McCain In 1998 Asks -"Look, is this guy, Laden, really the bad guy that's depicted?"

[Median Democrat]

I guess since McCain thinks it is fair game to generalize based on quotes taken out of context, I would argue that McCain's comments suggest that his rhetoric about following Bin Ladin to the gates of hell is BS. The amazing thing is that the MSM has never picked up on this, and Fox News is certainly not going to push this as evidence that McCain does not think that Bin Ladin is a big deal.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/1998/11/vest.html

/snip

Mother Jones: You not only have had combat experience in Vietnam, but you were also a prisoner of war. When you look at terrorism right now, with people like Osama bin Laden, do you have any reservations about watching strikes like that?

John McCain: You could say, Look, is this guy, Laden, really the bad guy that's depicted? Most of us have never heard of him before. And where there is a parallel with Vietnam is: What's plan B? What do we do next? We sent our troops into Vietnam to protect the bases. Lyndon Johnson said, Only to protect the bases. Next thing you know.... Well, we've declared to the terrorists that we're going to strike them wherever they live. That's fine. But what's next? That's where there might be some comparison.

/snip

In contrast, Joe Biden had the more accurate view of the danger posed by Bin Ladin, when the GOP was suggesting that Al Queda was not a serious threat, and that Bill Clinton was just ordering attacks in order to take attention away from domestic issues.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/clinton/stories/react082198.htm

/snip

And Sen. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), who called on Clinton to resign after his speech Monday, said: "The president has been consumed with matters regarding his personal life. It raises questions about whether or not he had the time to devote to this issue, or give the kind of judgment that needed to be given to this issue to call for military action."

Told of these criticisms, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (Del.), ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, branded them "preposterous," and noted that Osama bin Laden, suspected of bankrolling the installations that were bombed, "is one bad mother."

"Even if that were an element, what in the hell does it do to us around the world for leading American officials to even suggest that?" Biden asked. "It is not very sound judgment to speak in terms of motivation other than national security at this moment."

/snip

[Motown_Johnny]

1. It isn't B.S. Bin Laden is going to hell, McCain is going to hell. So if Bin Laden dies first

McCain will follow him to the gates of hell, but once there he will split off and hang out with all his other repug buddies