Turn of Phrase - McCain Schools Sean Hannity on Foreign Policy

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)

"It was you and people on Fox that said in Libya, 'We didn't know who they were and let's not help these people.'

They had an election and they elected moderates. They rejected Islamists. 

And yes, there are al-Qaeda factors and there are extremists in Libya today, but the Libyan people are friends of ours, and they support us, and they support democracy.

So you were wrong about -- so you were wrong about Libya."

- From Senator John McCain, during an interview Thursday with Fox News host Sean Hannity. After Hannity bragged about his perceived correctness in predicting events in post-revolution Egypt, McCain disputed his "facts" and then set him straight on Libya.

What a pleasure to see McCain, a seasoned politician with a wealth of foreign policy experience, call out a hawkish Fox News simpleton. McCain's comments could also serve as a valuable reminder to his party's presidential nominee that conducting world affairs in the 21st century requires "careful calibration," not blowhard nationalistic rhetoric.

You can see the entire exchange (3 mins) below.

Romney's Gutless Foreign Policy Screw-Up

Mitt Romney's premature, inappropriate, and errant criticism of a statement issued by an American embassy outrages me.

Romney believed that the American embassy in Cairo had issued a a communication expressing regret for hurting "religious feelings of Muslims," after extremists attacked our consulates in Libya and Egypt on September 11.

The GOP nominee saw the embassy statement as a political opportunity to attack the President as a weak American apologist, and he pounced.

"I think it's a -- a terrible course for America to stand in apology for our values. That instead, when our grounds are being attacked, and being breached, that the first response to the United States must be outrage at the breach of the sovereignty of our nation."

Unfortunately, in his blatant eagerness to sound like a bad ass and score political points during a still unfolding foreign policy tragedy, Romney lacked many of the salient details.

First, Romney was wrong about when the embassy statement was issued. The original statement was not in fact a post-event apology, but was instead a communication issued prior to the attacks as a preemptive effort to quell a swelling undercurrent of anti-American sentiment that threatened to boil over.

Second, Romney was quick to criticize the Obama administration for the "apology," when the statement had actually been issued by a local diplomat, prior to any State Department or White House approval of the message.

The White House has subsequently issued a formal statement in response to the attacks and disavowed the original embassy message. Additionally, President Obama expressed empathy for the onsite diplomatic personnel, who crafted the original communication from a soon-to-be besieged embassy, rather than from the safety of a campaign office.

In the last two days, I've read numerous articles and accounts about this incident, and I was grateful to see politicians from across the spectrum express disappointment in Romney's poor judgment. Nonetheless, my anger over Romney's actions has become palpable.

End This Herman Cain Nonsense Now

Herman Cain made an unadulterated dumbass of himself when trying to answer a simple question about his position on Libya, during an interview Monday with the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. I personally have not decided to run for the presidency of the United States, but I could have answered the question more thoughtfully than Cain did. In fact, I could have faked a better answer too.

On several occasions when Cain has proven to be under-prepared and ill-informed, he has fallen back on the bullshit reply that Presidents can't possibly know everything - that's why they surround themselves with the best people. While that is generally true, and while that kind of answer might fly if a reporter is asking you trick questions about "Uze-beki-beki-stan-stan," this question was about LIBYA. Maybe pleading ignorance flies with the board of directors in the high-intensity world of pizza making, but it's an unacceptable and downright shitty answer to give when you're asking to be the guy who holds the fate of the free world in his palm.

The pizza man cometh.

Even without the swirling sexual harassment controversy, this video should be enough to send the staunchest Cain supporter packing. Cain might be smart enough to succeed as a motivational speaker or pizza magnate, but he has never held elective office, he has zero experience in public governance, and his understanding of important and weighty presidential responsibilities is riddled with gaping holes.

Gaddafi Reported Arrested, Killed

Former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi

Giant news from the Arab world this morning as reports claim that Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi has been captured and killed by rebel forces in his hometown of Sirte. Reuters, the BBC, and other international news outlets are reporting Gaddafi's death, although it has not been confirmed by U.S. news agencies or by the American government. A gruesome cell phone photo that is reported to be the corpse of the Libyan dictator has been broadcast on MSNBC and other networks.

With Gaddafi having been in power over 40 years (since the Nixon administration to put it into context), his imminent demise poses large questions about what happens next in Libya.

As the Arab Spring continues in to fall, Libya is just the latest Arab nation making headlines as civil unrest spreads across the Middle East and Northern Africa. Since last December, we have seen political revolutions resulting in the ousting of longtime dictatorial leaders in Tunisia, Egypt , and Libya, and we have witnessed uprisings and civil protests in Bahrain, Syria, Yemen, and other Arab states.

The fire of rebellion spreading through the Arab world is exciting, and the idea that real organic democracy (not the Bush-imposed brand used in Iraq) may take hold in these nations inspires hope. With these revolutions though also comes uncertainty, and a pressing need for cautious and balanced American diplomacy and leadership (this is not time for walking tall and carrying a big stick).

As we celebrate the downfall of cruel and tyrannical dictators, we should all, regardless of political affiliation, hope our leaders are capable of thoughtfully positioning the U.S. favorably in great Arab unknown. The Arab Spring presents historical opportunities for our nation to forge new positive relationships in the Arab world. Our leaders must exercise enormous care to make sure we take an appropriate role in these events that allows us to leverage these opportunities to make new friends, or at least to avoid making new enemies.