While President's abroad, republican Senator calls for war with Iran and confrontation with China

[bigtree]

(AFP) – 2 hours ago

HALIFAX, Canada — The United States faces a possible war with Iran to curb its nuclear ambitions and a "period of confrontation" with China over its currency, a top US lawmaker warned Saturday.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said his fellow conservative, fresh from their historic elections romp this week, support "bold" action to deal with Iran.

If President Barack Obama "decides to be tough with Iran beyond sanctions, I think he is going to feel a lot of Republican support for the idea that we cannot let Iran develop a nuclear weapon," he told the Halifax International Security Forum.

"The last thing America wants is another military conflict, but the last thing the world needs is a nuclear-armed Iran... Containment is off the table."

The South Carolina Republican saw the United States going to war with the Islamic republic "not to just neutralize their nuclear program, but to sink their navy, destroy their air force and deliver a decisive blow to the Revolutionary Guard, in other words neuter that regime."

read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hGDFKykJx818laJsg5DLiL6oKAbw?docId=CNG.b7b0e11361e7847889195c6db3707f9e.6f1


In case anyone had any doubts about the DANGER of an energized and empowered republican party . . . some folks really do need reminding just how close to extinction the last administration and their republican enablers in Congress brought our country. They're still convinced that, if we just flail our military around the globe, the rest of the world will cower. Those (false) glory days are long gone -- especially in the wake of Bush's reckless, debilitating over-deployment of our military forces. Days into their new minority, a republican's calling for another war . . . So many learned NOTHING from the disaster of the last bunch in power.

[Mz Pip]

1. Forget the idiocy of this

as it is, and please explain to me how we can afford this? Our military adventures are driving us further and further into debt.

Republicans are nuts.

[butterfly77]

2. These mfkers..

never get enough of war. They claim we need to cut spending for the LIVING but not for the KILLING..

[jpak]

3. I'm quite sure my Canadian friends are having a good laugh over Little Lindsey's dumbass comments

They are constantly amazed at the stupidity of US conservatives...

[Jeffersons Ghost]

4. K&R

[pocoloco]

5. May have to compromise........

pick just one.

[spanone]

6. where's this hawk been hiding for 2 years? fuck lindsey

[denem]

7. Military Action = cunning plan to reign in spending

:dunce:

[spanone]

8. or, nothing distracts the public from economic woes like more of their children dying

[denem]

12. bean counters clock up another Job lost,

Flag manufactures in China celebrate.

[blondeatlast]

16. +1. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Ah republicans undermining the Presidency

I see.

(What is good for the goose, is good for the gander)

On a serious note this is what happens when you refuse to prosecute war criminals.

[RZM]

10. I have a hard time taking the 'attack Iran' rhetoric remotely seriously

There are probably few diehards who really want it to happen, but I kind of doubt Graham is one of them. I'm no insider, but I think most people know that behind closed doors it's more or less 'off the table' and bluster is one of the few things they can do. The US doesn't have much leverage here and we're seeing the wee bit we do have on display now. And it ain't much.

Obama wouldn't dream of doing this and Bush apparently rejected it too. Though I kind of doubt we'll see a Republican win in 2012, if we did, I'd bet the farm it wouldn't happen on their watch either. If anyone does it it's going to be Israel and that's very much an open question too.

[Caliman73]

11. Our country has become the classic "abusive psycho boyfriend"

I still have hope for a certain segment of our society, but it just seems to me that the US acts like that loser boyfriend who begins to threaten when his girlfriend tells him she wants to break up. "If I can't have you, No one can!!" We have the capacity to be a responsible and compassionate nation that lifts everyone else up, but instead we want to fight all the time. In my line of work, I have seen enough scenarios where intimidation and threats are used to obtain preferred results and it never ends well for anyone.

[tjwash]

13. Nothing says "fiscally responsible" like earmarking another trillion to bomb some more brown folks.

Hey repukes...how is that whole "reign is spending" thing looking like its gonna work out for ya?

[Goldstein1984]

14. "...the last thing the world needs is a nuclear-armed Iran..."

Considering how much damage the U.S. is doing with conventional arms, how much worse could a world with a nuclear-armed Iran be?

Or are we really talking about preventing another upstart nation from gaining the ability to deter an attack by a U.S., or a toadie U.S. allie, determined to protect its "vital national interests?"

[tabatha]

15. War with the no-war teabaggers will probably happen first.

[JustAnotherGen]

17. And I expect

Lindsay has a young man or woman in his family that he's volunteering to go over there and fight?

JHC - We need Schumer as leader so he can pounce back and tell the little jerk stfu.

[jaxx]

18. The damned idiot.

I think we're going to see a lot of stupid proposals from the repukes.