McCain Strolls Through Baghdad Market, Accompanied By 100 Soldiers, 3 Blackhawks, 2 Apache Gunships

[Robbien]

ThinkProgress

Sen. John McCain strolled briefly through an open-air market in Baghdad today in an effort to prove that Americans are “not getting the full picture” of what’s going on in Iraq.

But, NBC’s Nightly News reports that McCain’s one-hour guided tour was accompanied by “100 American soldiers, with three Blackhawk helicopters, and two Apache gunships overhead.” Still photographs provided by the military to NBC News seemed to show McCain wearing a bulletproof vest during his visit. Watch it:

Screenshot at Think Progress site
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/04/01/mccain-iraq-stroll/

McCain recently claimed that there “are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today.” In a press conference after his Baghdad tour, McCain told a reporter that his visit to the market today was proof that you could indeed “walk freely” in some areas of Baghdad.

lying liars, all of them

[Skink]

1. I wonder if gas prices are any better there?

[nilram]

36. sure, they're subsidized by the government... (nt)

[Roland99]

2. "Groovin', on a Sunday afternoon."

[Elwood P Dowd]

7. Good one. The Rascals from the 60s.

Some smart person needs to make a video for YouTube with McCain walking around the market and Groovin' playing in the background.

[AshevilleGuy]

34. August, September 1967. Please do not insult the memory

of this wonderful song with that motherfucker!!! So he just HAD to go to Baghdad and do that!!! He is shit. Nothing more.

[Roland99]

50. Actually, if done right, could be as hard-hitting as "What a Wonderful World" from ...

Good Morning Vietnam.

[robinlynne]

13. such a good answer...

[Roland99]

19. Just saw a clip of McWhore on the news tonight touting GOOD NEWS

and he was shopping in a market

But, then 6 US soldiers were killed today in a roadside bomb but yet "the American people are not getting the full story of what's going on over here."



McCain is such a whore

[HCE SuiGeneris]

26. Or possibly... "Singing in the Reign"

:evilgrin:

[Kikosexy2]

68. Gee...

if some of those 'hoods are fine and dandy to "walk freely"...why did he need 100 armed soldiers and helicopters overhead? and an armored vest?....the B.S. never stops...

[Kagemusha]

3. Who authorized this photo op and substantial deployment?...

Who thought proving McCain "right" was worth this? The military isn't under McCain's command. Who ordered this?

[ClintonTyree]

42. Quid pro quo...

for the "Bush Hug" on the 2004 campaign trail? :shrug:

[Rex]

4. See? Perfectly safe for the devil to stroll down the streets.

Safe. Honest.

[blitzen]

5. McCain put our troops "in harm way" for a photo-op n/t

[frogcycle]

23. exactly

can you even BEGIN to imagine the outcry if a dem had done that?

Is there any POSSIBLE benefit to the "war" effort in having McCain "stroll through a market?"

This was clearly done with full Rovian cooperation to get some "good news" out for the WH

I'd say McCain has the promise from the MACHINE that if he sucks up and toadies the next two years, they'll steal the election for him. He doesn't have to be able to remember what his position was on any issues a month ago - they are printing up his new positions as we speak

[ClintonTyree]

43. But first they'd have to steal the Republic nomination....

and I think that would be a tougher job than stealing the Presidential election. Honestly, I don't think McCain has a snowball's chance in hell of getting the nod.

[weezy2736]

58. I have no idea why

he aligned himself further right then he was already playing. After a decade plus, he picked a great time to show his true colors. Just another example of modern politicians not taking a step back so they can embrace the situation.

I'll bet you anything that bush bought him. His only Repug enemy in 2000 turns into one of his few remaining supporters in 8 years? Me smells fish.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Now *that's* progress!

[Grandrose]

8. The man has become.....

unhinged and somebody needs to throw a net!!!!:grr:

[bluerum]

9. And you could walk through Berlin durning WWII. So fucking what. eom

[ProudDad]

22. It was safer in Berlin in WWII

until about April of '45.

[AshevilleGuy]

35. Especially in the Fuererbunker! Which is where McCain and

bush and Uncle Dickie would be, along with adolf and Eva... 55 feet of concrete and earth separated them from the chaos up in the streets as the Red Army was liberating Berlin.

[Alcibiades]

79. Where's the Red Army when you need it?

What final shock of reality will cause the bunker residents of today to admit their final defeat and the end of their grandiose schemes of world domination? Who will take the poison?

