Another McCain Shiite-Sunni gaffe?

Posted: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:17 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under: 2008, Security, McCain

From NBC's Lauren Appelbaum and Mark Murray
You be the judge: Did McCain once again confuse Shiites and Sunnis when talking about Al Qaeda in Iraq (a Sunni group) at today's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing?

VIDEO: Watch this exchange between Sen. John McCain and Gen. David Petraeus, in which the presidential hopeful mistakenly identifies Al Qaeda as a Shiite group.

Here's the transcript...
McCain: There are numerous threats to security in Iraq and the future of Iraq. Do you still view Al Qaeda in Iraq as a major threat?
Petraeus: It is still a major threat, though it is certainly not as major a threat as it was say 15 months ago.
McCain: Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shiites overall?
Petraeus: No, no sir.
McCain: Or Sunnis or anybody else then? Al Qaeda continues to try to assert themselves in Mosul, is that correct?
Petraeus: It is senator, as you saw on the chart. The area of operation of Al Qaeda has been greatly reduced in terms of controlling areas they controlled as little as a year and a half ago.

*** UPDATE *** McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds responds: “In the course of having a serious dialogue with our military leadership in Iraq about how Americans can formulate success going forward, John McCain stumbled on his words and corrected them immediately. Leave it to Barack Obama, who voted against funding our troops in combat after saying it would be irresponsible to make that vote, to try and find some wiggle room on an issue he has very little credibility with.”

*** UPDATE II *** DNC chairman Howard Dean weighs in with this statement: "As John McCain continues to get the basic facts on the ground in Iraq wrong, he makes it clear to the American people that he will continue the open-ended commitment to fighting President Bush's war in Iraq. One hundred years in Iraq is not a plan. We all honor the service and sacrifices of our brave troops and their families, who have done everything that has been asked of them every step of the way. Honoring their service means bringing this war to a responsible end, and the only way to do that is to elect a Democratic president in November."

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Comments

Speaking of polls:
Rasmussen Markets data now gives Obama an 87.1% chance to win the Democratic nomination.

April 8, 2008

Rasmussnen Poll (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:21 PM)

that sounds like he was mistaken again. Thats how im looking at it

uiuc (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:23 PM)

This Transcript looks a little planned or practiced. I think both McCain & Petreaus are confused.

boogeyman, mamaroneck, ny (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:26 PM)

Hmmm, I believe the popular saying during the Vietnam was "Kill them all and let God sort them out"

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:27 PM)

Its a shame that the McCain campaign has to constently qualify their canidate's statements. Especially since his campaign managers don't seem to realize Bush convinced McCain he needed to lie to win the election.

Tim, Reading, PA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:29 PM)

that should be the first question any journalist worth his creds should ask him the next time the Straight Talk Express(Sheesh)pulls up............Please Sen. McCain, would you kindly explain to us ignorant plain folk just what is the difference between a Shia and a Sunni? No cue cards or canned speeches, please..........

Sherri, Charleston, WV (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:29 PM)

Joe Biden laid it out and laid it down in his opening remarks. Way to go Joe.

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:30 PM)

For someone who was suppose to come out of these hearing "on top" of all three candidates today, looks like McFossil mixed up the Shiites and Sunnis AGAIN. He's not playing the Commander-in-Chief role very well these days. Thanks for playing, John, now go rest.

Diane from Illinois (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:34 PM)

Old Man yelling at clouds.

Greg Miles Chicago (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:34 PM)

"John McCain stumbled on his words and corrected them immediately"

Wow, that's from McCains own campaign.....lol.

Um, as President - you can't always be getting it wrong or you sound like George Bush. Which is fitting because McCain as President would be an extention of the Bush admininistration for 4 or 8 more years.

Who wants 4-8 more years of the Bush Administration? Anyone, any takers?!??!?!

I bet McCains wife has to dress him every morning after their staff gives him his sponge bath.

I just can't wait until all the people that are over age 70 have died off so that they will stop polluting our Democracy with their Depression era/Cold war era mentality. It's time for America to catch up with modern times, and as long as we are represented by people that are that friggin' old and undereducated, we will continue to live in the past and make poor decisions.

