On the 2/12 edition of Bill Bennett’s radio show, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) explained that he was supporting
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for president because he believes that
withdrawal from Iraq would “abandon” the country “to the killers” and
“empower them to come after us again.” “McCain will never let that
happen,” claimed Lieberman.
“The guy has been almost always right on the big issues of foreign
policy over the last twenty years,” said Lieberman. “That’s why I want
him to be my president,” he added.
Lieberman is now claiming that McCain has a nearly spotless foreign
policy record, but in reality, McCain was an ardent supporter of the “worst strategic mistake
in the history of the United States.” In fact, McCain was one of the
most prominent voices telling the American people that Iraq would be
“easy” and that Americans would be “welcomed as liberators“:
“And I believe that the success will be fairly easy.” [CNN, Larry King Live, 9/24/02]
“I believe that we can win an overwhelming victory in a very short period of time.” [CNN Late Edition, 9/29/02]
“Do you believe that the people of Iraq or at least a large number of them will treat us as liberators?” “Absolutely. Absolutely,” replied McCain. [MSNBC, Hardball, 3/12/03]
“There’s no doubt in my mind that once these people are gone that we will be welcomed as liberators.” [MSNBC, Hardball, 3/24/03]
In the same segment, Lieberman stressed that “you’ve got to take
people at their word.” Unfortunately, too many Americans did take John
McCain at his word when he said Iraq would be “easy.”
“It is not like putting burning coals on people’s bodies. The person is in no real danger. The impact is psychological,” Lieberman said.
Lieberman appears to be mimicking his close friend Sen. John McCain’s (R-AZ) pandering to the right wing. Like Lieberman, McCain voted against banning waterboarding this week, even though he had previously called the technique “very exquisite torture.”
Until recently, Lieberman had also raised objections to the Bush administration’s interrogation practices….