None of them, of course. This lot will go down to the bitter end, and beyond, only to die of old age The only question is which of them will die as Hess did, in a prison, and which will die as Lieutenant General Baron Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven did the other day, at liberty? I hope that justice will prevail, and that at least some of these scumbags will face justice, but I rather think most will declare "Nicht schuldig!" and get away with it.

[struggle4progress]

10. So it's perfectly safe if you have a big enough group of bodyguards with

aerial support. Very very wealthy Iraqis will have nothing to fear.

[bdamomma]

52. most of those wealthy Iraqis have left the country.

leaving those who do not the means to leave suffer under our occupation.

[Olney Blue]

11. McCain is McAble to walk the streets of Baghdad McFreely.

This is Mcbullshit.

[SusanaMontana41]

89. Yeah

Where can't you go with an escort like that?

[sutz12]

12. And probably 1000 Blackwater troops around that. nt

[file83]

77. Not to mention the entire neighborhood/district was probably searched from

sewer to roof for about a week prior. The only people within 1 mile were probably grandmothers and babies.

[Island Blue]

14. This man has totally jumped the shark with this little stunt.

How dare he put the lives of American soldiers (and Iraqi civilians) in danger for a fucking photo-op.

[Hawaii Hiker]

27. That is EXACTLY what McCain did:

He put those 100+ soliders (which includes the ones in the Blackhawk/Apache) at a greater risk of injury/death, so he can have his photo op...

McCain is the ultimate piece of McShit....What a bastard...

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. And just hours later 6 more of our troops died. Nice country, eh?

WTF is wrong with this picture???

[The Count]

16. here 's a pic - Joementum shared the joy with him in this one:

[FourScore]

18. LMAO!!!

This is just too funny!!!:rofl:

[wordpix]

70. GREAT photo! Thanks

[City Lights]

17. What a poser!

Stick a fork in Johnnie Mac. He's done.

[BlooInBloo]

20. My god I hope he wins the nomination.

[AshevilleGuy]

37. Oh, I don't know... What if he WON???

And please don't say he couldn't - we don't know yet, so many things could still happen.

[NewJeffCT]

53. A lot of Dems said that about George W. Bush in 2000 as well

I know I thought McCain's more moderate image would be tougher in the general election than Bush, the son of an unpopular president...

We have to realize that in 2000, we had an opponent who was a poor public speaker, showed limited knowledge of the world, had a history of alcoholism and drug abuse with an arrest record, was a failed businessman and generally had no major accomplishments in his life.

Yet, Bush barely lost in 2000 despite our country coming off of 8 years of peace and prosperity, and Bush was appointed by the Supreme Court.

[Seldona]

83. Glad I'm not the only one to see it.

[maxsolomon]

67. he will continue the war

until he is reelected. and so on until 2016, when the american collective memory has forgotten how much it hates the bush family, and jeb is selected.

america has always been at war with al queda. america will always be at war with al queda. it is not possible to elimate something that does not exist.

[greyghost]

21. What a whore...

I sincerely hope that he and Lieberman try to make a habit of walking the streets of Baghdad, the law of averages will apply.:evilgrin:

[riderinthestorm]

24. I just can't wrap my brain around this at all. McCain- 'Nam war prisoner, now pro-Iraq propagandist

I just cannot reconcile this. I know it's happening, I kow it's a real time event but McCain as Iraq War cheerleader just blows my mind on so many levels. The staggering hypocrisy.....

[alcibiades_mystery]

54. Supported illegal war then, supports illegal war now...what's to reconcile?

Everyone also acts as if the Americans held in DRV prisons were some innocent lambs snatched from their suburban split-levels by mustache-twirling Fu Manchu villains. Er, no. John McCain was engaged in an unprovoked bombing campaign against one of the most densely populated areas in the DRV, dropping fire on people from the sky. Without declaration of war. He's lucky that the Vietnamese had more decency than to label him an enemy combatant, and hold him extra-judicially and indefinitely. American bombing in the DRV killed 10 times the number of civilians as 9/11. Grok that next time you laud the heroes of the Hanoi Hilton.

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. My, my, and they did not even give him a top of the line

vest either...

Damn liars!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Catherine Vincent]

28. Busted!!

hahaha!!

[Horse with no Name]

29. So he was allowed to put 100+ troops, 3 Blackhawks and 2 Apaches at risk

for a photo-op?
WTF is wrong with this picture and WHO authorized it?:mad:

[me b zola]

30. I can't help but think that the blackhawks were used as decoy targets

Call me jaded.

[niceypoo]

31. McCain is toast

He is finished. He has turned into a Zell Miller caricature.

[ComerPerro]

32. couldn't those resources have been put to better use than a McCain photo op?