Matt, Las Vegas, NV (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:34 PM)

I am 58 white female, I support Senator Obama. That said, whats the big deal if he did say Shiite instead of Sunni or the other way around? These are not every day American words and they are not the religions that we are use to living with. These are not the words we need to be worried about. We need to be worried about the POINT he was making.

A New America (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:34 PM)

Mccain has absolutely zero credibility on anything, an older version of idiot bush.

Steve A Jonesboro IN (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:35 PM)

With respect to Mr. McCain (this time anyway), he is simply too old for the job. Sorry.

iowan (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:36 PM)

Isn't this the kind of admin we're trying to get away from? Who cares...Shi'a, Sunni it doesn't matter!

All are fodder for McWar!!!!!

Dr.Strangedog, MI (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:37 PM)

This is one area that is very alarming to me. How is he tough on foreign policy, when he has not a clue on who is who in the middle east?

Just because they look the same does not make them and their underlying individual cultures or religious beliefs the same.

He needs a 101 class or he needs to shut up, it's as simple as that. He can't continue to group them all in one basket.

Since he does not know who we are fighting or why, we will never leave Iraq under his control of our government. Heavens to betsy if you are going through foreclosure, he says the government should not help you, nor should they enforce or change predatory lending ways of doing business.

And what gets me is democrats saying they will vote for this guy if their candidate don't win.
I say exercise your vote Democrats, but just stay home (although, we need every democratic vote this year), if you are ticked off that your democrat does not win. It's better than voting for this train wreck in waiting.

He is making a mockary out of this issue and it is suppose to be his strong area! I guess Lieberman (the Joker) was not there to police him up.

Michelle Zee (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:37 PM)

Well, so much for experience. What is more troubling is that he is not capable of learning anything new. I guess it comes with the age...

Adi, NY (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:37 PM)

OBAMA.....Pleeease pick Joe Biden for your VP!

Dr.Strangedog, MI (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:38 PM)

I am very confused........ Who are we fighting today; the Shia, Sunni, Viet Cong, North Vietnamese, Panama, China... What the heck.. Cindy you are a c..., please give me some money.

By the way - did you notice how nice my boyfriend Joe Lieberman looked today!

John Mc (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:38 PM)

another senior moment. later he shook his cane at the general told him to "get off my lawn."

tom, philly (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:39 PM)

Yeah, that's the ticket. Obama is out of touch on this issue. Not the guy who can't even keep the key players straight.

Tired of Being Tired (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:39 PM)

McWar can't even speak without cue cards. Blue lips Obama can speak but knows nothing about Iraq or the economy.

Brother Odd (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:39 PM)

Given the recent flap over his mistatements, its almost unbelievable he would make this mistake again. It comes across as a Bush-type mentality who has convinced himself that al Qaeda in Iraq is the central enemy in the central front, etc., and who also thinks such details as Shi'ite or Sunni or trivialities.

This is alarming. A guy who is one contest away from the White House - to put it in NCAA terms he's reached the finals in San Antonio - who could be so ignorant about the situation in the place he himself claims to be so central to U.S. interests...

I don't know another word for that except alarming.

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:40 PM)

FIRST READ HAS OFFICIALLY ENDORSE HILLARY CLINTON BY NOT CORRECTING THEIR PLEDGE UPDATE.....

1) Obama actually has 1,419 pledged delegates -- FIRST READ says he has 1,416 and give the others handily to Hillary

2) Noted Hillary's new ONE endorsement but made a complot not to announce Obama's five new superdelegates he received in North Dakota

Interesting... Hillary might give a speech anytime soon about this great endorsement from a BIAS reporting, Todd might be appointed Secretay of State under Clinton's administration dont be surprised....

Angel , SF (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:40 PM)

looks like mccains mammoth teleprompter is not quite large enough, maybe he should lip sync his speeches and have someone less senile actually talk into the microphone on his behalf

MK,MO (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:41 PM)

What were the Repubs thinking when they voted for McCain.

It seemed that American's bitterness bought Bush a second term as he went about killing Arabs, and Muslims, irregardless to whether they had guilt in the attacks of September 11, 2001 or not. Is that the sentiment that has pushed McCain forward? Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran?

