Here We Go Again…. Dems Pound McCain For New Iraq Quote
Politico
The Obama campaign and Democratic leaders accused Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) of being confused and heartless after he told NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday that it’s “not too important” when U.S. troops return from Iraq.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said on a quickly organized Obama conference call that McCain’s comment was “unbelievably out of touch with the needs and concerns of most Americans,” saying that to families of troops in harm’s way, “To them, it’s the most important thing in the world.”
Kerry claimed “an enormous, fundamental flaw in his candidacy for the presidency, which supposedly has hung on his strength as commander in chief and his understanding of foreign policy.”
Susan Rice, an Obama foreign-policy adviser, accused McCain of “a real disturbing, even disconcerting, pattern of confusing the basic facts and reality that pertain to Iraq.”
The “Today” show statement, which McCain went on to explain, is damaging because Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has pledged to immediately begin withdrawing combat troops.
McCain, trying to mitigate the fallout from his January remarks that U.S. troops might be in Iraq for 100 years, predicted last month that “most” troops would be home by the end of his first term.
Trying to take the offense, McCain’s campaign posted a YouTube clip of the exchange.
McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds said: “The Obama campaign is embarking on a false attack on John McCain to hide their own candidate’s willingness to disregard facts on the ground in pursuit of withdrawal no matter what the costs. John McCain was asked if he had a ‘better estimate’ for a timeline for withdrawal.
“As John McCain has always said, that is not as important as conditions on the ground and the recommendations of commanders in the field. Any reasonable person who reads the full transcript would see this and reject the Obama campaign’s attempt to manipulate, twist and distort the truth.”
The exchange that has Democrats licking their chops began when co-host Matt Lauer asked about the surge strategy in Iraq: “If it’s working Senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?”
McCain replied: “No, but that’s not too important. What’s important is the casualties in Iraq, Americans are in South Korea, Americans are in Japan, American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw; we will be able to withdraw. General [David] Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are.
“But the key to it is that we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way. That way, they will be safe, and serve our country and come home with honor and victory, not in defeat, which is what Senator Obama’s proposal would have done. I’m proud of them. And they’re doing a great job. And we are succeeding and it’s fascinating that Senator Obama still doesn’t realize that.”
Kerry, saying McCain is “really having a debate with himself” on Iraq, said the “Today” show comment was part of a “policy for staying in Iraq” and “underscores … the broad array of contradictions in John McCain’s statements about Iraq.”
“It is really becoming more crystal clear to a lot of Iraq that John McCain simply doesn’t understand it – that he confuses who Iran is training, he confuses what the makeup of al-Qaeda is, he confuses the history … of what has happened between Sunni and Shia and how deep that current runs,” Kerry said.
Rice criticized “real confusion and lack of understanding of the situation in Iraq and, indeed, the larger region, that John McCain evidenced yet again in his comments on the ‘Today’ show.”
Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was first out of the gate with a statement, calling McCain’s comment “a crystal clear indicator that he just doesn’t get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course. … We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war.”
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.) said McCain had “displayed a fundamental misunderstanding about the situation in Iraq, our strained military, and American troops and their families.”
Harry Reid is a pimp. John Kerry is a male prostitute for Obama.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:12 amIt is clear, the Democrats will continue to do everything in their power to create a defeat out of a victory in Iraq, whatever the cost!
June 11th, 2008 at 9:26 amSo we’re starting to trot out Rahm Emanuel for quotes now, are we? Grand.
As for McCain’s comments, this is yet another example of the debate-class, juvenile bullshit that the dems think is so damned important. It is clear in listening to him what he was trying to say, but the dems know that he used words that they can freely twist and distort. This is disgusting and pathetic, and it makes me sick to share a country with these simple-minded, self-serving jackasses. These are the same people who brought down Rome, a few centuries removed.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:27 amIn the larger context, McCain is right. He’s not talking about the individuals who are there now. He’s talking about the troops in general. Will we ever leave Iraq completely? Probably not for a long time. But we won’t stay beyond our welcome by the Iraqi government, as usual. Trust the democRATS to try to spin this into a victimization scandal by “personalizing” it down to the families of the troops. Pandering vaginas…every one of them.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:29 amHussein still has yet to visit Iraq and see the undeniable progress we are making there.
Reid and Kerry are Dem whores that will say anything to discredit McCain.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:31 amSo this is the Dem strategy for November: constantly imply McCain is too old to be Pres. “Confused” “Out of touch” “disturbing pattern of confusing the basic facts (Obama advisor Rice).” Oh yeah, Rice, what about you: strident advocate for Palestian “rights” and Hamas apologist now having your boy give speeches saying he’s 100% on the side of Israel and Jews. How does that jibe with reality? P.S.: The quote didn’t even finish the second part of his sentence, which was “No that’s not too important, what’s important is casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea. Americans are in Japan. American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine. American casualties, and the ability to withdraw. We will be able to withdraw. But the key to it is we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way.” What a bunch of creepy losers, to blatantly quote a part of a sentence.
