McCain Implies Iraq War Is For Oil: Watch Video

UPDATE BELOW: McCain stumbles trying to explain his comments...

During a town hall event in Colorado today, John McCain "decried the dangers of Americans reliance on foreign oil," but "also seemed to suggest that this reliance caused the current struggle in Iraq."

Here's what he said:

My friends, I will have an energy policy that we will be talking about, which will eliminate our dependence on oil from the Middle East that will - that will then prevent us - that will prevent us from having ever to send our young men and women into conflict again in the Middle East.

Adam Aigner-Treworgy of NBC/National Journal has more:

This comment was initially prompted by a compliment from a military veteran who stated that he hoped a group called "Swift Boats for McCain come out and help" the GOP nominee. McCain then launched into an unprompted defense of the DNC campaign against him based on his 100-year statement.

"You have seen an ad campaign that is mounted against me that says I wanted to stay and fight in Iraq for 100 years," McCain said to a crowd at a Jewish Community Center. "My friends, it's a direct falsification, and I'm sorry that political campaigns have to deteriorate in this fashion because there's legitimate differences between myself and Senator Obama and Senator Clinton on what we should do in Iraq. After we win the war in Iraq ... then I'm talking about a security arrangement that may or may not be the same kind of thing we have with South - with Korea."

Of note -- McCain didn't object to the audience member's suggestion that a so-called 'swift boat' group help him win the presidency. Instead, he thanked the man for his good wishes and his military service.

Later on Friday McCain sought to clarify the remarks he made earlier in the day about the Iraq war and oil. From the AP:

"No, no, I was talking about that we had fought the Gulf War for several reasons," McCain told reporters.

Story continues below

advertisement

One reason was Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait, he said. "But also we didn't want him to have control over the oil, and that part of the world is critical to us because of our dependency on foreign oil, and it's more important than any other part of the world," he said.

"If the word `again' was misconstrued, I want us to remove our dependency on foreign oil for national security reasons, and that's all I mean," McCain said.

"The Congressional Record is very clear: I said we went to war in Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction," he said.

UPDATE: So, McCain's defense of his comments was that he was really talking about the first Gulf War. "But then when specifically asked by an Associated Press reporter if, when he made the statement, he was 'thinking about the first Gulf War,' he said no." Huh?

"No, I was thinking about - it's not hard to - we will not," McCain stumbled. "By eliminating our dependency on foreign oil, we will not have to have our national security threatened by a cut off of that oil. Because we will be dependent, because we won't be dependent, we will no longer be dependent on foreign oil. That's what my remarks were."

He was sure to emphasize over and over again that the reason he supported the War in Iraq was because he "believed that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and he was going to use them."

McCain said "the congressional record is replete with that and for me to change my view, how many years later, I mean would, just wouldn't be logical."

Comments

[alltwisty]

Oops! A little bit o'truth slipped out there!

[zeitgeists]

Yep, a little bit of a senior moment and 'my friend' trips over his own tongue, deceiving the true nature of his real character, once again. McCain is nothing but power hungry lunatic, I don't care how many lapel flag pins he has sprouting from his chest. By the way, we should rip the flag symbol from Bushco's lapel and all of the other empty Corporatarch suits, who wrap themselves up in self-serving, patriotic jingoism, feigning to defend the Constitution.

Peace, Best Wishes and Hope

[hawkeye58]

Not a problem, he'll just deny that he said it by next week.

[eggman]

It's not a surprise that oil is at the root of all policy and action regarding the Middle East. That doesn't mean Iraq is a war for oil, it means oil dependence is a piece in the puzzle that, if removed, would make our problems in the Middle East go away. McCain can't say this though, because 1) he's about as articulate as GWB, and 2) his voter base can't grasp any idea that won't fit on a bumper sticker.

[JoeBlough]

" would make our problems in the Middle East go away "

Yes, our problems would not have happened, because we wouldn't have gone there in the first place.
I wouldn't think you would have to state this.

[Janus]

Well, Senator McBush, you have confirmed the opinion of millions of us traitors, un-American comforters of the enemy, "libruls," and blame America firsters about what we said almost from the outset of the invasion, that the oil grab really was the reason for invading Iraq. Moreover, there were and are no plans for leaving Iraq, because, well, we do not intend to leave, just as you have also confirmed in your remarks that we will remain there for up to 100 years if necessary.