I will not mock the Senator over his age. However, he clearly has difficulty with his mental faculties. Coupled with his hair trigger temper, and lack of knowledge, his Presidency would be yet another curse, like our mounting death tolls, and a failing economy, America would have brought upon herself.

shaking my head, over mixed up McCain (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:42 PM)

I don't believe our military should be on the hot seat. Unless they have committed crimes.

Members of Congress should be on the hot seat. It is they who should be asked by the military - what exactly were you thinking when you voted to have our military invade Iraq? What were your expectations?

How much did you actually know about the Middle East. Did you research thoroughly before you voted?
With whom did you speak in the weeks leading up to your vote? Did you consult with Middle East experts?

The military have done everything imaginable.

It is the politicians in DC who need to answer some questions.

Pat, Boston, MA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:42 PM)

Old "Bomb Iran" McCain continues to show his depth. Shallow.

bill, okla (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:42 PM)

Leaders should not confuse the enemy - that's for us ordinary folks to do.

OBwan, IN (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:43 PM)

Thank you Joe Biden for speaking for the majority of the American People.. You were my first choice and now Obama has my vote..

Constance Barkley,Jupiter,Florida (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:43 PM)

I'd be willing to give the old guy a pass if this was the first time he "stumbled on his words" but this is like the third or fourth time! I think he doesn't have a clue who the enemy is over there.

His spokesman is really something else - your candidate voted for this failed policy of war, continues to support it, and is constantly mixing up who we are actually fighting over there. But somehow it is his opponent, Senator Obama, who has "very little credibility" on the issue!

Jamil, Dearborn, MI (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:44 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
Sounds like the old warmonger has another 'senior moment'.

twocanpete (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:45 PM)

Hillary Rodham Clinton has today again demonstrated why she is clearly the most intelligent, most skilled, most qualified, most electable candidate in the race. Hillary is the smartest person in the room, always. Hillary will be a GREAT President!

The Dems are foolish if they fail to nominate this woman who is hands down the best they have to offer.

Obama is unelectable. He proved himself a fool today in his silly "committee hearing", the first one he has held since he was assigned this task. He's a joke. He's completely unqualified and unprepared to be President of the U.S. Obama has continually interjected sexism, racism and classism into this campaign at his own peril. It's disgusting. Now what would MLK (who Obama channels at every opportunity with the help of the media) MLK who fought hard for voter rights think of Obama's attempts to disenfranchise voters in Florida and Michigan and across the nation in those silly, meaningless caucuses?????

The Democratic Party would be wise to remember that for decades white women have been the majority voting block of the party and WE WANT HILLARY! They practice sexism at their own peril.

No amount of 24/7 media promotion (MSNBC is the Obamanetwork) will EVER make Obama electable. No amount of money will EVER make Obama electable. Follow the money trail, who is funding Obama and why? There's a story for the so-called journalists. Get on it. In Ohio, Obama outspent Hillary 3 to 1 and yet won only 5 out of 88 counties! If you can't win in Ohio you cannot win the Presidency. Today, in polls, Hillary beats McCain in Ohio by 10 points, while Obama loses or ties with McCain. Same in Florida. Same in Michigan, etc. Obama is unelectable. Hillary has already proven she can win the big states that are the must wins for the Dems in November. It's tham simple.

It's Hillary or John McCain will be President.

Allison (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:46 PM)

ok ok....i know this is a small transcript of a larger one but I do agree that this small section is dancing around the topics and mccain is not asking the right questions to provoke a detailed answer. Im anxious to see how Obama questions him.....

to anyone who has taken critical thinking or comm classes knows this statement.....

"Certainly not an obscure sect of the Shiites overall?"

is trying to show the war in a good light and begging the question of success....Mr McCains whole biography tour and electability profile is based around the war and his service credentials, he has to show the war in a winning mannor to be elected prez....

oregon4obama (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:47 PM)

McWar doesn't know the difference between the Sunni and Shiite, but he knows we need to be there 100 more years. Yea hes our war expert.

Brother Odd (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:48 PM)

Seems his "senior moments" are lapsing into more and more "senior episodes."

I'm not sure I want someone this befuddled as the commander in chief.

