Did John McCain Just Say What I Think He Said About Iraq?

It's been over five years, 4000 dead U.S. troops and $600 billion since we invaded Iraq. But Sen. John McCain thinks it doesn't matter how long we end up staying in that war-ravaged country. The GOP's presumptive nominee appeared Wednesday morning on NBC's Today show in an interview with co-host Matt Lauer, who asked the Republican candidate about President Bush's troop surge last year which McCain has vehemently supported:

Lauer: If it's working, Senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?

McCain: No, but that's not too important. What's important is the casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea. Americans are in Japan. American troops are in Germany. That's all fine.

So the crusty old Senator from Arizona thinks it's "not too important" when, if ever, our troops return home, huh? That an overwhelming majority of Americans want an imminent end to the war apparently doesn't faze McCain. As he's said in the past, we could be in Iraq for another 100+ years and that would be just peachy with him.

McCain's new boneheaded remark ranks among the other colossal Bushevik blunders pertaining to Iraq such as "Mission Accomplished" and "We'll be greeted as liberators." It only serves to demonstrate just how out out of touch he is with mainstream America.

Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic presumptive nominee, would be wise to aggressively hammer home this new example of McCain's consistently cavalier attitude towards the war and our foreign policy in general. It's just more of the same shoot first, ask questions later reckless cowboy mentality that has gotten us mired in the Iraq debacle in the first place. And we certainly don't need four more years of Bush 3 in the form of McCain.

Americans have a very clear choice this November. A vote for McCain is a vote for more war, more militarism, more death. And that's just Iraq. Imagine the surprises this war-monger has in store for us with Iran. As Yogi Berra said, it'll be "deja vu all over again."

Comments

[seawolf77]

My freinds, I have none.

[healthychicken]

I just heard John McCain on TV saying we needed a gas tax break so we could buy textbooks. I"ve heard that the Bush Family was in the textbook business-does anyone know if thats true?

At any rate, we should be providing at least 12 tears of free education in this country, and the parents shouldn't have to buy the text books. Our public education system brought us the highest living standard in the world.

I suggest that John McCains wife and the Bushies buy the books!

[demfriend]

The situation in Iraq and the middle east is not even close to the situations that were present in Japan, Korea, Germany and so on. This show the incredible level of ignorance McCain has regarding history especially military history on the US. We as a country have long given McCain a pass on so many things because he was a POW. We should respect that and thank him for his service BUT he is not the only person ever to have served in our military who has been a POW or served in any branch during a war. Others before and after him have also been in POW situations and have been tortured. McCain continues to show almost daily his lack of care and concern for those now serving our country. The no support of the GI bill when he was educated by the military himself. The lack of respect for all of those who are now fighting the war based on lies that he would continue for years when these soldiers have been stop lossed and kept in the revolving door of deployment. The soldiers so depleted of everything that the sefl injure or kill themselves because they cannot continue the "fight". The poor mental health care. McCain is not any soldiers friend.

[aceholiday]

haha. crusty

[fox4flyr]

THINGS JUST GOT A WHOLE LOT SIMPLER, PEOPLE...GEN. WESLEY CLARK IS THE PERFECT CANDIDATE FOR VICE-PRESIDENT!!!!!

TALK ABOUT A LANDSLIDE!!!!!!!!

CLARK FILLS IN THE GAP OF OBAMA'S SHORTCOMINGS!!!

MY GOD, PEOPLE...EVEN REPUBLICANS WILL VOTE FOR THE TICKET...THEY WILL CONSIDER IT A BACK-HANDED VOTE FOR THAT OTHER MILITARY GUY...

OBAMA / CLARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE WORLD WILL REJOICE AT AMERICA'S LUCIDITY!!!!!!!!!!

[Speakchic]

He messed up ROYALLY over those remarks. And I love how people are stating his words were twisted when they were taken word for word.

Spin cycle is truly pathetic!

[JackLivigni]

Many are arguing that McCain is being taken out of context because often the part of his statement "...as long as casualties are down" is left out... as if that were the point.

McCain's statement is profoundly troubling because he does not understand the reality of Iraq. Having Americans occupying Iraq is something Iraqis do not want, first of all. Second, there is no comparison between Iraq and Germany or South Korea. Our presence in those countries did no inspire greater international strife. Our presence as occupiers in Iraq is an instigating force.

He is completely ignoring the financial burden our military presence in Iraq continues to impose on our already troubled economy.

Of course, there is also the fact that soldiers and their families are worn out. But then again, we knew McCain didn't care about that... just conisder his opposition to the Webb GI bill.

All in all, McCain's statement is profoundly troubling. He doesn't get it at all.

[Researchguy66]

McCain can paint a vote for him as a dignified way to bring many or most American troops home in "victory" (however vaguely defined) and leave the Mideast a safer place. The American people largely trust him to do that. All he needs to do then is paint Obama's plan as a wholesale surrender with our guys and girls running home tails between legs leaving a Mideast still burning with hatred for America and a hotbed for terrorism. It's an easy choice for the vast majority of Americans.

Whether you like the strategy or not, it'll play in Peoria.

[creasdp6]

Whoever buys McCains reasoning is a simpleton

[LABC]

Let me paint you a picture - a wife and mother struggling to keep things going while her husband and father of children he has hardly bonded with is on another drawn out rotation in Iraq. The Iraqi government decides to take another month vacation in the summer instead of working... nothing has changed in either the infrastructure development or political stability, despite billions of dollars pouring in...

