John McCain, Meet the Czech Republic

Okay, history lesson: On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia separated into two independent countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The split is sometimes referred to as the "Velvet Divorce" because it proceeded so amiably.

It seems unlikely that John McCain doesn't know this. He is running for president on the strength of his foreign policy credentials and has served in Congress since 1982.

So how to explain today's comment to reporters: "I was concerned about a couple of steps that the Russian government took in the last several days. One was reducing the energy supplies to Czechoslovakia."

Sure, the guy had a senior moment. Except he's been doing this for quite some time. In April 2008, he told Don Imus that in order to ensure the success of the European Missile Defense System, he would "work closely with Czechoslovakia and Poland and other countries." In October 2007, he suggested in a Republican debate that he would show Putin a little tough love. "The first thing I would do is make sure that we have a missile defense system in place in Czechoslovakia and Poland, and I don't care what his objections are to it."

So three times in less than a year. And we're not done yet.

The Washington Post reported in 1999 that when speaking at a gala dinner for the International Republican Institute, McCain twice thanked the ambassador from "Czechoslovakia." In 1994, he suggested that the recently defunct country be brought into the international community, saying "I think there's several things that should happen, foremost, in my view, is let's move forward with the expansion of NATO into countries like Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary."

He really shouldn't be making these mistakes. McCain actually visited the Czech Republic in 1993 when it was formed, and again in 2001. He visited Slovakia in 2002 and is actually endorsed by a former U.S. ambassador to Slovakia, Ronald Weiser.

So what's going on? It's the same question I asked back when McCain was repeatedly mixing up Sunnis and Shiites. Someone who has been working on international issues for as long as McCain can't possibly be ignorant of the basic state of the world. But the fact that McCain has been making this particular mistake since 1994, one year after Czechoslovakia's disintegration and when McCain was a comparatively young 57 years old suggests that it isn't age- or memory-related. Maybe he just doesn't hit the books as hard as he should.

And considering the incredibly broad changes he wants to see in the world, that is probably a dangerous thing.

Update: Again? AGAIN??

Comments

McCain doesn't actually WORK on international issues, he just holds a position of responsibility in the area. There is a big difference.

Posted by: nic on 07/14/08 at 1:13 PM Respond

I'm glad you were particular about how long McCain has been making thee kind of mistakes. It's hard to point out how perpetually confused he is without appearing to attack him on his age, even though these don't seem like "senior moments" so much as basic ignorance and disinterest in anything that doesn't involve dropping bombs.

Posted by: Eric Ferguson on 07/14/08 at 1:18 PM Respond

it seems to be a point of pride among certain republicans not to know what's going on in the world. i don't mean this in a necessarily derogatory sense, either. bush's supposed indifference to world events isn't just a reflection of him, it's also a reflection of how a lot of americans see the rest of the planet: secondary to american concerns. maybe mccain is stupid, maybe he's just too old, but he also seems to speak and think in ways that compliment the values of his party. i can see how conservatives complain about "elitism" coming from the left. not that it's justified or that ignorance is ever a good idea, but i do think it's a sort of deliberate ignorance, and it's proven to have a certain value for republicans. does mccain just not care that Czechoslovakia doesn't exist anymore? is he too stubborn to correct himself? is he more comfortable imagining the world as it was during the cold war? i don't know, but we all thought bush was a retard, and that retard was elected then re-elected.

Posted by: nmc on 07/15/08 at 7:36 AM Respond

Bush is a retard as far as a dynamic mind is concerned and so is John S. McCain, III. Bush and McCain are like two peas in a pod. Bush was able to be trained to speak and act well enough to get by, but I doubt if McCain will do as well. When the Conservative Right was teaching Bush how to talk and act, Bush stated that it was "hard work". Bush does much better now, but is still told his every move. McCain, although not having dynamic thought, is willful, and doesn't seem to realize that others with dynamic thought are actually leading, McCain actually thinks it's him, which could cause an unbelievable disaster, as has happened to him in his past military life, see following url's:

www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com/mccain_post_card_word%5B1%5D.pdf

www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com

[How come Mother Jones won't allow this post?]

Posted by: MarthaA on 07/15/08 at 2:47 PM Respond