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Subscribe to RSSHerman Cain suffered his own memory lapse in response to a question about Libya just days after Rick Perry's campaign tumbled following Perry's debate misstep.
Cain struggled for an answer when asked by the editorial board of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel whether he agreed with President Obama's approach toward Libya.
Cain said:
OK, Libya. [Pause] President Obama supported the uprising, correct? President Obama called for the removal of Khaddhafy. I just wanted to make sure we're talking about the same thing before I say, 'Yes, I agreed' or 'No I didn't agree.' I do not agree with the way he handled it for the following reason -- nope, that's a different one. [pause] I gotta go back and see. I got all this stuff twirling around in my head. Specifically, what are you asking me that I agree or not disagree with Obama?
Cain had previously criticized Obama's handling of the uprising in Libya in a debate this spring. Cain accused the administration of lacking clear objectives in Libya -- or, for that matter, Syria -- and called for the U.S. to develop a foreign policy strategy for each nation on earth.
The moment, though, invites parallels with Perry's moment of forgetfulness during last week's presidential debate. Perry struggled to remember the identity of the third federal agency he would eliminate.
Obama had weathered criticism from some GOP presidential contenders at the time for having authorized U.S. military airstrikes to aid the uprising against Kaddhafy's regime. Kaddhafy was captured and killed last month in Libya.
Cain has previously said that he didn't feel the need to master every detail of foreign policy issues, a sentiment he reiterated in his interview with the Journal-Sentinel, which was conducted on the record for about 30 minutes this morning.
I'm a much more deliberate decision-maker. It's a point that I keep coming back to. Some people want to say, 'Well, as president, you're supposed to know everything.' No you don't. I believe in having all the information, as much of it as I possibly can, rather than making a decision or making a statement about whether I totally agree or didn't agree, when I wasn't privy to the entire situation. There might be some things there that might have caused me to feel differently. So I'm not trying to hedge on the questions, it's just that that's my nature as a businessman -- I need to know the facts, as much as possible, I need to hear all the alternatives...I would want to hear all those views, look at the information, then I make the decision as the commander in chief.
This isn't the first time Cain has risked looking dismissive on foreign policy issues, either. He said, for instance, that he didn't feel the need to known the name of the president of Uzbekistan.
"I’m ready for the ‘gotcha’ questions and they’re already starting to come. And when they ask me who is the president of Ubeki-beki-beki-beki-stan-stan I’m going to say, you know, I don’t know. Do you know?" he asked in an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network last month.
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So far every debate has led to the same conclusion, the republicans are only interested in the White House to please their rich puppteers. They have no problem... well Perry, declaring they will deregulate the country or stiff normal citizens with all the bills or remove all agencies that might impede the desires of business and the well off but can they speak a clear and knowlegable sentence concerning broader issues without sounding like good ol' boys (and girl) around the cracker barrel? Nooooo. This is what ruined us (or U.S.) during the Bush administrations
it's going to be tough for the republicans to criticize President Obama on foreign policy. he has too many victories.
funny how all the candidates couldn't stop talking about how wrong he was on Lybia only to see him succeed. it just shows they are clueless
and yes, Hermie was quick to complain, but now he can't even remember what he against, LMAO
It sure is great, obama laid all our foreign policy in place way back when he was a community organizer. Yep, he gets all the credit.
Wow amazing that you try to throw Obama under the bus when your ilk makes fools out themselves DAILY.
NEXT..................oh that's right they are going to try the righteous Gingrich - that will be fun for SNL and the comedians - when its it Huntsmans turn?
I don't know about when he was a community organizer, but I bet his time on the Foreign Relations Commitee as a US Senator helped
I listened to the whole interview on the Milwaukee Journal website and it is seriously painful. Not only did he appear uncertain over what happened in Libya in the last few months, he posited that he differed with the president in that he would have assessed what the opposition in Libya consisted of before taking action. He then stated that he did not know if such an assessment had taken place in the White House. Trying to follow Cain's logic can give you a headache.
I'll bet the Koch Brothers are wishing they had vetted Herman the Love Muscle a little better.
KOCH-CAIN 2012 !!!!
Putting Cain in the WhiteHouse creates a troika. Koch, Koch, Cain. or if you prefer as I do Cock, Cock and cain
Actually, being president is one of the more difficult jobs in the world. Many say it helps to be intelligent. Of course, you are assuming that the president actually makes the decisions and needs to process all the facts of the matter. I tell you obama does it. Mr grover - no way.
The president doesn't necessarily have to be the smartest person alive. However, he needs to surround himself with highly intelligent and knowledgeable people and be smart enough to listen to what they have to say. The presidency is much bigger than just the president.
