McCain Camp On Maliki: One Inartful Statement

The McCain campaign argued on Monday that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's endorsement of Barack Obama's troop withdrawal plan was "one inartful statement," adding that should Obama actually take seriously Maliki's words it would be the height of political irresponsibility.

"One inartful statement from Prime Minister Maliki certainly does not change Iraq government policy," said McCain senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann. "And certainly given the history of inartful statements from the Obama campaign, like Jerusalem remaining an undivided capital of Israel, or I'm going to campaign in 57 states, or Americans cling to guns and religion out of bitterness, etc... I certainly can't believe the Obama campaign will take a quote that has already been clarified out of context and try to hang their Iraq policy on it."

Citing news reports that Maliki had walked back his remarks, Scheunemann nevertheless seemed on the defensive. The Maliki interview with the German paper Der Speigel has been translated and reviewed by several different publications, all of which concluded that his endorsement of Obama's troop withdrawal plan was not, in fact, taken out of context but rather fairly explicit. Moreover, word spread Sunday night that Maliki only clarified his remark after White House urging. In addition, this was not the first time that the Iraqi prime minister had stated his preference for a date-driven reduction in U.S. troops. More than a week ago he argued that it had to be a prerequisite for a long-term deal between the two countries. Finally, as the McCain campaign's conference call commenced, word quickly spread that the Iraq's government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, had insisted in a separate interview that Maliki still backed a plan in which U.S. combat forces would leave Iraq by 2010.

Asked to respond to the weekend-saga -- as well as the inclusion of a time horizon for troop draw downs in negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq (a position that seems much closer to Obama's stance than McCain's) -- Scheunemann did his best to put lipstick on the pig.

"The Iraqi government made it clear there were apparently some translation problems in the quote, that that's not the position of the Prime Minister," he said. "That the prime minister believes and certainly the Iraqi government believes that withdrawal has to be based on conditions. I certainly think it would be rather interesting if the Obama campaign is going to rely on one statement form Prime Minister Maliki that has been clarified and made clear, is not authoritative in terms of his personal position or the position of the Iraqi government."

Comments

[Venise Alstergren]

A few more of McCain's artful comments could end up with American citizens revolting. Doubtless this would be called The (Mc)Cain(e) Mutiny.

[Venise Alstergren]

Previous comment should have ended "They are all very rich but their parents seem to have sent them to third rate schools. What is this; some form of inverse snobbism?

[Venise Alstergren]

In my Shorter Oxford English Dictionary there is no word called 'inartful' nor is there in the spell checker.
and I have two spell checkers. Which sort of leaves me worrying that if McCain was to get the top job, not only would he be over the hill, and anti-deluvian in his thought processes, but inarticulate as well. Americans, surely you have had enough of idiot right-wing conservatives. It's astonishing. They are all very rich but their parents don't seem to have sent their kids to third rate schools. What is this; some form of inverse snobbism?

[Syco]

if they want us out then we should make like a tree and leave

[whsmith]

that's freedom and sovereignty for you. deal with it. "inartful statements" LOL... ok guys you are the experts on the subject I'll take your word for it.

[Ides]

And it all collapses around his ears. This is going to be amusing.

[wm1066]

Is inartful a real word?

[CintiBlue]

The only time I saw it was in an article a few years ago about politicians making up words and their tendency to use doublespeak. I forget who originated it.

[Venise Alstergren]

wm1066: Not in anything that I can find. My Shorter Oxford English dictionary hasn't got it listed, nor have either of my two spell checkers.

[lvdragonlady]

If Maliki had agreed more closely with mccain, his camp would have been all over this, pointing how right mac was and how wrong Obama was.
Hell, just admit you were wrong(again) and call it a day.
We knew you were wrong anyway, so it is not like we are going to believe all of the reverse finger pointing.

[mnash]

Seems to me. McCain and Bush are running the Iraq war and the Iraqi country. Maybe someone should tell McCain it is the Iraqi's country to run and not his.

[scorpioleidy]

Spin ... baby ... spin!

[gditty]

In one breath the statement was "Inartful", then you make another statement saying "taking seriously Maliki's words it would be the height of political irresponsibility".

Can't have it both ways.....

[crusty]

McCain's statements rarely rise to the level of "inartful.­" Stupid, yes; but inartful?

[moskie23]

I'd say Bush has the monopoly on "inartful" comments. I think everyone else has too good a grasp of the english language

[Grannysue]

So basically what McNuts is saying is don't listen to the guy in charge of his own country, listen to me, cause that guy well he just doesn't know anything and is a puppet of George's anyway! Glad you cleared that up there McNuts!

[afgail]

McCain's got nothing. He has to lie and spin because his cupboard is bare. The only thing on the shelf is old failed Bush policies. McCain's bag of tricks consist of only one trick, lie about his opponent.

[TheRealMacDaddy]

Well of course the McCain Campaign is going to say Maliki's statement was "inartful"­...he (Maliki) didn't say McCain or Surge.

Elect John McCain...t­o ensure America's position as a Colonial World Power!

[Shelly1970]

LOL... Ya, sure McCain.