McCain Worries President Clinton’s North Korea Mission Sets a Bad Precedent
EmailWhile expressing happiness and gratitude that journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are safe at home, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told ABC News that he's concerned that former President Bill Clinton's humanitarian mission to North Korea sets a bad precedent for the future.
"I don’t think there is any doubt that this is a propaganda success for Kim Jong Il and the North Korean regime and enhances their prestige," McCain said. "But at the same time we are more than happy that these young women are home safe and sound and I appreciate the fact that former President Clinton was able to achieve that — apparently no one else was able to."
"The question is will the North Koreans really change their behavior as far as nuclear weapons are concerned and the six party talks and progress in other areas," McCain said. "That’s the question that remains."
McCain said that in 1994, "former President Carter went" to visit Pyongyang "and North Korean behavior did not change."
"There is no doubt that the North Koreans saw this as a propaganda success," McCain continued, referencing the "statements they issued during the 75 minute meeting and two hour dinner with Kim Jong Il — President Clinton deserves some kind of award," he said jokingly about the former president spending so much time with the North Korean leader.
Asked if he would have done anything differently as president, McCain said he didn't know "because I don’t know what if any agreements were made ahead of time. Certainly as president of the United States I would emphasize the need for six-party talks, for removal of the nuclear weapons and our continued advocacy to free the 200,000 people that are kept in the worst prison conditions — the kind that would make Joe Stalin blush."
The 2008 GOP presidential nominee said he didn't know if there were any agreements.
"The one thing I’m sure of is that former President Clinton was assured of their release if he went to North Korea," he said. "What else went on I don’t know, but I have confidence that former president Clinton raised these issues with the North Koreans."
McCain said he's been "critical of both the Bush administration and the Obama administration’s handling of North Korea and I think we should have been much tougher on them and I think the Chinese should be much tougher on them and we have not highlighted enough the terrible conditions in which 200,000 people exist. So I can’t say exactly what I would do but clearly all along I would have had a different emphasis."
As an aside, we asked McCain to weigh in on the "birther" movement — the fact-challenged critics who, despite all evidence to the contrary, continue to question whether President Obama was born in the U.S.
"Several people said things about that during the campaign," McCain recalled. "You know, people would approach us. We dismissed it out of hand and still do."
-jpt
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I always thought McCain was a different kind of Republican, especially when he said during his concession speech that, as Americans, he had more in common with Obama than differences. Apparently, those were empty words.
There is one reason and one reason only that they are all against this Clinton trip to free the American journalists from 12 years of hard labor. They are afraid it might lead to a course of action different from that pursued by Bush for the last eight years. The only way they can still claim Bush was right when it came to the North is if nobody bothers to try to get something else to work. They are only intent in preserving Bush’s legacy, such as it is, since in retrospect, it looks more and more that Clinton was a very good and effective president. Bush tried to become the better president every way he could but the more he tried, the more he made Clinton look better. That must eat at the Republicans every day.
Posted by: rss | August 6, 2009, 9:06 am 9:06 am
Lets introduce a new word to John. It’s called “diplomacy”. I guess they did use some preconditions. Could be that the deal was set that as much as I dislike him bill clinton would visit and they would turn loose of the reporter.
Posted by: rightbehind | August 6, 2009, 9:07 am 9:07 am
“There is one reason and one reason only that they are all against this Clinton trip to free the American journalists from 12 years of hard labor. They are afraid it might lead to a course of action different from that pursued by Bush for the last eight years.”
Considering Clinton gave them nuclear technology, I would imagine he would be a kin to a hero in NK. No one remembers?
And of you remember what these two reporters were charged for? Why they were in prison? They were accused of being spies for the US. How were they freed? What concession did we make to free them? He appologized for them, giving credibility to their claim of being spies, thus a propaganda victory. It’s debatable whether or not it is worth it, to sacrfice our integrity to get them out of prison when they shouldn’t be there in the first place. What in the world were they going over to report anyway?
“Lets introduce a new word to John. It’s called “diplomacy”.”
Bill Clinton isn’t a diplomat working for the State Department (well maybe in a way he does work for Hillary), he’s a former President. It’s splitting hairs but lets be honest about his title.
“Yea Mccain I was wondering what kind of precedent we were seting to North Vet. when they set Your ass free”
Um… what? War ended, POW’s were released. It IS the precedent. How could you possibly equate the two?
Posted by: KR | August 6, 2009, 9:38 am 9:38 am
What made McCain “different” from other politicians is that he often falls from his script and lets his rage take over.
But here the GOP script lines up perfectly with his own bitterness…. so, he’s gonna attack Obama.
Posted by: Barfly | August 6, 2009, 9:39 am 9:39 am
Carefully planed and executed from what I have read.
