McCain: Obama Should Condemn Egyptian President

How should America respond to Morsi's power grab?

Everyone was briefly very pleased with Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi after he helped negotiate the Israel-Gaza cease-fire. But within days Morsi put paid to all that good feeling by issuing a decree that gives him immunity from Egypt's courts, and thus puts him above the law.

Western observers might find all this especially shocking since it's only a year ago that Egyptians rose up and deposed the previous President, Mubarak, for wielding too much power.

One such shocked observer is Sen. John McCain, who made what was now a habitual round of the Sunday talk shows to say his piece on what President Obama should do and not do. In this case, says McCain, Obama must denounce Morsi and make use of US aid to Egypt for leverage:

What should the United States of America do, they should be saying, 'This is unacceptable. This is not what American taxpayers expect, and our dollars will be directly related to the progress toward democracy, which you promised the people of Egypt when you were elected president.'

Meanwhile in Egypt everyone has been upset – predictably – by Morsi's power grab. Two of the opposition parties have formed a coalition to challenge him, Egypt's stock exchange has fallen 10%, and ominously, protestors have gathered in Tahrir Square.

Via Fox News, the LA Times, and the Atlantic Wire.

Posted Nov 26, 4am PST.

Should Obama denounce Morsi's power grab?

[DABurroughs]

All of a sudden McCain is the boss of the president? Does having your rear end kicked by a guy in an election 5 years ago make you the boss of him? How does that work?

[martydotcom]

McCain is a bitter old man who lost to the black guy. Egypt requires 3/4 of a $ bil/mo to feed its people. It does not produce enough food petro etc to sustain itself. W/o our support Egypt has a hungry population. We own him, he knows it. McCain should fade away with whatever legacy he still has, rather than continuing to act like a silly old fool

[Capt_Morgan02]

@martydotcom so we should just keep the money pump on and let Morsi turn Egypt into a totalitarian fundamentalist Islamic state like Iran? Are you really so anti-GOP that common sense doesn't even get a nod if it comes from that direction?

[martydotcom]

@Capt_Morgan02 This isnt a R or D issue. tell me your long term plan to deal with Israel who no incentive to compromise: :Abbas who is too weak to compromise; Hamas who has no desire to compromise. Morsi who supports Hamas and Hezbollah and Iran but can't survive w/o us. Please give me your plan

[Capt_Morgan02]

@martydotcom Israel shouldn't compromise anything that leaves it indefensible. We certainly shouldn't be propping up countries that are funding terrorists and radical Islamists. Either they work with us to bring stability or we cut the cord. If and when a pro American majority is in power, we reinstate some assistance with express conditions on how it is to be used and what will get it cut off again.

[NormalFlora]

Oh, goodie!!! Gramps (McCain) has finally woke up from his Thanksgiving drunkfest.

[joyshusband]

Yes, and withhold aid.

[martydotcom]

OK we withhold aid, president gets thrown out. Keep in mind he was elected. Egypt in chaos, Hamas has no one watching their actions or weapons import. Hezbollah leaps in from Lebanon both attack Israel what's your plan now?

[woodtick57]

@martydotcom
make some popcorn and watch Israel pound Hezbollah back to the stone age in one week or less.?

[joyshusband]

@martydotcom Hitler was elected too, what makes you think if we withhold aid Morsi will be thrown out?

[martydotcom]

@woodtick57 and then what have they won?
Don't confuse Hezbollah with Hamas. Hezbollah (Lebanon) has been armed unimpeded by Iran and via Syria Soviet missiles capable of destroying every airfield Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Haifa. The former slam dunk with minimal damages & loss of life is not what it used to be.

[martydotcom]

@joyshusband you're not naive enough to think a population accustomed to eating is going to keep a feeble government in place that can't keep food on the shelves. Military
will not defend him they'll grab power and we own them

[Keyjo]

Yes, Obama should denounce this latest.Morsi appears to be attempting to appoint himself dictator. But I recommend we allow the Egyptian people their die course.

[Hireman]

I agree with McCain, but think 2 things: 1, he needs to let the president make these decisions, and 2, he needs to understand he lost in 2008 handily, which means his opinions may not carry as much weight as he thinks.

[lawnmowrman]

McCain is correct but use of U.S. aid to Egypt as leverage seems kind of lame. That tactic doesn't seem to work on any country other than Pakistan.

[MarkJM]

Real simple. Cut off their foreign aid and let them hate us for free. Let's see how they do without taxpayer funded U.S. "assistance"...

[Ashstop]

Condemn him? He should but he's probably his hero, a country run by executive orders!! How sweet would that be!!!

[SpookyThreeTwo]

Turns Egypt into a totalitarian state but ... like they'd listen to Obama anyway. We take a stance, the so-called War on Terror escalates ... Isreal gets pissed at us for taking sides. Terrorists have one more excuse to strap on a bomb and make a political statement. My take? Sit this one out. Last I checked, Egypt was not part of the United States.

[FFX_VA]

Obama won't do it, they have too much in common. Plus Obama & Morsi have a book deal, "Kill Lists for Dummies"

[stepped_in_it]

McCain might be right, but, the way he's going about it is so wrong. It's akin to getting an e-mail from a fellow employee that they sent to "all". Has McCain (or any politician for that matter) ever thought about NOT using the media to send a message? They are the media and will spin it to the best ratings they can get.... that is how they "survive"!

