McCain Raps Clintons On North Korea

Leader In GOP Presidential Derby Takes Swipe At Democratic Front-Runner

(AP)  Republican Sen. John McCain on Tuesday accused former President Clinton, the husband of his potential 2008 White House rival, of failing to act in the 1990s to stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons.

“I would remind Senator (Hillary) Clinton and other Democrats critical of the Bush administration's policies that the framework agreement her husband's administration negotiated was a failure,” McCain said at a news conference after a campaign appearance for Republican Senate candidate Mike Bouchard.

“The Koreans received millions and millions in energy assistance. They've diverted millions of dollars of food assistance to their military,” he said.

Democrats have argued President Clinton presented his successor with a framework for dealing with North Korea and the Republican fumbled the opportunity. In October 2000, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made a groundbreaking visit to Pyongyang to explore a missile deal with Chairman Kim Jong Il. There was even talk of a visit by President Clinton.

Reports this week suggesting North Korea tested a nuclear device prompted a number of Democrats to criticize Bush, arguing that he focused on Iraq, a country without weapons of mass destruction, while ignoring legitimate threats from Pyongyang.

The criticism took a presidential campaign turn on Tuesday as McCain, the Arizona senator considered the Republican front-runner for the party nod, assailed Clinton's husband and mentioned her by name. The New York senator is considered her party's leading candidate in 2008.

Sen. Clinton's spokesman dismissed McCain's criticism and argued that it was time for a new policy from the president.

“Now is not the time to play politics of the most dangerous kind — with our policy on North Korea,” Philippe Reines, spokesman for Sen. Clinton, said in a statement. “History is clear that nothing the Bush administration has done has stopped the North Koreans from openly testing a nuclear weapon and presenting a new danger to the region of the world.”

Five years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Bush “has allowed the 'axis of evil' to spin out of control. Our Iraq policy is a failure. Iran is going nuclear and North Korea is testing nuclear weapons,” the statement said.

A spokesman for President Clinton, Ben Yarrow, said in a statement that it was “unfortunate that anyone would attempt to rewrite history to score political points at a time when we need to address this serious threat.”

“For eight years during the Clinton administration, there was no new plutonium production, no nuclear weapons tests and therefore no additional nuclear weapons developed on President Clinton's watch,” said Yarrow, who added that Colin Powell, Bush's secretary of State, endorsed Clinton's policy toward North Korea in 2001.

McCain's criticism also elicited a strong response from Democratic Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 presidential nominee and a potential 2008 candidate.

“He must be trying to burnish his credentials for the nomination process,” said Kerry, who labeled McCain's comments “flat politics and incorrect.”

“The truth is the Clinton administration knew full well they didn't have a perfect agreement. But at least they were talking. At least we had inspectors going in and we knew where the (nuclear fuel) rods were. This way, we don't know where the rods are, the rods are gone. There are no inspectors. Ask any American which way is better,” Kerry said.

The Massachusetts senator made the remarks in Nevada during a campaign appearance with Elizabeth Carter, wife of Democratic Senate candidate Jack Carter.

In U.S.-North Korea relations, the initial breakthrough occurred in October 1994 when U.S. negotiators persuaded North Korea to freeze its nuclear program, with onsite monitoring by U.N. inspectors. In exchange, the United States, with input from South Korea and Japan, promised major steps to ease North Korea's acute energy shortage.

These commitments were inherited by the Bush administration, which made clear almost from the outset that it believed the Clinton policy ignored key elements of North Korea's activities, especially the threat posed by the hundreds of thousands of troops on permanent duty along the Demilitarized Zone with South Korea.

McCain, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he backed tough U.N. sanctions against North Korea in response to the reported test. The measures, he said, should include a military embargo, financial and trade sanctions and the right to inspect all cargo in and out of North Korea.

McCain also called on China to “step up to the plate” and vote for sanctions and rejected calls for one-on-one talks between the United States and North Korea.

“The worst thing we could do is to accede to North Korea's demand for bilateral talks,” McCain said. “When has rewarding North Korea's bad behavior ever gotten us anything more than worse behavior?”

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, speaking during a debate Tuesday with his Republican rival for the Senate, accused the Bush administration of walking away from relationships the Clinton administration had developed.

“When the North Korean ambassador came to the United States, he had to go to New Mexico to meet Bill Richardson, who had been at the United Nations, because he didn't have anyone else to talk to,” Kennedy said. “The United States is the heavy in this. The United States has to engage. This administration has to have direct contact with North Korea.”

[nynative1340]

Actually, if you don't want to admit that the buck stops here and now, you could say it began in the early 50s when we lost that conflict and left Korea divided.

The last chance we had to stop North Korea's nuclear development was in 2003 when the UN inspectors were thrown out and most of the nuclear 'stuff' was all in one location. Since negotiations didn't work, we could have bombed them and wiped out their nuclear capability. But, alas, we were chasing non-existent WMD in Iraq.

[nynative1340]

You're defnitely a hateful person, janem...