There is nothing I can say about McCain other then I believe him to be an idiot. Thank God he was not elected.
Posted by: Thinking | August 6, 2009, 9:43 am 9:43 am
John – get out of DC – are you aware of the mess AZ is in – selling state buildings – firing teachers – high unemployment – these are your constituents and you are not doing the job they elected you to do.
Typical republican – caring only about himself. He’s be in dC far too long – send him to AK and he and Sarah can pout together.
Posted by: cjr | August 6, 2009, 9:49 am 9:49 am
Like I said, Bill Clinton has gotten under the Republican’s skin permanently.
Jake, next time ask this or any other Republican what they would have done if they were in Bill Clinton’s shoes and they had been in position to rescue two American journalists facing 12 years of hard labor. I would like to hear their answer to that one.
Posted by: rss | August 6, 2009, 10:06 am 10:06 am
“Jake, next time ask this or any other Republican what they would have done if they were in Bill Clinton’s shoes and they had been in position to rescue two American journalists facing 12 years of hard labor. I would like to hear their answer to that one.”
NK claimed they were spies, charged and convicted of it.
Clinton apologized for them…
“Clinton expressed words of sincere apology to Kim Jong Il for the hostile acts committed by the two American journalists against the DPRK after illegally intruding into it,” the news agency reported. – CNN Asia
They were not spies working for the government. So we apologized for something we didn’t do and NK got a nice propaganda punch out of it. We lost a notch of integrity to get them out. It’s debatable whether or not it was worth it.
Posted by: KR | August 6, 2009, 10:19 am 10:19 am
Yeah thats right that old war monger would of just Bomb Bomb Bomb N Korea yeah that will work republicans= WAR MONGERS!
Posted by: Angie in PA | August 6, 2009, 10:30 am 10:30 am
John – get out of DC – are you aware of the mess AZ is in – selling state buildings – firing teachers – high unemployment
Posted by: cjr | Aug 6, 2009 9:49:57 AM
Gee, last I looked 22 other states had higher unemployment than Arizona! Its 8% – high but EXACTLY where Obama and Biden said it SHOULD be with the stimulus not the rising nearly 10% national average!!
Since when should a US Senator intervene on whether the state should sell property or reduce payroll???
McCain like Winston Churchill is the least likely person to go hat in hand and beg. But it takes all kinds……
Posted by: robertb | August 6, 2009, 1:09 pm 1:09 pm
McCain said he was glad the two reporters were out. That’s not the issue. The issue is, what long term price have we paid for this short term gain?
Right now, everyone’s happy, and thank God for these two women. In the long run, though, it’ll have an effect on U.S. -N. Korean interactions on critical matters like their nuclear program, arms sales, and aggressive weapons testing.
Some situations have no good answer, but are a choice between a horrific outcome and a bad outcome. Ultimately, the president is accountable for weighing all those variables, and making the right decision. Time will tell on this one.
That said, when you work for some governmental departments in Washington, the first thing you’re trained on is “Never embarrass the agency.” What were these two girls doing, and why? I’m not trying to blame the victim here, just asking since when is it okay for American citizens to put their nation in such an impossible predicament?
In a culture where loss of face is so important, America is emasculated in N. Korean eyes. Can’t wait to hear what “important” work these two girls were doing on the NK border for Al Gore’s company, and why it was so worth this international blow to U.S. prestige and negotiating power to rescue them. (Just looking at the public statement B. Clinton had to make to get them released.)
But congrats to the two families, anyway. If one has to do such a thing, I thought B. Clinton’s comportment was pitch-perfect throughout.
Posted by: mj | August 6, 2009, 2:14 pm 2:14 pm
This was hardly a “propaganda success” for Kim. Who believes the “press release” he put out? McCain?
So he gets a little spotlight. People who thought Kim was a tyrant before still think he’s a tyrant.
The U.S. gave up nothing and two innocent women were able to avoid 12 years hard labor. That’s a price I’m willing to pay.
Posted by: Myron | August 6, 2009, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
Kim Jung Il is a known entity. He didn’t gain a thing by meeting with a former President. There is no one in this world who doesn’t know that Kim is a lunatic.
McCain is still trying to play the failed politics of GWB here. Every day I’m more and more thankful that we didn’t elect this fossil and his brainless running mate.
Posted by: tjtull | August 6, 2009, 3:31 pm 3:31 pm
Myron, that’s the reason why so many people don’t trust liberals with national security.
Of course WE don’t think Kim gained anything. It wasn’t directed at US. Kim used the photo op and Clinton’s statement to buttress his own power, which reportedly is in peril right now. It’s worth something to him, to feed to his own population.
