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HIGHLIGHT

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But here, too, he is mistaken. Holding Iran’s influence in check, and holding a terrorist organization accountable, sends exactly the right message — to Iran, to the region and to the world,” McCain said to a standing ovation.

1 posted on 06/02/2008 9:39:58 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: NormsRevenge; elhombrelibre; Allegra; SandRat; tobyhill; G8 Diplomat; Dog; Cap Huff; ...

The GE Campaign is underway!


2 posted on 06/02/2008 9:41:13 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
I just watched the video - thanks.

McCain's making a lot of sense on this issue.

3 posted on 06/02/2008 9:49:33 AM PDT by Allegra (If you lived here, you'd be home by now.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

The mocking attacks seem to be a recurring theme, and its probably a smart strategy. By doing so, it makes Obama appear to be naive and lacking in experience. Both are true, of course, but its refreshing to see a Republican candidate have the guts to aggressively point it out.


4 posted on 06/02/2008 9:52:52 AM PDT by VOR78
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Bet you won’t see this headlined in the MSM. They don’t want his words disseminated too widely.

McCain’s best weapon will be the debates where the viewing audience is huge and its live. He needs to adpot a Reaganesque posture and zing the guy without mercy.
He can crush this weasely pretender.


6 posted on 06/02/2008 9:58:32 AM PDT by Adder (typical bitter white person)
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To: TitansAFC; meandog; onyx; MARTIAL MONK; GulfBreeze; Kuksool; freespirited; Salvation; furquhart; ...
McCain strikes anew at Obama

The McCain List.
Common sense conservatism

8 posted on 06/02/2008 10:06:57 AM PDT by Norman Bates (Freepmail me to be part of the McCain List!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

The question is will McCain meet with Conservatives without conditions?


11 posted on 06/02/2008 10:25:10 AM PDT by stockpirate (There is no such thing as a fair tax, we are all slaves)
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To: All
From Hot Air:

McCain on Iran: Obama still doesn’t know the history Update: Full speech added< /a>

*****************************EXCERPT************************

posted at 9:30 am on June 2, 2008 by Ed Morrissey

John McCain will address AIPAC’s Policy Conference today, speaking on the subjects of Israel, Iran, and Iraq, and laying out his views on the most critical foreign-policy issues facing the next administration. His speech will reassure the pro-Israeli lobby that he sees the ties between the US and Israel as “the most natural” of alliances, based on mutual respect for freedom and democracy, and acknowledge the singular nature of both in the Middle East. In doing so, he will reflect back on his first introduction to Israel, courtesy of a Democrat who would find it difficult to fit into today’s party:

The cause of Israel, and of our common security, has always depended on men and women of courage, and I’ve been lucky enough to know quite a few of them. I think often of one in particular, the late Senator Henry “Scoop” Jackson. I got to know Senator Jackson when I was the Navy liaison to the Senate. In 1979, I traveled with him to Israel, where I knew he was considered a hero. But I had no idea just how admired he was until we landed in Tel Aviv, to find a crowd of seven or eight hundred Israelis calling out his name, waving signs that read “God Bless you, Scoop” and “Senator Jackson, thank you.” Scoop Jackson had the special respect of the Jewish people, the kind of respect accorded to brave and faithful friends. He was and remains the model of what an American statesman should be.

In discussing Iran, McCain refers once again to Democrats, only in this case showing the vapidity of current posturing by Barack Obama. McCain doesn’t refer to Obama by name in this speech, but it’s clear to whom he refers in this passage that also notes that Obama suggests nothing new:

The Iranians have spent years working toward a nuclear program. And the idea that they now seek nuclear weapons because we refuse to engage in presidential-level talks is a serious misreading of history. In reality, a series of administrations have tried to talk to Iran, and none tried harder than the Clinton administration. In 1998, the secretary of state made a public overture to the Iranians, laid out a roadmap to normal relations, and for two years tried to engage. The Clinton administration even lifted some sanctions, and Secretary Albright apologized for American actions going back to the 1950s. But even under President Khatami – a man by all accounts less radical than the current president – Iran rejected these overtures.

Even so, we hear talk of a meeting with the Iranian leadership offered up as if it were some sudden inspiration, a bold new idea that somehow nobody has ever thought of before. Yet it’s hard to see what such a summit with President Ahmadinejad would actually gain, except an earful of anti-Semitic rants, and a worldwide audience for a man who denies one Holocaust and talks before frenzied crowds about starting another. Such a spectacle would harm Iranian moderates and dissidents, as the radicals and hardliners strengthen their position and suddenly acquire the appearance of respectability.

This is part of the history that Barack Obama ignores. Ten years ago, the Clinton administration took some political risk in making these overtures to a supposedly reformist Iranian president. It resulted in no progress whatsoever. Obama says now that he will meet with the Iranians only after some “preparation”. What preparations will he offer that goes beyond the Clinton administration’s efforts to open diplomatic relations?

Barack Obama probably knows little of these efforts. His shifting explanations on “without preconditions” but with “preparations” has revealed nothing about what he would do with direct presidential diplomacy that the efforts of the US and Europe has not accomplished. It reminds one of John Kerry’s “secret” plan on Iraq — a trial balloon with nothing but hot air to keep it aloft.

McCain will continue to exploit this opening all the way to the general election. Unless Obama can explain his own secret plan on Iran, he will continue to look naive and unprepared to conduct foreign policy for the United States.

Update: Added link to the John Kerry Secret Cut-and-Run Plan for Iraq in 2004. Here’s a brief reminder:

John F. Kerry pledged Sunday he would substantially reduce U.S. troop strength in Iraq by the end of his first term in office but declined to offer any details of what he said is his plan to attract significantly more allied military and financial support there.In interviews on television talk shows, the Democratic presidential nominee said that he saw no reason to send more troops to Iraq and that he would seek allied support to draw down U.S. forces there. “I will have significant, enormous reduction in the level of troops,” he said on ABC’s “This Week.”

Kerry accused President Bush of misleading the country before the war in Iraq, burning bridges with U.S. allies and having no plan to win peace. But when questioned about saying Thursday in his acceptance speech, “I know what we have to do in Iraq,” he would not tip his hand.

Update II: I’ve added the whole speech here, as McCain has plenty to say about American foreign policy:

14 posted on 06/02/2008 10:34:24 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Every mock is a signal to the opponent saying "Attack Here!".

By the art of war, one should never mock unless one somehow appears weak at that point. Why? Because the a decent opponent will know enough not to attack, even when mocked, unless one's facade appears weak.

The idea is that a mock in verbal attack is the same as a feint in physical attack. The exceptional case: You can feint against an completely overexcited opponent, one in total chaos, without worrying that he'll see all your strength lined up to face him if he takes the bait.

17 posted on 06/02/2008 11:08:04 AM PDT by bvw
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel, WOT

..................

19 posted on 06/02/2008 11:21:02 AM PDT by SJackson (It is impossible to build a peace process based on blood, Natan Sharansky)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

McCain’s speech echoes Bibi Netanyahu’s strategy. Netanyahu joined forces with Frank Gaffney (formerly in Reagan Admin) of the Center for Security Policy who started a Divest Terror campaign in the US.

Gaffney http://www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/home.aspx?sid=56&categoryid=56&subcategoryid=57&newsid=11567

Netanyahu http://web.israelinsider.com/Views/10997.htm

IMO it appears that McCain is signalling an affinity for Likud.


20 posted on 06/02/2008 4:24:14 PM PDT by dervish (Why is the post-racial candidate drawing 90+ percent of the Black vote?)
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