*UPDATE: I came up with the title for this post before my husband found this. I think mine’s better.
When John McCain referred to President Putin of Germany (wrong, but I am 100% percent sure Sarah Palin could tell him which country Putin was and kind of still is president of), you kind of said to yourself- whoa, major stumble! Who confuses Russia’s Putin with Germany’s Angela Merkel, especially since we love Germany under Merkel (especially when she vetoed Obama’s use of the Brandenberg Gate for his Berlin speech earlier this summer). But still, you know the man was tired, or thinking too fast, and could be forgiven such an error.
But yesterday’s Q and A moment between John McCain and a spanish news wire reporter certainly gave you pause. Not merely because McCain didn’t seem to know that Spain is in Europe, not in Latin America. But because he went on to refuse to commit to meeting its Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, now in his second term, referring to Spain as an adversary. Now, this is the same Spain which suffered the biggest terrorist attack on European soil since the U.S. attacks on September 11, when terrorist set bombs off on commuter trains in Madrid. Oh, and Spain is NATO ally.
Reporter: Let’s talk about Spain, if you are elected President would you be willing to invite Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to the White House to meet with you?
McCain: I would be willing to meet with those leaders who are friends and want to work with us in a cooperative fashion. And by the way President Calderon of Mexico is fighting a very very tough fight against the drug cartels… I attend to move forward with relations and invite as many of them as I can, of those leaders, to the White House.
Reporter: Would that invitation be extended to the Zapatero government, to the President, itself.
McCain: Uhh.. I honestly have to look at the relations and the situations and the priorities but I can assure you I will establish closer relations with our friends and I will stand up to those who want to do harm to the United States of America. I know how to do both.
Reporter: So you have to wait and see if he’s willing to meet with you…will you be able to do it in the White House?
McCain: All I can tell you is that I have a clear record of working with leaders in the Hemisphere that are friends with us and standing up to those who are not and that’s judged on the basis of the importance of our relationship with Latin America and the entire region.
Reporter: Okay what about Eur… I am talking about the President of Spain.
McCain: What about me what?
Reporter: Are you willing to meet with him if you are elected President?
McCain: I am willing to meet with any leader who is dedicated to the same principles and philosophy that we are for human rights democracy and freedom and I will stand up to those that do not.
You would think that McCain would remember Zapatero since he withdrew Spanish troops from Iraq after being elected on that promise. Perhaps he still holds a grudge (something he is known to do). I wonder if prodded, would he remember that when Zapatero pulled Spanish troops out of Iraq, he moved them to Afghanistan, where he thought they were really needed. Isn’t that the sort of thing that a prominent American politician, now running for president against John McCain, has been suggesting for quite some time? No wonder Spain is an adversary.
Inform Your Consent 