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John McCain Smears Democrats

Senator McCain is using some very strong language in his latest attack of Congressional Democrats:

The Prime Minister of Iraq and others have condemned Hezbollah and say they do not support them. So, if you want to have our effort in Iraq impaired by this situation, go ahead, but I think the Democrats are proving again why they’re not qualified to lead.

“I think Democrats are proving again why they’re not qualified to lead”…a pretty strong ad-hominem attack from the (in many circles) well-respected senator from Arizona. What’s the problem with Senator McCain’s statement? It’s simply not true. The Prime Minister of Iraq, Nuri al-Maliki, has made no such condemnation of Hezbollah. According to Forbes,

Despite tough rhetoric against terrorism in the Middle East, al-Maliki did not mention the Hezbollah conflict. Al-Maliki’s difference of opinion with his hosts over the two-week-old fighting had threatened to sour his visit.

So the prime minister did not mention Hezbollah in his joint meeting with Congress. Also, his “difference of opinion” with the Bush administration “had threatened to sour his visit”. These facts don’t speak to Mr. Maliki having made a condemnation of Hezbollah.

The New York Times words it even more strongly:

Mr. Maliki, speaking in Arabic, did not mention issues that have divided him and Washington, notably his condemnation of Israel for its incursion into Lebanon in pursuit of Hezbollah militants and his refusal to condemn Hezbollah, which the United States regards as a terrorist organization.

As you see, The New York Times notes Mr. Maliki’s “refusal to condemn Hezbollah”. At least based on these news reports, it appears Senator McCain flat out lied when he said the prime minister had condemned Hezbollah and then proceeded to attack the leadership abilities of Democrats in general.

And the senator’s comments were made on the Fox News Channel this morning, which goes to show that it’s not just the Fox personalities that are peddling in falsehoods, the guests do as well. The senator’s “straight shooter” reputation definitely takes a hit here.