Kerry says he'd name McCain Secretary of Defense

Democratic challenger John Kerry said Wednesday his first choice as defense secretary would be Republican Sen. John McCain as he criticized the Bush administration for failed policies in Iraq.

Kerry slammed President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners, their failure to build an international coalition and other ”miscalculations surrounding this war.”

<snip>

“I have any number of people that I would make secretary of Defense, beginning with our good friend John McCain,” Kerry said. McCain was not immediately available for comment.

Kerry listed several other possible candidates “who could manage it (the Pentagon) very effectively,” including Democratic Sen. Carl Levin of Michigan and Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, the top ranking senators on the Armed Services Committee.

<snip>

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4961694/

Yes, I know the convention is to appoint a replacement Senator from the same party, but....why play fair with the pukes?

Have a Republican switch party to Democrat and then have 40K Republicans switch their party affiliation so they could vote out Cynthia McKinney in the primary?

So, if they can do that, we can do similar in Arizona...

I think this is a different situation. Majette ran in a primary after redistricting to defeat McKinney. Gov Napolitano would be appointing a replacement senator.

We're dreaming here, by the way. Rumsfeld is going to stick around.

Republicans crossed party lines and voted for her to oust McKinney.

A friend of mine who voted for Bush in 2000 but is torn about what to do this year really loves McCain. I told her this today and she said, "if Kerry really said that he'd put McCain in his administration, I would vote for Kerry."

I'm sending her this link.

One more down.
:toast:

McCain agrees with the aggression in the ME.

Why? We're not electing him Vice President or anything.

Here are my top 2 reasons for thinking this is an excellent idea:

1. As someone who once saw the inside of the Hanoi Hilton, Sen. McCain has a rather unique perspective on the military in general, and respect the troops WAY more than the Bushies do. For one recent example, he is personally and deeply offended by people like Sen. Inhofe, who are more ouraged by the outrage over war crimes than the war crimes themselves. This is a guy who understands that this is no joke.

As SECDEF, he would be in charge of making recommendations to the President, but he wouldn't be in charge of any actual WARS unless the President gets us into one. Thus, his hawkishness loses its relevance. That having been said, I believe (and most would agree) that in war and peace alike, McCain would be a VAST improvement over Rumsfeld.

NT

that would open up his seat, too.

And if elected, do not be surprised if McCain is his pick.

but I think we need him in the senate. I don't want the republicans taking this seat. MI has two great senators. I want it to remain that way.

McCain would be an improvement over Rumsefeld, but I'd prefer a democrat for a post such as secretary of defense. I understand that many times, one cabinet spot is given to the opposite party to appear bipartisan. However, important positions like sec. def, state, att. gen., and others should be within the party.

Bush gave a token position to Norm Mineta, but that was for transportation, not exactly the sort of post that could set a different agenda from those of the neo cons.

Then, Wes for VP already decided????? Think about it.

*nt*

Secretary of defense

He hasn't been out of the military long enough (10 years).

sorry :)

(wishful thinking...sigh)

if not VP?

Clark would be a major improvement over Condi

I know that we might not want to follow up the Powell scenario of putting a military person in at State, but as head of NATO, Clark had access to all kinds of key diplomats. With those contacts and his spirit, Wes might actually be able to turn around the negative feelings about the US that are running rampant throughout the world.

That Richard Holbrooke would probably be the choice for State. Saw him speak once live and several times on CNN. This guy is really, really good.

You have to be out of the service for 10+ years to be eligible.

I don't think Kerry meant McCain would be his secretary of defense. And that's how the reporting of this makes it sound. I took this to mean that if Bush fired Rumsfeld, or if Rumsfeld stepped down, McCain would be a good replacement.

Imus asked him this morning, if elected, who would you appoint? Kerry replied that there were "any number of people who could fill the position." When pressed for names, he listed McCain, Sen. Warner, and someone else.

Sorry to correct you, but Imus asked if Rumsfield was gone - who did John Kerry think would be a good replacement. Kerry didn't want to give names, but Imus pressed him, so he said McCain, Warner and some others.

This was not referring to the potential Kerry cabinet.

Imus said something to the effect that if Rumdum would step down, with us being in the middle of two wars - - - Kerry replied that there would be any number of good people to replace Rumdum and that we shouldn't think that nobody else would be qualified because of Iraq and Afganistan. That is when Imus pressed him for names. It was all in the context of Bush's Cabinet and replacing Rumdum.

Geez!! this is how rumors start!!!!!!

cidliz2004

and clever.

.

