McCain Responds To Maliki’s Withdrawal Talk
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Foreign Policy, Iraq, McCain, WarOkay, now we have an official statement…
“Let’s be clear, the only reason that the conversation about reducing troop levels in Iraq is happening is because John McCain challenged the failed Rumsfield-strategy in Iraq and argued for the surge strategy that is responsible for the successes we’ve achieved and which Barack Obama opposed.Unlike Barack Obama, John McCain has never ignored the facts on the ground in Iraq, he’s never avoided the warzone before proposing new strategy, and he’s never voted against funding our troops in the field. If John McCain was following Barack Obama’s lead on foreign policy, the United States would have already withdrawn from Iraq in a humiliating defeat at the hands of al Qaeda.†—Tucker Bounds, spokesman John McCain 2008.
Yes, let’s be clear.
McCain has consistently said that he thinks withdrawal with a timetable would mean defeat, surrender, etc. In fact, the last time Maliki talked about withdrawal (first part of July), McCain said the following…
Since we are succeeding,” Mr. McCain said this week, “then I am convinced, as I have said before, we can withdraw and withdraw with honour, not according to a set timetable.“And I’m confident that is what Prime Minister Maliki is talking about, since he has told me that for the many meetings we have had.”
Maybe he didn’t hear him correctly? Or maybe Maliki stabbed McCain in the back? Whatever it is, the game has changed today.
Also, I’m still not sure I know why we have such a big problem with set timetables. It’s not like we can sneak out in the middle of the night and catch the terrorists off guard.
More as it develops…
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July 21st, 2008 at 12:02 pm
McCain Responds To Maliki’s Withdrawal Talk
Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iraq…
July 21st, 2008 at 12:43 pm
McCain is really blowing it here. Maliki has handing him a golden opportunity to undercut Obama’s support. The majority of Americans want us out of Iraq. There are plenty of conservatives, libertarians, and independents among those who want us out, who are not enamored of a single party Democratic government, but will vote for Obama purely on the issue of Iraq.
If Maliki is ready for us to leave, it means the surge worked. McCain can legitimately claim that he was right and Obama was wrong on the surge. It is a perfect time to declare victory, and start to draw down. He can say the surge paved the path for us to get out – all the time leaving the same wiggle room that Obama uses – that the pace will be dictated by conditions on the ground. This is a perfect opening for McCain – I can’t believe his campaign is missing it.
Maliki is reinforcing that there is no real practical difference between McCain and Obama on what our military posture will look like in Iraq by the end of 2010 regardless of who is president , so Obama loses his only real advantage in November, and we can potentially avoid the disaster of single party Democratic government with expanded and potentially filibuster proof Democratic majorities.
McCain should embrace the Maliki statements. It is what we all wanted. When they stand up, we stand down. Well, they are standing up.
Time to stand down.
July 22nd, 2008 at 8:26 am
John! – Remember that “Iraq stands up, we stand down” bit?…
Justin Gardner wonders if “…Maliki stabbed McCain in the back?” while explaining that “this puts McCain in a particularly precarious position.” Among the libertarian leaning …
July 22nd, 2008 at 11:04 am
mw – if McCain misses this opportunity, how many more opportunities will he miss as president? Like Bush, McCain is blinded by an arbitrary, ego driven notion of “victory”. He’s lost sight of every rationale the Republicans have posited for this war, “We stand down when they stand up”, “We’re fighting for the liberation of the Iraqi people”, “We’re fighting for the spread of democracy”. These guys have made it clear that all of that was bunk. They’re fighting for a strategic foothold in the region that they can exploit for financial gain. So, really, McCain isn’t missing an opportunity. He’s changing the rationale again to another bold faced lie. anything to keep us engaged, because when we walk out, all that oil, all that money goes to other people, the Iranians, the Syrians, and the Iraqis. The Iraq war was an insider business deal and the Republicans want to hold on to get their payout. Expect McCain and the other Bushies to continue changing the rationale whenever the last one doesn’t work to keep us “in it” anymore.