[oleander8]

I am so disappointed in Mr McCain. I thought he was one of the good-guys, but his ambition appears to be getting in the way of his previously commendable independence.

[mjv2944]

Hey folks, it don't matter, repubs or dems they both have failed the American people. There is more than enough blame to spread around. I use to think a lot of McCain, but he has slid into the same grove as the rest of the worthless politicians that are in the congress. They have screwed this country up royally.

[exusmcsgt]

The falsity of McCain's assessment lies in the fact that the N. Koreans did not develop nuclear weapons on Clinton's watch, but rather during the 6 years Bush has held the chair.

Criticizing a plan that held the N. Korean program in check and not attributing the blame to the administration that fostered a development of N. Korean nukes is without merit or logic.

[janemcgreeve]

One more comment, NYNative,

Speaking of family values, great - do bring up an aberration like Foley. Yet if we pointed out those similiar perverts in your party - namely Gerry Studds, who STAYED IN OFFICE, Barney Frank, who STAYED IN OFFICE, or Jim McGreevey, who thank goodness did resign only after destroying his wife in public - well, a little Neo-Fat like you would accuse us of Gay Bashing, right? Well, how about the other Dem perverts - Clinton, Ted Kennedy, and Gary Condom, oops, Condit. They also stayed in office.

Care to call for their resignations? - too late on Clinton's account. Or are you waiting for Plastic Princess Pelosi and Barbie 'Ho Boxer to do so?

[janemcgreeve]

And your October surprise was the nukes of Kim, courtesy of Billy Clinton, hetero pervert, and the gutless bigot James Peanut Boy Carter aka Howdy Doody Junior.

Not to mention Her Incompetence Herself, Miss Piggy NoBright, who when Clinton gave Kim economic aid so he could proceed with his nukes went to Pyongyang to dance the hoochie koo with the baby starver. Funnily enough, about a month later she ran red-faced after Yasser, the Aids ridden Babykiller and 9 time visitor to the CLINTON White House because Yasser wanted to kill.

So much for Democratic achievements, oops, make that appeasements.

[janemcgreeve]

Oh pleeeeze NYNative, next thing you'll make an excuse for what Bin Laden did to NYC. You're living on Indian land, you know. Care to offer it back to them?

If not, then stop ranting like the sick little Fascist that you are. We overthrew Mossadeq, and rightly so. The pissant was unstable - and if he didn't take Iran into the Soviet camp then, who knows where it would have ended up. As it was, it did end up as an American ally for the next 3 decades, under a leader many, many times more tolerant - yes, even with SAVAK, then it has been under the Ayatollahs.

Until Fartbrain Carter with his pious harangues about Human Rights (funny his hate of the Shah when he was shipping the House of Saud advanced weaponry) chose to betray him. Know what Carter is writing about now? He's writing a vicious anti-Jewish tome about how nice Yasser Arafat was and how the Palestinians should be pitied.
For what? Doing to Jews what Bin Laden did to us?

So make your dumb excuses for us intervening in Iran. We were right then - and too bad we didn't have a President in 1977 who had guts and brains. We had the peanut fascist and coward.
Care to make an excuse for the guy who equals Jim Buchanan as our worst President - with Clinton coming in next?

[trueprogress]

Some things can not be solved with diplomacy alone.

That some countries are evil will not change by talking to them.

[nynative1340]

Yep, janem, neocons are so patriotic that not a one of them has served in the military. They're all too busy furthering their own greedy agenda.

You must be one p-i-s-s-e-d off woman to spew the ***** that comes out of your mouth.

BTW: The buck stops with Bush now, and bin Laden is still out there, laughing at the bumbling moron. I hopefully thought that capturing bin Laden would be Bush's October Surprise, but, lo and behold, his October Surprise was Foley the pedophile.

BTW: The Ayatollah was the result of the fledgling democracy we overthrew in 1953 (Ike - Republican?) and installed a vicious dictator named the Shaw, just because we liked his oil. It was Nixon who gave him F-14 aircraft, the top of the line in the early 70s. The citizens of Iran finally got tired of the terror tactics of the Shaw and threw him out, and the U.S. gave him, a terrorist in his own country, sanction. The tragic result of all this 'mismanagement of foreign affairs' was the Ayatollah and now the current democratically elected terrorist president of Iran.

Learn your history, girl!

Politicians by their very nature are greedy liars; all of them. They get elected on their promises and then go do their own thing, which is usually whatever it takes to enhance their own wealth and power.

The Republican Party is the 'self-proclaimed' party of 'Family Values.' What have they done for family values lately.

[jsilver2th]

Why do you call this guy the front runner? Rudy Giuliani seems to lead him in the polls. McCain had a lot of primary losses when he ran before and if he thinks cuddling up to Jerry Falwell gives him more appeal the guy just does not get why he had appeal to start with. It might make one think he just another phony.

[pakaal]

No less than six years into the Bush administration, two years into his second term, with the American people up to our necks in the Iraq quagmire, leaving North Korea free to develop what seems to be a fledgling nuclear program, and who is Senator McCain blaming? Who else? Bill Clinton! I swear, the only thing the Republicans haven't accused him of yet is Global Warming.

