no business invading. He wanted to fight in Libya, Eqypt, and of course, Iraq and Afghanistan. He's constantly provoking wars for the benefit of whom? Surely, not the people of the good 'ole U.S. of A. We can fend for ourselves; not other countries' civil wars.
I'm a Viet Nam Vet too and McCain has become an embarrassment to vets and other old men who are still capable of logical thinking.
Let the Arab League take action against Assad. The have armies and weapons.
So tired of USA doing their dirty work for them.
Impeachment??? Why wasn't George Bush impeached then? Go away, McCain, and take your moron twin Lindsay with you. The voters were wrong about Palin: she wasn't the dumbest on the ticket. It was and still is YOU! The U.S. should stay out of Mid East politics altogether, but not because of the blunders of either Democrats or Republicans, but because we do NOT belong there and can do nothing ourselves but makes matters worse.
Obama respects the will of the people. Unfortunately uncle grumpy thinks its "common sense" to attack regardless of what the people want.
Impeachment? That takes a crime; you do know that Senator? Politics these day is a joke. A President is not impeachable just because you don't agree with him/her.
I think the press ( including cnn) is contributing to the confusion of all American who watch public news channels. Someone in a control room somewhere is in charge of manipulating each situation for a purpose. each news channel has a purpose. sometimes they even help certain sides of a party achieve what they want. Sometimes they make life completely difficult for another. Here its clear OBAMA is and always has been a Righteous man, a caring man, an honest man. Yet he still deals with credibility and confusion.... Do The Right thing! Stand up for the murder of innocent men, women, and children. and if you wont, go there and see for yourself the videos you've seen on TV and then say no, we wont help you. We've changed. Maybe next time.
this man is a nut.. last week he was in Syria and came backed and asked said the rebel need more help from unite state and asked the president for a war with Syria now he said he need to impeachments . the president ..what ......this guy need help please somebody tell this man to be quiet.. please ..
Nobody wants boots on the ground. McCain to be using the word impeach is pure political grandstanding. Time for McCain to recognize his time has been and gone.
A "warning" from McCain must have Obama shaking in his boots. (The same boots that might be on the ground in Syria?). McCain's threat is as hollow as his head. We should do nothing as any punishment we deliver will not stop the killing. The news should also show pictures of those mangled by bombs and bullets. As horrific as chemical weapons are, they are not as bad as being mangled by "conventional" weapons.
Senator McCain has become a sad spectacle.
What a dope. The President has the ability as Commander in Chief to wage war. Congress can merely fund it or not. It is not an impeachable action. If that were the case very President would have been impeached for wars that became more than originally planned. Ironic that McCain has been the war monger and now he pulls this trick. I think his brain is warped from the Arizona sun. Lobbing missiles into Syria will have no effect other than to saitsfy our own misperceptions of our capabilities in the Middle east that "we're still big and tough"
What a dope. The President has the ability as Commander in Chief to wage war. Congress can merely fund it or not. It is not an impeachable action. If that were the case very President would have been impeached for wars that became more than originally planned. Ironic that McCain has been the war monger and now he pulls this trick. I think his brain is warped from the Arizona sun. Lobbing missiles into Syria will have no effect other than to satisfy our own misperceptions of our capabilities in the Middle east that "we're still big and tough"
Senile old man.
I think everyone knows he is getting a lot of heat from his home base – this is just an attempt ( talking about impeachment ) to deflect his support for the current resolution to strike Syria. This is Politics – we all know it and so does the President ! The last thing Obama will do from here to the end term is put troops into Syria. With that said – crazy times were living in 🙂
McCain, the man who gave us Sarah THE BIMBO Palin.
Who is telling McCain that Americans voted against him? When does he go away?
McCain is showing his lunatic side by bringing in impeachment for action not in sigh. It is time that he retires to private life as he is not capable of sound and commonsense utterances. Stop barking unnecessarily.
McCain is the McDonald's of International Justice.. fake, pitiful, and disgusting.