June 11th, 2008 at 9:44 amFunny to see old John “I shot my self in the ass for a purple heart” Kerry talking about military matters.
How many times does one have to dedicate himself to the defeat of his own country in a war before people tell him to piss the hell off.
Screw you John, the swifties showed you to be a traitor and a liar, now fuck off and die.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:15 amSusan Rice, an Obama foreign-policy adviser, accused McCain of “a real disturbing, even disconcerting, pattern of confusing the basic facts and reality that pertain to Iraq.”
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I know more about the war and foreign policy that this crusty whore. Pathetic how they judge a man who actually served in the military, and knows exactly what it is like to be a troop away from home.
June 11th, 2008 at 10:19 amIf Obama is serious about prosecuting war criminals, he should order John Kerry to be arrested and charged with murder. The swift boaters told us he murdered an unarmed man. So that douche bag should shut is lying cowards ass up!!!
June 11th, 2008 at 10:33 amrobbie:
June 11th, 2008 at 10:54 amYet I’m not surprised Murthra has failed to denouce Kerry for murder and atrocities.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) said on a quickly organized Obama conference call that McCain’s comment was “unbelievably out of touch with the needs and concerns of most Americans,” saying that to families of troops in harm’s way, “To them, it’s the most important thing in the world.”
>>>>> How many of McCain’s kids are in the military or have served in the military? Do you ever hear McCain use his kids as a political point?
June 11th, 2008 at 10:59 amIt would seem as though the democrats are trying to portray themselves as all knowing when it comes to Iraq - all knowing we need to retreat. On the other hand, it appears as though Mccain is saying he doesn’t know everything and will base his decisions on what the “in country” commanders recommend.
Nothing new here, from Washington democrats micro-managed us into a Vietnam defeat and they seem eager to do it in Iraq. What’s new?
June 11th, 2008 at 11:33 amI need to add…even when the dems take this partial sentence out of context, the out of context meaning of it still makes sense and does not relect poorly on McCain. Think about it…our service men and women enlist and sign a contract that binds them to service for X amount of time. It doesn’t matter where they serve…in the US, Iraq, or Afghanistan…they will be serving until that contract expires. So, the amount of time that the US spends in Iraq really has no connection to the indiviual troop of family.
Do these left wing shits think about anything they say?
June 11th, 2008 at 11:59 amGrasping at shadows to distract from their difficulty with Mr. Johnson.
June 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pmDidn’t work. Johnson quit.
look the other way while we (the democrats) screw you.
these people are liars and facts mean nothing to them. First it was John McCain words about being in Iraq for 100 years and now this. I guarantee you when its all said and done we will have troops in Japan, Germany and South Korea for 100 years, its a very normal thing to do after a war is over. Dems just dont get it so they lie
June 11th, 2008 at 12:22 pmSo, Hussein said he wouldn’t stoop to play “gotcha” politics as he’s done nothing but “gotcha” politics since he said that. He is a blatant liar and a massive hypocrite.
June 11th, 2008 at 2:48 pmAll these awesome exchanges and back and forths have all been said before. History is still repeating itself.
Read the book “Useful Idiots” and you’ll see that Ronald Reagan was constantly hammered by the pro-communist left wing of America and … 20 years later, people say he was an amazing President. He chose to stop communism, while the left believed that communism was no big deal.
20 years from now. People will say the same of George W. Bush. He chose to fight terrorism. He did the right thing, and stays the course, even though he is constantly criticized for it.
June 11th, 2008 at 2:56 pmI think what I love most about this site is reading the comments . It encourages me to see there are still good, decent, patriotic, and smart people willing to stand for the American way of life that dipshit leftists seem hell bent on destroying. I’m glad the trolls aren’t allowed in - there’s just so much stupidity I can tolerate in a day
June 11th, 2008 at 4:41 pmI don’t see the big deal. McCain has been saying that -
“McCain replied: “No, but that’s not too important. What’s important is the casualties in Iraq, Americans are in South Korea, Americans are in Japan, American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw; we will be able to withdraw. General [David] Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are.”
For awhile. Why the uproar now? Dipshits…
June 11th, 2008 at 6:03 pmHere is something that IS important.
Debka are reporting that their “Iranian analysts” are saying that
Iran will have a nuclear weapon by October of THIS year.
They add that Iran wants the bomb before President Bush leaves office.
Events are about to overtake us.
June 12th, 2008 at 12:38 ami heard mccains statement and it is right on… the troops don’t want to come home til the mission is completed.. they all want to come home the way they left but what is the point of going if for not a successful completion…kerry should be the last one to talk about completing a tour of duty…
June 12th, 2008 at 4:31 am