That's the problem, obama makes all the decisions.
So...okay, I do my best to ignore politics because quite frankly I have better things to do with my time. I know what happened in Libya, and what position President Obama took. How does someone running for president (or trying to) not know about these issues?
Good question. He really appears to know less than the average American on the street.
cain is a idiot who in the hell would vote for this moron,?he probably doesnt even know where libya is.i swear i havent seen any one this stupid since obama
I'm just guessing that you wouldn't fare to well in a game of scrabble with Barry...I'm just sayin...got a mirror...
just think of how many morons voted for obama.
Ya got me there floyd...???
Enough to keep your cronies out floyd and we will do it again in 2013.
I am not the former ceo of a pizza franchise. I am an average American who reads newspapers and pays attention to world affairs. I know what's going on in Libya. I don't necessarily believe that the "Arab spring" will be an unmitigated blessing. In all probability these countries will just exchange one dictator for another. But we can hope that one or two of them may find their way to some form of government that will benefit more of their people. What I am sure about is that putting boots on the ground to force them to adopt our kind of democracy is demonstrably self-destructive. It doesn't work. Our soldiers die. Terrorists use our presence as an excuse to ramp up their murdurous rampages, and the civilian populations pay the ultimate price. The more distance we can maintain from their internal problems, the better off we will be.
Having said that we cannot afford to ignore the threat Iran represents. They are more than capable of triggering a nuclear holocaust. They have demonstrated their religous mania over and over again. They are quite prepared to sacrifice themselves in order to kill anyone who represents a perceived threat to Allah. That means that mutual assured destruction is no deterrent at all. That's scary. Anyone who believes that the entire Middle East can be turned into a nuclear wasteland without the U.S. and everyone else be affected is criminally naive.
But I must say that if I wanted to achieve "plausible deniability", I wouldn't announce my intentions on a nationally broadcast debate. Announcing your intention to lie pretty much guarantees that no one on earth will believe anything you say.
Personally I hope this Arab spring accomplishes good things for the region. There was a time, after Europe collapsed into the dark ages, when the Middle East and India were the pinnacle of science, mathematics and philosophy in the world. It would be great to see the Middle East return to such a state of enlightenment.
I am not the former ceo of a pizza franchise. I am an average American who reads newspapers and pays attention to world affairs. I know what's going on in Libya. I don't necessarily believe that the "Arab spring" will be an unmitigated blessing. In all probability these countries will just exchange one dictator for another. But we can hope that one or two of them may find their way to some form of government that will benefit more of their people. What I am sure about is that putting boots on the ground to force them to adopt our kind of democracy is demonstrably self-destructive. It doesn't work. Our soldiers die. Terrorists use our presence as an excuse to ramp up their murdurous rampages, and the civilian populations pay the ultimate price. The more distance we can maintain from their internal problems, the better off we will be.
Having said that we cannot afford to ignore the threat Iran represents. They are more than capable of triggering a nuclear holocaust. They have demonstrated their religous mania over and over again. They are quite prepared to sacrifice themselves in order to kill anyone who represents a perceived threat to Allah. That means that mutual assured destruction is no deterrent at all. That's scary. Anyone who believes that the entire Middle East can be turned into a nuclear wasteland without the U.S. and everyone else be affected is criminally naive.
But I must say that if I wanted to achieve "plausible deniability", I wouldn't announce my intentions on a nationally broadcast debate. Announcing your intention to lie pretty much guarantees that no one on earth will believe anything you say.
Why does is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel bother to ask Cain about Libya when he has yet to come clean on his extensive history of sexual accusations made against him? Why is the Sentinel trying to bury the story and cover up for this guy? It makes you wonder if they are a Murdoch operation. We need to demand a complete and comprehensive accounting by Cain on the documented cases against him, and until he throws everything open for public scrutiny, until releases all of the women from the gag orders which accompanied the payments to make them go away, and until the lawyer Cain hired to intimidate the public is dismissed, no media outlet INCLUDING Faux News should give him a pass. The first question, last question and every question in between should demand an accounting from Cain and until he comes clean, nothing else matters for Cain is unworthy of the nomination by the party which stands for Family Values. Hmm.. Family Values. What ever happened to those, anyway? 'He may be scum but he's OUR scum' is no way to run a party which pays lip service to integrity and family values.
-Science_1
What's the big deal, obama falls on his face every time he opens his mouth.
Actually, he very rarely falls on his face when he speaks. He's a very eloquent speaker. Do you even know who Obama is?
