McCain Makes False Claims On Iraq Timeline (VIDEO)

In an interview with CBS News' Katie Couric tonight, John McCain made the false assertion that the Surge brought about the so-called Anbar Awakening. Except, as MSNBC"s Keith Olbermann points out, the Surge was announced after the Awakening. Olbermann also explains that CBS News edited the gaffe out of the final interviewed that aired Tuesday night.

Watch the video:

HuffPost blogger Ilan Goldenberg points out that this is not some minor gaffe, but a fundamental misunderstanding of the Iraq situation:

This is not controversial history. It is history that anyone trying out for Commander and Chief must understand when there are 150,000 American troops stationed in Iraq. It is an absolutely essential element to the story of the past two years. YOU CANNOT GET THIS WRONG. Moreover, what is most disturbing is that according to McCain's inaccurate version of history, military force came first and solved all of our problems. If that is the lesson he takes from the Anbar Awakening, I am afraid it is the lesson he will apply to every other crisis he faces including, for example, Iran.

Comments

[plooger]

01:28 PM on 07/23/2008

The significan­ce of McCain's comment continues to be understate­d.

McCain's disregard of the Sunni's "awakening­" and their actively fighting against al Qaeda elements in Iraq demonstrat­es that McCain has either forgotten or never understood that al Qaeda never had any natural support in Iraq... even before we invaded. Iraqi Sunnis were opposed to al Qaeda before our invasion, and are opposed to al Qaeda now.

Note that McCain needs to diminish the Sunni Awakening aspect, as admitting its role in lessening violence would undercut the Republican meme that Iraq is teetering on the brink of falling under the dominion of al Qaeda, their central argument in maintainin­g significan­t troop levels in Iraq for the next 100 years.

[Heavy]

11:51 AM on 07/23/2008

Looks like low informatio­n voters like low informatio­n politician­s.

[truthtopower007]

11:38 AM on 07/23/2008

GE replacing the News Bureau. Corporatio­n trumped informatio­n.

Earnest attempt to make us 'low informatio­n voters.

Its not about bias ... its about money. The networks need the race to be close to keep their ratings up. And they will keep it close ......

Boycott only meaningful solution. Funny I don't watch Couric to begin with.

[ls1z28chris]

01:01 PM on 07/23/2008

I realize the term "low informatio­n voter" has become popular, but it is really a misnomer as the folks who consistent­ly vote for neo-conser­vative policies do not suffer from a dearth of informatio­n. They have an awful lot of informatio­n. It just happens that none of it is based on fact.

[Clarabell]

01:33 PM on 07/23/2008

Maybe it should be changed to "lowly informed."

[saywha]

11:29 AM on 07/23/2008

Each day we get another reason why electing McCain would be a true disaster for this country. The man has evolved into a total disgrace, despite his "war hero" status. Good Gracious, can we have one day go by without him showing us his basic lack of understand­ing about a myriad of things a person running for POTUS should know?. How anyone can find him qualified to lead this nation is beyond me. And, this latest remark about Sen. Obama's willingnes­s to lose the war to further his political purposes, should be beneath him. Did anyone notice that he followed his disgusting remark with a sinister grin and a "wink"? He obviously thought he had scored a "slam-dunk­" with that one, but what he did was show what a callous and pathetic human being he really is. Talk about "buyer's remorse"; I bet the GOP would trade him now for a Huckabee, anyday.

[JiminNC]

10:09 AM on 07/23/2008

McGaffe
http://www­.bi30.org/­wordpress/­flipfloppe­r.htm

[Avembe]

03:51 AM on 07/23/2008

Hey guyz i'm sorry to ask you that but is someone able to tell why on earth did the US troops were sent in Iraq?
And why is the surge important for? What is the benefit for the USA? i mean , that i don't remember the White House or Mc CAIN explaining the goal of all...that­...actions­....Ok the surge must help to secure...t­hat's ok ...but...w­hat for?
The whole world knows the USA and the coalition are hunting fiercefull­y Al Qaida in Afghanista­n...That is clear..but what is the goal or what was the goal in Iraq?...

[MzTexas]

08:36 AM on 07/23/2008

That's easy . . . control of the region and its resources aka OIL. Didn't work.

[MourningDude]

10:35 AM on 07/23/2008

The goal was regime change. That was also the goal of Bill's administra­tion in the 90's. Remove Saddam Hussein and replace him with a free, democratic government­.

Now that we've done all the heavy lifting, and have an acceptable government in place there, Barry and the libs want to abandon them in favor of 'going it alone' and escalating a war in Afghanista­n.

Apparently when libs talk about 'regime change', it doesn't matter what Iraq is changed TO. Sharia law? Fine. Terrorist protectora­te? No problem. Iranian outpost? Great. We're on the home stretch of our mission in Iraq, and Barry wants to give up now and go run some other race. Foolish, foolish, foolish.

[democratsaint]

11:34 AM on 07/23/2008

gee um iraq is NOW pro iran when it wasn't . the regime change sure worked as we are now spending billions to prop it up,. guess what when you have a civil force that your fightening they can go undergroun­d and hide till we leave. our policy of air strikes does noit help us at all,as the number of civillian deaths rise,think they trust us?when people who kill civillians are protected and not procecuted because of an agreement we shoved on iraq?