[Up2Late]

86. No Kidding! How much did THAT Photo-Op cost!

The Congress should send him a bill for that one.:mad:

[usregimechange]

33. ROFL!!!

[Up2Late]

38. Coward.

Hey McCain! Be a REAL Man and walk the walk! You talk the talk, now walk through that neighborhood again without all those troops!

P*ssy.:mad:

[Bozita]

39. Infuckingcredible! "Walk freely" means just that. No guards, no helicopters, no body armor.

Just another RepubliCON stunt.

Quick. I need to see that photo of McCain worshipping his god, GW Bush. I gotta go and find it ...

on edit:

Found it. Here it is:



Don'tcha just love those mavericks?

[Swamp Rat]

40. APRIL FOOLS!!!

We all know McCain is a chicken shit Bushler licker. :eyes:

[kiwilover]

41. Missing Airplane

He still owes the American people for an aircraft that he checked out a few years ago and didn't return---LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! The guy is a rightwing nut job and a whore to the Bush family.

[Faux pas]

44. Wonder how much armored gear the money spent on sending

him there would have bought? Wonder how many died while he was doing his little walk around tour? This is disgusting, to say the least. I once thought of him as a hero.

[kaal]

45. MF lying Mc Whore

A safe neighborhood with a bullet proof vest, 100 Soldiers, 3 Blackhawks, 2 Apache Gunships...


Does the idiot know what he's saying? Are we supposed to be so fucking stupid not to see through his BS.

It's just not enough that so many innocent civilians have been killed, let alone the soldier fighting to protect the "homeland"..!! Dammit, they just never seize to amaze me!

[BootinUp]

46. What an asshat. Lord help us

if he gets elected.

[A wise Man]

47. If he lost his 100 ascorts

he wouldn't be walking, he'd be running. I do believe these things of the human race actually think we're all a bunch of idiots.

[Quantess]

49. What do you call

...those whose escort assholes?

Well, they would be ascorts.

(drum roll) :D

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

48. what's the big deal? i always go shopping with air support.

[NewJeffCT]

56. I know, everybody here in CT has their own personal gunship escort

Not to mention a platoon of special forces on the ground.

[Tekla West]

75. Me too

But its getting to be a real bitch to park the gunships at Macy's. Still, with a couple of them in tow, NO ONE will fight you for a parking place should one open up. I wonder if he could dispatch one to buzz on over and pick up his dry cleaning? Its getting to be that calling him an asshat is an insult to asshats everywhere.

[bdamomma]

51. hey McCain if it's so safe out there, why were their 6 more deaths

of American soldiers out there this weekend, you dimwit. Walk around without any guards or protection gear, and see how far you will get out there. Totally detached this guy is.

[cboy4]

55. He has completely lost his mind. When he doesn't get the

nomination next year, I wonder if he'll run again in 2012?? :crazy:

[bdamomma]

57. McCain and Lindsay Graham are really trying to "sugar coat"

the situation out there in Iraq to say Americans are not getting the full picture of the situation in Iraq, unbelieveable they will do anything or say anything to get us to back down, 73% of the American people want us out, or do not believe to continue this occupation, now it seems to me a war of words between them and us. Like someone said on one of the other threads here, if it's so safe bring the troops home, or will they go home through Iran. We got to stop this madness.

[antonialee839]

76. It's so nice to know that our troops risked their lives

during mission "help that ass-hat Lindsay Graham score a few cheap rugs" in a Baghdad market.

[bdamomma]

81. what a degrading comment Graham made.

unbelieveable.

[IWantAChange]

59. What did Jerry Falwell do to John McCain?? The man has gone bananas.

[Done]

60. As an American, you can walk freely anywhere in Iraq...

in fact you don't even need any soldiers or attack helicopters.

You will be killed, but yes, you can walk freely.

[verse18]

61. John McCain is still ALIVE!

I thought he promised to kill himself last November. What's up with that?

[ThomWV]

62. $$$$ How Much Did We Taxpayers Spend For His Excursion Into Fantasy? $$$

As 4/15 rolls around you just have to wonder how much of your tax dollar went to this subterfuge instead of our own National well being?

[Rose Siding]

63. He's risking lives and treasure to promote his delusions.

[Vilis Veritas]

64. So sad...

on so many levels. It is almost unbearable. If this guy has enough pull to get this done, that MEANS THEY REALLY DO BELIEVE WE ARE INCONSEQUENTIAL. WE have no voice. I mean, for crying out loud, HE WAS IN A VEST...WITH 100 SOLDIERS GUARDING HIM...WITH 3 BLACKHAWKS AND 2 APACHES...WTF?