Let's see here, exactly what has George Bush done on the North Korean issue since he took office six years ago? Well, let's see I do recall him saying that North Korea was part of a modern "Axis of Evil". And.... Umm.... Yeah, I think that's about it. It's great to play the oldies but goodies, but seriously, Bush has had a Republican House and Senate to work with his entire presidency, the closest thing to carte blanche a president could ask for. If there is a failure here, it's because we were misled about and misfocused upon Iraq, at the cost of not addressing a real threat - North Korea.

The Bush Administration didn't deal with this, so let's be honest and say so, rather than try to blame someone who hasn't been in office for two whole terms.

[janemcgreeve]

Hey Bellal,

Not angry. Actually I get a kick out of the anal-retentive neo-fascists who call themselves Liberals and don't even know what the word means. They're laughable, and you're right, both parties have their share of losers and half-wits. From my perspective though, it is the Dems who are much, much worse because they lie through their teeth and try to say its the truth.
Bull____.

One other thing that they won't admit, girl, is that Clinton was a predator, a sad sack who claimed he loved women. If demeaning is Love, then I wonder what is hate to the finger-wagging pervert. He's a gutless joke, and so is that cuckolded shrill shrew who still defends him!

[bellal-2009]

Whoa! Jane! down girl. You is one angry white chick. What's up with that. Both parties have their fair share of corruption let's face it. that's politics.

[janemcgreeve]

nynative,

the shoe obviously fits in your case. After all, what did Clinton do to get at Bin Laden? One half-assed missile strike and crying that Arafat would be offended when Clarke suggested another strike after the Cole bombing. Nothing else. Nothing more.

And North Korea? He gave them economic aid - not bomb their nuke sites. But hey, he reserved that for innocent Serbian civilians.

Go and sieg heil your cuckolded shrill shrew Hil and that hapless *** who looks like the befuddled defense attorney on "Law and Order SVU" - you know, Chuckie Schmucker. Oh, but you're too busy sieg heiling your other hero Sharpton.

[janemcgreeve]

Neo-Cons might not be perfect. But they are *** good patriotic Americans who care about their country and our future.

What do you Neo-Fascists stand for - you from MoveOn.Org, from Air Hate America, from ANSWER, from the Daily Kostroite? The second coming of Hitler, but if he doesn't arrive another Clinton or Carter will do, right. Since you hate Jews and Christians so much, why not elect your hero KKK Byrd - or is the white-sheeted *** just a little too much for you?

[janemcgreeve]

Should we reward a Democratic Party that gave us the Ayatollah's Iran; that moddycuddled Arafat, that refused to go after Bin Laden - and they had much better chances of getting him than Bush did. After all, we knew where he was in the Clinton years - and the pervert was too busy with Monica or bombing Serbs to want to do anything about it.

Funny how every response to my comments is typical Democratic Neo-Nazi (and if the shoe does fit, wear it, kiddies - after all, you've retained a Klansman in our government, not the GOP) Evasiveness and Lies. Even when we admit Bush or McCain have faults, the Dems and their Neo-Nazi allies can't bring themselves to saying the same about Clinton, Carter, or the traitor Kerry.

Not once. Not at all. Just lie - just hate Bush and love the finger wagging perv and his shrew; just love the Jew-baiting Carter. That's all - and that's all that you are.

Pretty pathetic. But then again, you wouldn't have it any other way.

[nynative1340]

So, janem, what has Bush done to get bin Laden? What has Bush done to mitigate the North Korean nuclear threat? The answer is: Bush's only focus since he took office in 2001 was to wage war on the man who embarrased his father; to wage war on the man who tried to assasinate his father. It didn't matter that bin Laden was responsible for almost 3000 American deaths, Bush's focus was on getting Saddam. We all know the rest... Apparently you don't.

All these negative things you say about Democrats, but you haven't put forth (or put out), any positives that Bush has done on the same subjects.

You must live one bitter life to feel the way you do and say the things you say. Anyone who doesn't agree with you is a Nazi?? HA HA HA. We know where you are coming from.

[nynative1340]

Yes, janem is an Ann Coulter fanatic in the true sense of the word. Very mean spirited...

[the74blaster]

I several comments here and hopefully somone can answer them without resorting to name calling or going back into history to rip on previous presidents.

Should we reward the Bush administration a GOP majority considering how it has performed over the over the last 6 years?

Better yet can anyone tell me about a foreign policy success in the Bush administration?

Does the fiscal irresponsibility of the GOP and the Bush administration warrant another 2 years of GOP majorities?

As an engineer I am paid to provide a solution that addresses a need for my customers. I cannot afford to exceed my budget or timing requirements for my assigned projects without being held accountable. Why is that we are not holding this administration accountable for their failures over the last 6 years? Are they royalty or above the law?

The fact is the GOP has had 6 years to solve all those problems the democrats are being blamed for.

All I ask is to keep that in mind and disregard the negative campaign ads when deciding who to vote for. Focus on the issues.