No to McCain (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:50 PM)

I think McCain is trying to lay the groundwork for an attack against Iran. Otherwise, these speaking blunders make me worry about his age.

Dave in AL (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:50 PM)

To make a mistake once is forgiveable, twice is careless and 3 times is beyond the pale. Does this guy know what he's talking about? Rumours that he's not the sharpest tool in the box have been circulating the Senate for years (only Fred Thomson was blunter, apparently) but it looks like, the longer the campaign goes on, there is truth to them! Why else would he need Joe Lieberman and his campaign aids to be on constant standby to field McCain's gaffes? Apparently, McCain used to ask himself every morning whilst he was shaving why he should be president... smarter people may have had an answer quicker. He really is in the same mould as Bush II.

martin (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:50 PM)

What is that ? McCain tries to swipe at Obama as a defense for confusing Sunnis and Shiites AGAIN !

What about Liebermann ? Was he not supposed to watch McCain ? Somebody, please give McCain a yellow sticky note with the 'Iraq - Who is Who' on it.

Seriously, this is not funny anymore. I am rather worried about this lack of understanding. It's just the age most likely but then again, he won't be any younger next year.

Frank (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:51 PM)

McCain and his words...embarrassing.

Of course, the media will only report what the people want to hear and/or what will rake in some ad money.

http://infogiant.wordpress.com/2008/03/27/mccain-having-problems-with-words/

http://infogiant.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/wolf-blitzer-is-a-flake-and-a-moron/

InfoGiant, Austin, TX (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:51 PM)

lmao - why are they blaming Obama?? boy, for an ex-POW, war hero, and all around grumpy old man, the McCain camp sure is touchy!! LOL

what i DO like is how McCain's pretty much focused on Obama...looks like the Republicans have accepted the reality of Democratic nominee moreso than Clinton's camp.

this election is gonna be fun...I can see it now...

Obama: "now Senator McCain has said he wants to keep the Bush tax cuts in place..."

McCain: "hey! no fair!! Obama is a big meanie w/ the facts! so much for his 'new politics'!!"

apparently, to some "new politics" = don't point out bad ideas.

beth (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:53 PM)

stumbled on his words?/??? How can we sure he will not stumble on something else. He continues to misspeak. How can we be sure that he will not confuse one country from another.

lori Chicago (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:54 PM)

So wait, McCain gaffed again, and somehow it's Obama's fault?

I love their campaign.

It's so hopelessly faux-evil.

Pander, Picayune MS (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:55 PM)

One too many misstatements & stumbles, make John McCain a stumbling & bumbling fool. He's a lot more like Bush than I thought, especially after opposing the GI Bill that would pay for the soldier's education expenses. That's the least that a republican can do after sending them to fight for LIES. I hope the Democrats don't let Republicans define what 'patriotism' really means...I'm ashamed of what this administration has done to the morale of our country.

Jay, St. Louis (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:55 PM)

How does the McCain camp lay this at Obama's feet?

MI, Rochester NY (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:56 PM)

Why is the McCain campaign turning this on Obama? Obama didn't make the gaffe--McCain did, and all the media outlets are reporting it on their own.

We're definitely in silly season.

Cindy Lou, TX (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:56 PM)

Did Obama publicize or make remarks concerning this 'slip'? Why is McCain's camp calling out Obama?

Trav Baker, Spokane, WA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 3:56 PM)

How is he trying to drag Obama into hsi mistake. Too funny

Dems 09

Gail, Dayton, OH (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 4:00 PM)

Senator McCain isn't just stumbling over words when he persists in repeating the same misunderstanding about Al Queda. He's displaying the same ignorance that led the administration to expect a hero's welcome when it invaded Iraq.

David (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 4:01 PM)

BTW did the Obama campaign bring this to your attebtion? Their response seems to indicate this. Or is this just their way of trying to deflect the fact that McCain is getting mentially slow. I know...I know his mother is almost 90...maybe she should run then because i suspect we will see more and more of this as the campaign goes on. The issue is will the media continue to point it out.

Toni (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 4:02 PM)

Hello, report this. Go Ben Smith....

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0408/Bill_Clinton_backed_Colombia_trade_deal_Estoy_a_favor.html

Bill Clinton backs Columbian trade deal (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 4:03 PM)

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