[Polusalo]

Come now, stepped_in_it. Are you really trying to make me believe that the media was spinning lies about killer bees from Africa coming to kill us, Y2K, razor blades in candy during Halloween, Anthrax outbreaks all across America due to terrorists, record breaking amounts of SARS in the US or that the world is ending in December of this year (thank the good lord Christ there aren't more media outlets using this one)?

Nay! I can't believe it!

[DARSB]

Remind me, please, of why we pay attention to Senator McCain on every topic he cares to misunderstand?

[CanisCanemEdit]

What is McCain misunderstanding?

Egypt’s President-elect Morsi keen to renew Iran ties

http://www.france24.com/en/20120625-egypt-pre...

[martydotcom]

@CanisCanemEdit Due to sanctions Iran's economic situation is fragile at best. They cannot feed the Egyptian people
Desire and reality are two different things
Egyptian Pres. has his hands full with judiciary. A populace unable to buy food assures his demise. In short, at
he moment we own him.

[mudzangandoro]

DARSB; His face hit the floor when he lost to President Obama in 08'. He is now trying to pick up the pieces.

[CanisCanemEdit]

@martydotcom - I think that is one valid view. Another would be that Morsi continues on with his desire to court an alliance with Iran, whom we are currently at odds with.

Iran already looms over Obama's new term

http://www.iranfocus.com/en/index.php...

[harold]

It is very important right now that the US not be seen as clumsily trying to affect the outcome of the revolutionary process in Egypt. Anyway, the Egyptian people seem to be taking care of it. Revolutions are generally a messy business, and this one is not over yet.

[jessejaymes]

Absolutely correct. I wonder what these people getting so worked up about Egypt would have us do?

[Rocker]

Have we not learned our lesson about meddling in their affairs yet. It's none of our bidness. Cutting the foreign aid is a message enough. And if any of them really hack us off, withdraw aid altogether. If their own people aren't up in arms against it, then what difference does it make to us, for cryin' out loud.

[MRMacrum]

I guess McCain needed a new bone to chew on and this is it. Knee jerking diplomacy like so many US leaders in the past is not the way to go here. Every time McCain opens his mouth with regards to foreign policy, I am so glad I voted for Obama in 08. US foreign policy has a dismal track record in my opinion. Letting things play out with as little of our participation seems to be a move in the right direction. Obama does not need to stir this pot like McCain is.

[Denizen_Kate]

"I guess McCain needed a new bone to chew on and this is it."

Right. At least he isn't screaming "Benghazi!" on every Sunday morning talk show. Why do they keep inviting his participation?

[tomincali]

if obama shows any support for the guy who grabbed power it says alot of what we may have coming.

[PNWest]

Every time McCain opens his mouth it proves how smart the American people were in 2008. He's become a bitter and cranky old man that gets his thrills by mouthing off about issues he knows little about. He needs to be wheeled off into the sunset. Or at least have someone set up an account on Politix for him.

[Denizen_Kate]

"Or at least have someone set up an account on Politix for him." Wouldn't that be fun? ;-)

[Dan_Tien]

I think that Mursi should be condemned. I also think that McCain lost his bid for President and should shut up about what the President should do.

[GaryLynn]

Yes!!!!!!!

[jessejaymes]

As someone who once was a huge McCain supporter and in fact worked for him when he ran against GW Bush and lost I have to question if Mr McCain has lost his mind. Starting with Silly Sarah and to this latest outburst, he can't seem to stop himself from jumping into the fire on virtually everything. He made a damn fool of himself with the Rice Accusations and has had to walk that one back so he immediately jumps again. I don't like Islam. I don't like Christianity for that matter. I don't believe that us trying to buy our friends works at all. I would cut foreign aid by 90% and demand oversight of what we do spend immediately. But that's another conversation. Today John McCain has become a raving lunatic. And as one of his old time believers this is very sad to see.

[mimi57]

I campaigned for him too. I questioned his choice in Sarah Plain, she is not Vice Pres.
material, however, she is very pretty and has a rather weak voice, and so has to scream to be heard and then sounds screechy. I will always admire and have great respect for John McCain...I could not have survived a week under POW conditions, the man survived for six years, he is, and always will be a Hero to me..even if/ when he does
lose his mind.(:

[jessejaymes]

@mimi57 John McCain will always own a a soft spot in my heart for what he sacrificed for America. I just think he needs to retire before he loses that image to others. He's not doing anyone any good right now and I can't figure out what his purpose in all this is?

[mimi57]

@jessejaymes You may be right...maybe he wants to feel "useful", but sometimes it's
better to leave.. Reminds me of a song.(:

[jessejaymes]

@mimi57 McCain was once the most common sense Senator in Washington. What he is doing now is what I call "Flaming politics". Raising hell just to be raising hell. Whoever is the titular head of Egypt is only there through the grace of the Egyptian Military. McCain knows this. He's been on top of the power structure of the world for decades now. He knows this is isn't how things are done. You publicly embarrass the "new guy" an he'll run to our enemies even faster. Better to work behind the scenes and see how the Egyptian Military is sorting this all out.

[dances-weebles]

@mimi57 if he wants to feel useful, maybe he should take his grandchildren to the park on sundays and teach them how to throw a ball and fly a kite. maybe he should learn his way around the kitchen and help them make special treats. maybe he could even become a cub scout pack leader or den mother. that should keep him busy.

i have several friends who survived being a pow... on in particular was kept in a hole in the ground for three years... with two broken knees for which he never received medical treatment until being one of the last freed from the 'hanoi hilton' after the end of the war. a survivor? certainly... a hero, not at all, and certainly not the sort of material we need in politics.