You have to look at it in N. Korea’s terms to evaluate it’s effect on future negotiations. Our history of negotiating with the N. Koreans since 1953 is an unbroken line of failures. They view things differently. It’s a top-down, hermetically sealed universe, no critical thought, no dissent, complete obedience to the center. In a total propaganda-only state, the pictures and the statement will do wonders for Kim’s power and plans.
N. Korea’s leadership is transitioning. Supposedly, powerful elements in their military oppose how Kim wants to hand down power. This little photo op and “silly” statement happened at a most opportune time for the despot.
What did we lose? Face. Lots of face. Sure, WE know it’s all phony, but THEY do not. To them it means power, which means there’s no need to make any concessions as we try to talk them out of their nuke program.
But as I said, do you want a bad outcome, or a horrific outcome? Sometimes there’s no good answer. That’s why the president gets paid the big bucks, to make the call.
Posted by: mj | August 6, 2009, 3:50 pm 3:50 pm
Republicans have done NOTHING but make the matter worst with North Korea.
The Genius Bush and Genius Cheney had simply shown this man (Kim) some respect as oppose to calling him an EVIL DEVIL…perhaps he would have NOT built up his nuclear capability.
Remember, after we Hung Sadam on “YOU-TUBE”…North Korea and Iran had no choice but to build up their nuclear capacity. Having Nuclear weapons is a SURE WAY TO GUARANTEE that America will not bomb them…or hang their leaders on the Internet.
Posted by: Alice Bowie | August 6, 2009, 4:08 pm 4:08 pm
McCain Worries President Clinton’s North Korea Mission Sets a Bad Precedent?
Which precedent is this? It already is policy-”rescuing” those with connections.
Korea will also get millions, probably the same amount the government is “saving” with it’s agencies cutbacks. That money is insignificant in proportion to the trillions in new taxpayer debt.
Meanwhile, what new unread bills not noticed by the media have been passed while you were distracted?
Posted by: another distraction | August 6, 2009, 6:18 pm 6:18 pm
Obama follows the cameras wherever he goes. He makes sure that the cameras are on before he begins a performance! Also, he has continued to be campaigning ever since he got in office. He has already had far more TV and still pictures in 7 months than Bush did in 8 years! I really don’t believe the man knows what he is doing. He talks in circles and repeats the same old stuff that we have been hearing for months! I wish he had something new and exciting to say and do! May God spare us, especially from 8 years of this man’s destructive work!
Posted by: Rudy | August 6, 2009, 8:09 pm 8:09 pm
Remember, after we Hung Sadam on “YOU-TUBE”…North Korea and Iran had no choice but to build up their nuclear capacity. Having Nuclear weapons is a SURE WAY TO GUARANTEE that America will not bomb them…or hang their leaders on the Internet.
Posted by: Alice Bowie | Aug 6, 2009 4:08:37 PM
——————
Alice, we didn’t hang Saddam, Iraq did.
I’d have to disagree with you on the nukes too. If anything we are MORE likely to take pre-preemptive military measures or physically attack them while they have very limited nuke capability than allow them to develop it further.
Right now, its not very likely that they could actually deliver a nuke successfully – and recall that we showed with Iraq, where Saddam wanted it known that he had WMD even if he didn’t, that we would take action.
That dynamic is likely quite different now with Obama in office and I would suspect that many around the world would not believe him to be capable of taking serious military action. They would at least be far more willing to test him in this regard than they would ever have dreamed of doing with Bush after Afghanistan and Iraq were begun. Recall even Joe Biden during the campaign warned that we should ‘mark his words, there will be a manufactured international crisis to test him [Obama]‘
We haven’t seen that yet — although there has been a lot of little tests or probes all over the place, and Obama hasn’t shown any inclination to respond with much strength. Hopefully no one will decide to really take it to extremes as Biden warned.
Posted by: And Atlas Shrugs Yet Again | August 7, 2009, 7:08 am 7:08 am
The naive democrat/socialists are undoubtedly a product of government schools. You people will never understand how & why the United States became the great country it is. Why you want to destroy it, I’ll never understand. I have witnessed, in person, the takeover of a free people by communists; and, it is heartbreaking. What you don’t understand is that Kim Jong ll would attack & take over S. Korea – if he thinks he can get away with it. That is why he is posturing & testing the will of the free world. Does our country have enough collective courage to continue the American way?
Posted by: Austin | August 7, 2009, 9:30 am 9:30 am
“The Genius Bush and Genius Cheney had simply shown this man (Kim) some respect as oppose to calling him an EVIL DEVIL…perhaps he would have NOT built up his nuclear capability.”
So arrogant. You think he wanted nukes because of us? NK wants nukes so it can strong arm SK and threaten Japan. Nukes also are an insurance policy against too much US interference in the above to two efforts.
Posted by: KR | August 7, 2009, 9:56 am 9:56 am