The difference is that Obama is not being considered for the Republican nomination. Republicans hold themselves to a higher standard, or so we are told. Hypocrisy should be a VERY big deal to those who claim to value integrity.
Floyd--You've established you don't like the president and are not very adept at critical thinking--you know, utilizing evidence to push aside preconceived notions (aka prejudice).
Great point Sp3ktr. Obama is very personable and eloquent, especially when compare to the President who came before him.
Floyd
Stick to barbering Andy and Barney's hair. There's been more terrorists killed, more illegal immigrants sent back, more cooperation with other countries since he has been in office than 2000 to 2008
Yo floyd,have somebody throw a little chlorine in your gene pool would ya....sheesh....
Floyd you are making a fool out of yourself like your candidates.
Now he says it was a pause,just a pause don't you get it ? Yeah Mr. Cain we get it,you don't know squat-Hahahaha !!
This is like watching all those oil wells that were on fire in Iraq,they just flamed out one after the other....
This guy is an IDIOT! So that means he has a GREAT chance of being the President of the amerikan people. Ya'll deserve each other.
So Steve from what part of Iran are y'all from....???
herman thinks stay free mini pads are free government housing for dwarfs.......
hehehehe
I almost spilled my coffee on the keyboard Cowboy. Thanks for the laugh!!!!
Starbucks I'm guessin'
OMG I needed that one..............!!
LMAO.
An Obama's answer was: duh! Obama reacted to this crisis after a few weeks! A FEW WEEKS! The most ignorant president in US history should be ousted! Cain might be second fiddle, but he beats the heck out of a corrupt Chicago Democrat who organized domestic terrorists.
Cain is a Federal Reserve banking stooge and is extremely dangerous. It is like electing Bernanke to the Presidency. Cain was on the Board of Directors for the most evil financial corporation on the planet.... the Federal Reserve.
Obama is just a Federal Reserve bootlicker but Cain knows how to manipulate the US economy for the personal gains of a handful of elites.
Hey chicago,did your parents have any kids that lived....???
Let me get this straight, Chicago.. You are bashing on Obama for being deliberate rather than just shooting from the hip as Bush or McCain would have done??? Face it. Obama handled a touchy situation well. Had McCain been elected we would have been in THREE unilateral and completely unfunded wars with our European Allies carping over our shoulders and second guessing us. News flash. We can't AFFORD another war, so thank your lucky stars that Obama acted deliberately rather than rashly. Measured action was just what was called for. We need more deliberation when it comes to war. Not less. Score one for Obama.
-Science_1
Nobody is "deliberate" or "shoots from the hip" using their own mind. The Presidents simply do what the international oil and banking cartels tell them to do. If they don't no more deficit money for federal contracts to all their buddies/lobby's and no more campaign money while all their competitors receive massive financial support.
Obama will have us in five country invasions if reelected. Both Syria and Uganda are next. The cartels want to start moving into Africa and Libya was a perfect Northern foothold. Obama sent military advisors into Uganda to set it all up. He just has to wait until after the election to invade because another war would be unpopular.
All three politicians you mentioned have the mind of a child when it comes to global invasions for corporate profiteering. They just say "yessah massah" to the cartels.
Best he stick to pizzas.
Why can't you Republicans come up with just one, just one, decent candidate? Why is everyone with his or her hat thrown into the ring total, well, I don't know what they are?
There are some. Jerry, if you open your eyes.
They were trying to get Elmer Fudd or Homer Simpson, but Elmer was out hunting wabbits with the Dick and Homer is now retired.
Ron Paul is that candidate but since he does not take millions in corporate lobby money he gets no press. Most people base their simple minded opinions on what the mainstream press says with no knowledge of who owns that media company and what the owners political lobby intent is.
Dennis Kucinich is the only "non corporate lobby supported" Democrat in the party. The rest are all bought and paid for like Romney, Perry and the rest of the GOP bozo rally.
There hasn't been an intelligent Republican president in the White House since Eisenhower. It's a shame that the GOP hasn't changed in all that time since. What I don't really understand is how the idiots won their elections. That's what's worrying me now. What if one of these GOP idiots actually does win?! After all, Bush did. And his idiocy was known far and wide at the time.
......... oh Hermie... you just aren't Presidential material ...... you can barely remember to hold the anchovies or not .....
And we want this guy making those kind of decisions?
Ya, right.
HaHaHaHaHaHa! nuff said!
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012!
Ok, listen...this should not only disqualify him from running for the Presidency, but ALSO from the Vice Presidency. Sorry, but you gotta be on your game...and Herman isn't even playing in this game!