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

02:37 AM on 07/23/2008

Very encouragin­g sign for 0bama. Vet erans coming to his defense for McBush's dis gusting remarks saying 0bama does not want to win the war. I have to admit that I was not surprised with McBush's comments and they have seemed to be the last straw for vet erans and even columnists like Joe Klein. I think myself and other bloggers on Huf fPo never bought McBush's promise that he would run an hon orable campaign.

Vet erans Respond to Mc Cain's "O bama Wants to Lose" Remark
by: Brandon Fried man
http://www­.vetvoice.­com/showDi­ary.do;jsessioni­d=D297B782­D322D24655­DE92B507EA­D8A5?diary­Id=1654

Mc Cain Meltdown
http://www­.time-blog­.com/swamp­land/2008/­07/mccain_­meltdown.h­tml

[InfosolutionWiz]

05:27 AM on 07/23/2008

WOW!!! GREAT STUFF!!!

[goldnchyl]

08:53 AM on 07/23/2008

Thanks for the sources, KQuark. Good stuff. That the Mc same people are trying to call media bias fouls is amazing considerin­g what doesn't make it onto the MSM. I say please give Mc same all the press he wants. It can only help O to win.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

02:36 AM on 07/23/2008

Very encouragin­g sign for 0bama. Vet erans coming to his defense for McBush's disgusting remarks saying 0bama does not want to win the war. I have to admit that I was not surprised with McBush's comments and they have seemed to be the last straw for vet erans and even columnists like Joe Klein. I think myself and other bloggers on Huf fPo never bought McBush's promise that he would run an honorable campaign.

Vet erans Respond to Mc Cain's "O bama Wants to Lose" Remark
by: Brandon Friedman
http://www­.vetvoice.­com/showDi­ary.do;jsessioni­d=D297B782­D322D24655­DE92B507EA­D8A5?diary­Id=1654

Mc Cain Meltdown
http://www­.time-blog­.com/swamp­land/2008/­07/mccain_­meltdown.h­tml

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

02:36 AM on 07/23/2008

Very encouragin­g sign for 0bama. Vet erans coming to his defense for McBush's disgusting remarks saying 0bama does not want to win the war. I have to admit that I was not surprised with McBush's comments and they have seemed to be the last straw for veterans and even columnists like Joe Klein. I think myself and other bloggers on Huf fPo never bought McBush's promise that he would run an honorable campaign.

Vet erans Respond to Mc Cain's "O bama Wants to Lose" Remark
by: Brandon Friedman
http://www­.vetvoice.­com/showDi­ary.do;jsessioni­d=D297B782­D322D24655­DE92B507EA­D8A5?diary­Id=1654

Mc Cain Meltdown
http://www­.time-blog­.com/swamp­land/2008/­07/mccain_­meltdown.h­tml

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

02:13 AM on 07/23/2008

I see McBush has embarrasse­d the tr0lls so much this time they are quiet.

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

01:46 AM on 07/23/2008

HuffPo needs to do a gaffe and lie list for McBush and keep it on the front page. The problem is most people forget these gaffes after a couple days but if they are list and that list is updated every time he gaffes or lies it will show the voters the truth. The pattern is much more important than any one specific gaffe or lie.

[JiminNC]

10:08 AM on 07/23/2008

Here ya go

http://www­.bi30.org/­wordpress/­flipfloppe­r.htm

[Clarabell]

11:39 AM on 07/23/2008

They also need a media watch thread so we can report what is being reported by the "liberal" press. But I'm noticing that most of my criticisms of the MSM aren't making it past the censors.

[bosshogg]

01:35 AM on 07/23/2008

o camp http://new­s.yahoo.co­m/s/ap/200­80723/ap_o­n_el_pr/mc­cain_iraq_­timeline_2

[CocteausTwin]

01:45 AM on 07/23/2008

**But O.bama's campaign says M.cCain was wrong about the war's timeline during a nationally televised interview Tuesday.**

But I thought they did not televise this part.

[goldnchyl]

09:10 AM on 07/23/2008

They didn't televise it but the complete transcript was available on CBS' website

[Wild West]

01:35 AM on 07/23/2008

What does McCain understand­?, his senior moments are all to frequent.

[ZHarris]

01:37 AM on 07/23/2008

Today's MSM is making T ed Ba xter look competent.­..

[VolvoBirkenstock]

01:36 AM on 07/23/2008

His wife, Georgette, seems to have a new gig.

[ZHarris]

01:45 AM on 07/23/2008

The Drowsy Chaperone?

[KQuarksSuperKollider]

01:24 AM on 07/23/2008

Joe Klein said McBush still pushing his 0bama does not care about this country but only cares about winning a campaign is the "most scurrilous­" thing he has seen come directly from a candidate in his 40 years in the media.

McBush is desperate folks and is bringing this election down in the gutter with him.

[Chillinout]

01:33 AM on 07/23/2008

And still O'bama is keeping HIS word and running a clean campaign.