Mitt Romney: McCain Invented Counterinsurgency Doctrine

Tin-plated fraud-bot Mitt Romney, who would say just about anything to get the nomination, has been out recently demonstrating that he'd say just about anything to get selected as the vice presidential nominee. And today, Romney took the nation on a mind-bending tilt-a-whirl ride into historical revisionism, telling Mika Brzezinski that John McCain, "after all, was the person who authored some time ago the philosophy that said a surge would work in Iraq."

Via TPM, here's the video:

Naturally, this is nonsense. McCain had long lobbied for additional troops to be sent to Iraq, but he in no way had a hand in the design of the "Surge" strategy. The closest John McCain came to participating in the "authoring of the philosophy" of the Surge was his involvement in a January 5, 2007 panel at the American Enterprise Institute. There, McCain and Sen. Joe Lieberman took second billing, providing the panel with their reflections from a recently concluded "fact-finding mission" to Iraq. Headlining the event, however, were the two men that actually did author the "Surge" doctrine, Frederick W. Kagan and General Jack Keane (ret.).

As Josh Marshall notes, Romney's comment "also dovetails nicely with the escalating cult of personality over McCain and the 'Surge.'" Yes, the Surge, whose successes are every bit as relevant as the "successful touchdown drive that the Washington Redskins completed last season in a game they lost 52-7.

Of course, a big difference between the Iraq War and a football game is that the Iraq War was a war of choice, a strategy that was supposed to yield several gains in national security, such as the removal of an imminent threat, the pacifying of bad regimes in the region, and an overall spread of democracy throughout the Middle East. And once you put aside the Potemkin "success" of the "Surge," you are left with a strategy that not only failed to deliver on its promised goals, but paved the way for seven years of de facto appeasement toward the terrorists who attacked America.

Hence, the value of Romney's meretricious distraction.

Comments

[Tropiholic]

mittens, oh how we have missed you!

[Zhonni]

Romney was just spewing lies and fabrication in that interview. He said McCain trained in Iraq. Even if he said McCain trained in Vietnam, he would be wrong.

[TKI]

Only the surge? But he also invented the war! He knows how to win them too.

[Heavenhelpusall]

He was so instrumental in our success in Vietnam too!

[Concerned1]

Romney and McCain make a great pair. They just cancel out each other. Birds of a feather flock together.

[cariintexas]

Romney is pathetic. In the debate at the Reagan Library he looked Mc Cain right in the face and told him he was lying about him and his record, to which Mc Cain just laughed. Now Mr. Elitist is kissing up to get the v p nod. Romney needs to kick back in his new 12 million mansion he purchased on the ocean in La Jolla a few weeks ago. Romney and Mc Cain deserve each other.

[booker52]

Mitt just trys to hard, it's that LDS thing. Must come from the mission duty. Ya know selling their reglion. Just saying. That and I say the man is a putz.

[Fremon]

I am still trying to figure how he was able to go to France on his Mormon "mission". Would have preferred to see him go to a city like Oakland where I saw many fine "missionaries" walking in the black areas. What a charmed life this guy has led. Maybe he learned to have a taste for escargot?

[speakingtruth2power]

I'd write something, but I don't like limbo.

[poco767b]

I invented Cheez whiz, give me some money. What? saying doesn't make it so?

[ahornick]

If a "surge" with its accompanied "no rules required" had been initiated in any major US city with a crime problem, crime and violence would have gone down there too.

Or if a "surge" had been implemented in New Orleans or Midwest when natural disasters hit, the resultant destruction and misery of the populace would have been reduced also.

Both would have been a very positive use of our arms forces personnel.

But as pointed out in your post, this "surge" was really only a positive tactic in a bankrupt strategy.

Romney and McCain are just trying to distract the 80% of the populace who are pissed at being lied too about the threat to our security that Bush and company used as excuses for this horrible adventure. LIttle to be proud of here when looking at the big picture.

[ahornick]

If a "surge" with its accompanied "no rules required" had been initiated in any major US city with a crime problem, crime and violence would have gone down there too.

Or if a "surge" had been implemented in New Orleans or Midwest when natural disasters hit, the resultant destruction and misery of the populace would have been reduced also.

Both would have been a very positive use of our arms forces personnel.

But as pointed out in your post, this "surge" was really only a positive tactic in a bankrupt strategy.

Romney and McCain are just trying to distract the 80% of the populace who are pissed at being lied too about the threat to our security that Bush and company used as excuses for this horrible adventure. LIttle to be proud of here when looking at the big picture.

[LuvDaH8ters]

true indeed.

[3dtrix]

You can say that again...

[doodlefarbe]

He did!

[NoahVail]

Wrong J.M. It was Democrat Jack Murtha who first advocated the surge.

[williamg]

Actually, the first time I ever heard someone talk about a surge, was Howard Dean back in 2004.

[Rog49Thomas]

Yes but he didn't author the philosophy.

Big difference as I'm sure you'll agree.

[TiffanyHusseinBanned]

What did Mika say? "Hmm aahh ooh....well"

[williamg]

Each and every day, it seems that a McCain surrogate goes in front of crowds or cameras, and lies.

[Bluedog12]

Mitt is demonstrating his "republican" ability which is to lie and repeat a lie so often that it becomes fair and balanced news on Faux. Perhaps his name should be Bull Mitt?

[beboy]

Can't wait for the Obama Afghanistan surge. Just wondering whose side are troops will be on.

[calchala]

And here is Romney contradicting himself from a debate with Mccain as to who "created the surge"

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/22832381#22832381

It's 4:28 in the clip.