Meet the Press - June 27, 2010

Guests:
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D- )
Barry McCaffrey
Thomas Ricks
Sebastian Junger
Wes Moore
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Gregory: Is there a real military solution
to Afghanistan?

Engel: no - we have to make a political deal
with Pakistan

Gregory: were the troops upset that McChrystal
was fired?

Engel: no they think he was a weasel who wouldn’t let them fight

Gregory: Sain McCain was Obama right to fire
MC Cristal?

McCain: oh yeah the guy is a total dick and I
should know

Gregory: but wasn’t McChrystal right - Obama is
a bad president!!

McCain: look we all blow off steam by calling
the boss an idiot

Meet the Press staff: that’s true

McCain: but you can’t do that in public and get
away with it

Gregory: let’s talk about the fight ahead

McCain: Afghanistan or Iraq?

Gregory: I meant my fight against Obama

McCain: oh ok

Gregory: well how is it going in Afghanistan?

McCain: it’s the same as it was for the last nine years - an absolutely terrible waste of human life
and resources

Gregory: so what should we do?

McCain: clearly we can never ever leave

Gregory: Senator we’ve been there for years with nothing to show for it!

McCain: sure but Saint Petraeus will finally get us our of there

Gregory: how so?

McCain: by convincing the enemy that we are
never leaving

Gregory: why is it so easy for the Taliban to get supporters?

McCain: because people think we might leave which is why we can never leave

Gregory: that makes sense

McCain: I’m not saying it’s not going to long and hard and difficult

Gregory: going to be??

McCain: Ho Chi Minh!!

Gregory: all the Generals support the deadline

McCain: well I don’t

Gregory: should they speak out if they don’t?

McCain: yes!

Gregory: well they didn’t

McCain: they are cowards and they don’t know military strategy like I do

Gregory: what do you want Obama to do?

McCain: issue a statement saying we will leave in 2011 but only because we’ve won not for any other reason - this will greatly confuse our enemies

Gregory: they won’t be the only ones

McCain: the Taliban pay very close attention
to what we all say and they love to parse our
idiotic statements

Gregory: that alone could bog them done and prevent them from fighting

McCain: it would change the war entirely if Obama issued a statement saying we are never leaving unless we want to leave on July 12, 2011

Gregory: what do we win in Afghanistan

McCain: we stabilize a region, kill terrorists, and tell the world that American will stick with a war no matter who useless or stupid it is

Gregory: what the best argument for staying?

McCain: Kids who come home as quadruple amputees

Gregory: so do we stay forever or do we ever leave?

McCain: yes we can leave

Gregory: when?

McCain: when it’s happy and peaceful and there’s no corruption and well I could go on and on

Gregory: will you vote for Elena Kagan?

McCain: no she weakened the military by not banning competent gay soldiers

Gregory: how’s it going in Arizona?

McCain: since I became a Senator kidnapping and murders are way way up

Gregory: are most Mexicans drug dealers?

McCain: oh no maybe half at the most

[ break ]

Gregory: Congresswoman Lee John McCain says we to put more troops in Afghanistan

Lee: good lord - this is the longest war in American history and we need to get the hell out of there!

Gregory: but Obama is leaving just when things
are getting good!

Lee: oh my god that’s crazy

Gregory: but maybe we should stay just for
the hell of it

Lee: cripes you’re a loony

Gregory: Joe Klein says we should keep our soldiers there forever

McCaffrey: he’s right - the Afghan government is clearly incompetent and useless so we should stay

Moore: no one wants to leave more than me

Gregory: so at least you think we should leave?

Moore: oh no I think we should stay

Gregory: why?

Moore: we’re finally winning!

Junger: I’ve been there since 1996 - and those hippies who want to end our longest useless should know that the Afghan people want us to stay
forever and ever

Gregory: there could be a civil war if we pull out!

Junger: right in Afghanistan it’s very dangerous-

Gregory: I meant the U.S.

Ricks: the soldiers knew McChrystal was toast but the Beltway still liked him because pundits are idiots

Gregory: what d you think should Obama do?

Ricks: he’s got to double down and send more troops to Afghanistan!

Gregory: Congresswoman don’t you agree Obama must double the troops in Afghanistan and how can and he work to make that happen?

Lee: lord almighty this is insane

Junger: 90% of Afghans love America

McCaffrey: it would be a catastrophe for the people of Afghanistan if America were to not occupy
that country

Ricks: we’re beloved there except for the child rape

Gregory: America’s enemy is gambling that America is not going to stay for ever and ever

Moore: Afghans would join their government and their army and support us except they don’t know who Karzai is or that they have a country

Gregory: I can’t help but notice that we have no actual reason to be there

Lee: Al-qaeda is not based out of some cave in Afghanistan you dick-waving idiots!

Junger: if we pull out al-qaeda will get control of the airport
- including the duty-free shops!

Ricks: if you want an endless war leave Afghanistan - if you want the war to end then we should stay

Gregory: of course

Ricks: if we leave Afghanistan will still be there -
we can’t accept that!

Gregory: how are our soldiers doing after 9 years?

Junger: they’re not scared anymore - after the first 500 firefights you get numb

McCaffrey: they way out is to build an Afghan army

Lee: I come from a military family and I have a crazy idea - maybe the best way to help troops is to end the war and get out!

Gregory: Tom how does this end?

Ricks: never - we need to keep our overstretched troops dying in the middle east to permanently maintain the oil empire

Gregory: awesome

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This Week: Avedon Carol & Digby

Avedon Carol writes about American politics, captured media, captured government, censorship and health care. An anti-censorship and civil liberties campaigner, she is a sex crimes researcher , a former health counsellor and member of Feminists Against Censorship.

Digby is an American political blogger and founder of the liberal blog Hullabaloo, digby has contributed to Campaign For America's Future's blog The Big Con, Salon Magazine, Eschaton and Huffington Post, Crooks and Liars and Firedoglake.