W H A T I S G O I N G O N??? What's going on...whats going on..whats going on...whats going on...excuse me...meltdown is over...now I am just pissed.

Of course if it is a song you want, the sixties has plenty of them, made especially for this reason. NO EDITS REQUIRED. We sing, they die. Perfect...

For instance...the man, Marvin Gaye...

Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today - Ya

Father, father
We don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer
For only love can conquer hate
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me, so you can see
Oh, what's going on
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Ah, what's going on

In the mean time
Right on, baby
Right on
Right on

Father, father, everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they to judge us
Simply because our hair is long
Oh, you know we've got to find a way
To bring some understanding here today
Oh

Picket lines and picket signs
Don't punish me with brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Tell me what's going on
I'll tell you what's going on - Uh
Right on baby
Right on baby

For some reason, just singing that song in my head, gives me hope...thank you Marvin for your beautiful soul...we will find out what is going on...

PEACE and LOVE EVERYONE...from an old hippy.

[classof56]

66. Great song--thanks for sharing. Welcome to DU!

Peace and love right back atcha (from an old hippy wannabe!).

[never cry wolf]

72. One of my all time favorites, thanks.

I have not thought of that tune for the longest time.

Welcome to DU from another hippie wanna be.

[LSK]

65. you know, the soldiers should really be pissed at him

His publicity stunt to prove a lie puts them at additional risk.

How many of the 100 soldiers were cursing this moron under their breath???

[Tekla West]

74. every single one of them

And all the pilots, and the commanders who had to stop the war so that John could have his photo op. But, whatever he is paying his staff to give him good advice its way, way too much.

[benld74]

69. When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro,,,

Looks like ole Joe finally turned pro with this endevour. Doing what he said could be done - wearing a bullet proof vest and placing our troops in harms way to protect his sorry ass, not to mention the helicopters and gunships waiting for a missle to be launched at them.
b*stard

[wordpix]

71. IMO, this will kill his nomination. Or rather, it should kill his nomination

[Jack Rabbit]

73. John McCain could walk freely in a Baghdad market

. . . acompanied by 100 soldiers, three Blackhawk helicopters and two Apache gunships.

War is peace.

Freedom is slavery.

Ingnorance is strength.

Colonial occupation is liberation.

[Tekla West]

78. At that, its over kill

Those gunships have a A 30mm automatic Boeing M230 chain gun is located under the fuselage. It provides a rate of fire of 625 rounds per minute. The helicopter has capacity for up to 1,200 rounds of ammunition.

The AH-64D is armed with the Lockheed Martin/Boeing AGM-114D Longbow Hellfire air-to-surface missile which has a millimetre wave seeker which allows the missile to perform in full fire and forget mode. Range is 8km to 12km.

The Apache can be equipped with air-to-air missiles (Stinger, AIM-9 Sidewinder, Mistral and Sidearm) and the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS), formerly known as Hydra, family of guided and unguided 70mm rockets.

The Longbow Apache carries the combination of armaments chosen for the particular mission. In the close support role, the helicopter carries 16 Hellfire missiles on four four-rail launchers and four air-to-air missiles.

AND HE NEED TWO OF THESE, and Blackhawks???? AND GROUND TROOPS???? How unsafe it is anyway?

[flyarm]

80. MCCAIN NUMBERS JUST RELEASED 12.5 MILLION!!

SO THE LYING LIAR HAS FALLEN WAY SHORT!!

couldn't happen to a finer liar and propagandist!!!

fly

[rodeodance]

82. it would be real stupid of him NOT to wear a vest.

[trogdor]

90. Yeah, but that's the point, right?

[whistle]

84. What would be the price tag for that level of security?

[tom_paine]

85. McCain is certainly a Loyal Bushie, isn't he? And a Sneaky Bushie, too.

He has learned the Lessons of Tyrants well. One of which, demonstrated time and time again by Chimpler, is JUST GET THE FOOTAGE.

In time, most all of the people who aren't paying attention will forget the "extenuating circumastances" and just remember only the part of the lie the Loyal Bushies want them to.

McCain makes me sick. Simply sick. :puke:

He was a patriot and a hero, now he's just a disgusting old fraud, a bootlciker of Tyrants who has learn his lessons well.

I don't think it will save him, though.

[JohnnyRingo]

87. Nice run John...C'Ya

You played it fair and square for all of 6 weeks, but in 2012 you might want to have an aide wire your jaws shut.

[LiberalFighter]

88. Who is going to stop McCain from walking freely with over a 100 troops

Apachees and other assorted weapons protecting him?