[benwha]

Again, I ask Clintonista's, why does this "Obamabot" need to be scared of this guy in the general?

[26eaj24]

I'm pretty sure I could beat McCain this year!

[benwha]

You got my vote!

[MissingAmerica]

The more I see this, the more I realize the truth behind it. He is a favorite son of George's; that's been shown. We usually get scripted speeches and planned excuses. In a Town Hall setting, where the questions are unplanned (except, of course, for George Bush's), the words slipped out in a moment where he didn't have time to remember the lie.

There's a saying from an old book I had, and I never forgot this one: "Never tell a lie, but if you must, never tell more than one a year, because nobody's memory is that good." Obviously, McCain has told more than one lie a year.

[Trueheart]

That was good. Made me think of MARK TWAIN's "Always tell the truth. That way you never have to remember anything."

[jaschrod]

This S.O.B is just as scummy as Bush.He is saying anything to try and get elected. He voted for a bill that the far right NEO CONS would not even back, which dealt with world domination. What is amazing is that there are people gullible enough to believe this moron.

[957]

No wonder fox news and most of the media concentrate so much on democrates , as soon as their attention turns to McCain america is exposed to what we can expect from him, sorry but he's to old and we don't need another old person with business as usual politics anymore.

[drec1500Madrid]

Does anybody think that if Iraq were covered in broccoli fields instead of oil fields that we would be there.

[Teritt]

This story will go away as fast as Vicki Iseman - John is coated in Repub teflon. Nothing will come of it. Our government is being run be the news organizations that sold W as President and the current war fiasco.

[trollsbwild]

MyCane is Bush with alzheimers!

[AnAmericanWoman]

McCain slipped and told the truth. Now he is trying to cover it up. He knows the real reason we went to war in Iraq. He knows it - Blood for Oil.

[CaptainVideo]

McCain is showing increasing signs of senility.

What is needed to deal with this is a "Senior Citizens for Truth" consisting of Senior Citizens who, from their own personal experience, understand that McCain is too old for the job. They need to keep bringing attention to McCain's senior moments and disorientations.

[madkey]

We need to get off of foriegn Oil so we wouldn't have to be in war for Oil. Meanwhile it doesn't make sense because Americans are paying 200% increases on oil and Billions of dollars a month to stay in Iraq. If we spend billions of dollars a month for oil why cant we just buy it sense were buying it anyway and the American people are paying a high price. It makes more sense to be there in war for oil than for mass destruction because that's over we didn't find anything but were still there. Now it's to help the IraqI government on its feet while Americans are struggling to pay their bills. This isn't making sense. Somebody is getting a big deal on that oil and it sure isn't the American people. The government must be getting a deal on the oil and because were paying a higher price for it. So Mccain thinks that young people are to continue dying for 100 years as an occupation like we have in Korea and Japan which is a different consequence in Iraq than those countries for Oil that were not getting a deal on. He must think the American people are stupid to continue to pay taxes for a war on Oil while we pay 3.75 dollars a gallon and our communities and economy if crumbling around us. He's not a good leader that's why my vote goes to OBAMA 08

[dotmafia]

Straight-talk express?!?

The old fool can hardly put a sentence together to cover up his bumbling.

[PaleMail]

The fact is that McCain never gives a talk without mumbling & stumbling. Having to pander, revise past positions, and keep his best side in front of the cameras means a lot of fancy footwork that's naturally confusing for an old guy.

[Meteor]

"After we win the war in Iraq ... then I'm talking about a security arrangement that may or may not be the same kind of thing we have with South - with Korea."

After we win the war in Iraq!

We can stop right here. Senator John McCain is a deeply deeply deluded person.

No way is he fit to be president; he is one of he crazies.

[CaptainVideo]

The reason the commercial is perfectly fair is that the Iraqis and the Muslim world will never accept an occupation of Iraq by the U.S. military, which they consider Infidel invaders. If we stay in Iraq for 100 years, we will be fighting insurgents for 100 years.