The collective revulsion by Republicans like Warner, McCain and others at the comments of Inhofe made me wonder if something's going on. I really think the moderate and sane Republicans such as McCain are about to openly revolt against the neocons. I've wondered if, behind closed doors and away from microphones, they've even toyed with endorsing Kerry.

This is going to get really interesting before November gets here. More interesting than anything old folks like myself have ever seen and maybe even since the republic was founded. There have never been times like this in this country when such ideologically driven people like the neocons have been so very aggressive. The neocon aggression could very well make all moderates, Democrat & Republican coalesce around Kerry.

If Kerry wins, it will be back to the GOP supporting traditional GOP values, and the Dems supporting more liberal issues but maybe they will come together more in common sense... if Kerry prevails.

Is there a Democrat governor of Arizona ready to appoint a democrat to that spot?

but Clinton did it so I guess I'll have to accept it.

and some moderate Dems who like McCain. Frees Wesley Clark up for VP, anyway. AND the added benefit of opening up an Arizona Senate seat...

VERY shrewd move.

Wes for Veep; McCain at Defense!!

Do you know how many Indies & unhappy Repubs would love this?

And McCain knows where the bodies are buried at the Pentagon; he would raise hell, & put the Repubs & Defense Contractors on notice.
They would have apoplexy....I would love it.

Also, many unhappy military members would love to get rid of Rumsfeld, & have people in there who cared about the troops & veterans.

Kerry said the other day, he likes to mention McCain because it drives Rove nuts!!!!!LOL!!!

This was a statement about the firing of Rummy and chosing a good repug replacement. Kerry was making the point that several people are qualified to do the job of Rumsfeld, and named McCain as one possiblilty.

Just want to eliminate possible confusion here.

JOHN KERRY HAS NOT SAID HE PLANS TO NAME MCCAIN SECRETARY OF DEFENSE!

It is time to end this cult of personality (or personalities, if you catch my drift). None of those creeps are irreplaceable.

Kerry said he Bush should replace RUMSFELD with one of those people.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=3&u=/ap/20040512/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_iraq

:eyes:

:hi:

:hi:

he supported a massive ground invasion of Kosovo. That's not the kind of policy I want represented in the Cabinet. If he is appointed, he will need to be counterbalanced and restrained.

If McCain became Sec. of Defense, who would likely become senator to replace him? Would we get someone worse?

.

There is no way in heck that any non neo-cons are getting anywhere near that position. This both increases peoples thoughts of Mccain as sec of def, which would not be cool with the administration, and makes Kerry look non-partisan.

There's too much damage to undo and even a war hero like McCain isn't going to be effective. The world has to know an entirely knew regime is in charge that has no ties to the previous one. McCain has apologized for Bush once too often.

would do more good than harm. It would help reconcile a LOT of republicans to a Kerry administration. And McCain has more integrity than almost any repub I can think of. He's not a bad choice, and strategically, this is a good move for Kerry, IMO.

Dirk

twists things.
Kerry was referring to McCain & Warner as suggestions of two very capable people, when Bush in essence said nobody was capable of replacing Rumsfeld during a wartime situation.
They're trying to cause democratic dissention still.

Kerry says Bush should replace Rumsferatu with McCain, and that gets morphed into "Kerry wants McCain as his SoD!"

And last week, there was a trial balloon floated about finding a job for Colon Bowell in the Kerry administartion, in order to allow him to be "rehabilitated", because he's talented (yeah, a talented dick-sucker, maybe)

What *IS* this shit, anyway????

People, McCain and Bowell are RETHUGLICANS!!!! Remember? Hello!!!! The *DARK SIDE*???????

McCain, while a good man, sits on the wrong side of the aisle.

Colon Bowell, if he truly wants to be "rehabilitated", should start that journey in The Hague, and end it in Spandau Prison.

I think this is some kind of "movement" to make the left look stupid. Sorry to see some are buying into it.

Kerry said, "I have any number of people that I would make secretary of Defense, beginning with our good friend John McCain."

I read this as Kerry listing McCain first as an example. I don't see this as Kerry saying his choice would be McCain.

Warner is one of the stupidest men in the senate!

I understand Kerry(on Imus) is not saying HE will appoint or even would appoint these people. He was suggesting this is what Bush should consider. Now we have wild and damaging speculations on a fundamental misinterpretation. WE need to do better than that, what with everyone already criticizing Kerry's non-existent cabinet choices!

Are we doing the dumb media's slant work for them now?

Kerry said * should replace Rumsfeld with one of them!