Ta-duh.... now look at the picture and tell me that Peoria or any part of America will be concerned about some World War two like ticker tape parade scenario that constitutes a win...

[WretchedEtcher]

Hopefully a majority of Americans want a real plan instead of more semantic BS.

[DoomtoNeoCons]

If they buy that in Peoria, well, then F**k Peoria. After all, are they not the ones who whole heartedly gave themselves to the Bush Empire two election cycles in a row?

[hopeless277]

It makes perfect sense. We have to stay in Iraq taking casualties so we can stay in Iraq when we don't take casualties. Much like more must die so that those who have died did not die in vain. It's perfect. Dead soldiers don't object.

[popecorvo]

Right you are!

We will continue to kill and be killed in Iraq, until we are no longer being killed, so that then we can continue to stay in Iraq.

Why?

Because it's just like Korea, Germany, and Japan!

I see.

[funwithwarcrimes]

funwithwarcrimes.com says -- Not surprising at all. Remember, Cheney's very famous comment on video about that same statement? Cheney said, "So?" He didn't care either. So if McCain wants to bury his chances for election, that's fine with me. If all of the companies that are profiting from the war think they have enough power to elect another war monger -- they will be a little surprised when things work out differently in November. The force is not with them.

[CellarDoor]

The neo-cons have only the semantical shell game. You can follow along if you know what to look for...such as equivocating peace time Embassies to an armed occupation. This is delicious nonsense as it passes right down to the baby-bird followers with their mouths ever open for the regurgitation of neo-con mantra.

They speak as if the audience is stupid..."Hey, we've had troops in Germany and Japan since the end of the war!" as if a cursory glance at history wouldn't display the obvious...both Germany and Japan surrendered unilaterally to us (VE, and VJ day respectively) and one of those unilateral tenets was the construction of permanent American military bases. It is not, and has not been, a "Entrenched military action" like we have in Iraq and only a fool would think otherwise.

This rhetoric must be called out for what it is at every turn. Otherwise it will enter and lodge itself into our discourse as viable and this must not be allowed, for it means the death of truth.

[LightUpAmerica]

The fact that most Americans want the troops home does not matter in the least to McCain as it doesn't to Cheney who said that they cannot make their decisions based on the whims of the American people. They are not acting as representatives of the people, for the people but for their own agenda and that of their cronies. People need to realize that their wishes do not count at all in the minds of those who want to expand control. That does not mean that they do not have to contend with our demands however.

[NotFooledByDistractions]

Hammer McCain on this cavalier attitude. He's gotten away with multiple "gaffes" and "misspeaks" - so many that you have to wonder if this nonchalance toward our troops is how he really feels. This coupled with his not voting for the new GI bill have to make you question his committment to the troops. "The Gelding" is a fraud with no real convictions - he's sold them all for the gop nomination.

[jonboy3000]

I'm an Obama supporter but I do think that McCain is being treated somewhat unfairly about his comments. He said something poorly much like Obama did when folks said he was an elitist. There are major issues to discuss and both of these guys are going to occasionally phrase something badly. I think McCain was actually saying that our casualties do matter and if we can stay there without them, it doesn't matter how long we stay. He was making a direct comparison to Korea. Where I think folks should be hitting McCain is that Iraq is not like Korea. We did not invade Korea and Korea does not have the numerous factions who have fought each other for years. No one has ever been able to occupy Iraq for any length of time. The factions within the country have one value they share. They don't want their country occupied. The Iraqi government is saying that right now in their negotiations with Bush. Jim Webb said McCain is not learning from history. That's where he should be faulted and criticized. I don't want this election to be about gaffes on each side. The candidates are in stark contrast to each other on major issues. McCain is out of touch with American. If Obama debates these issues , he can win easily. The Republicans are good in the gaffe war. They lack substance on the issues and this is where they want to fight. Why should we play into their strength?

[Doofus]

When you consider that soldiers are required to make
repeated combat tours in Iraq & Afghanistan, their odds
of getting out ok become significantly lower, year after year.
THAT is what the problem is for them, and their families.

McCain seems to be forgetting part that entirely.

[jonboy3000]

I agree with you on that. I just want to make sure that we don't take things out of context or go after a misstatement (gaffe). We take issue with exactly what McCain says or meant to say. If we have that debate, we win every time. Myself, I want our troops out as soon as possible. What McCain said (or meant to say) is wrong. History tells us that Iraq never will be like Japan, Germany or Korea. We will have casualties and to me every single one of them are significant. I was a teenager during Viet Nam. That war dragged on for years. If we would have been realistic, we would have pulled out of there years before we did saving 20 thousand or so of American lives. McCain should be looking at that history. He was a prisoner during that time and missed the gut wrenching debate and protest that took place in our country. I really think he misses the parallels between this war and Viet Nam.

[Doofus]

The Repo Man has always got to be coming up with
new rationalizations to explain & persuade US that
staying in Iraq until 'Glorious Victory Which Is Almost
Finally Just Around the Corner' is the way to go.

Otherwise, this hopeless Repo fantasy which has cost
so much in lives & treasure will be exposed for the
gruesome hoax that it always has been.

You have a chance in November to do something about it.

Make it happen.

[cyberbian]

He said we are not currently taking casualties.

So the nearly 200 dead already this year don't count.

They are insignificant.

So the future dead will also be insignificant. And of course the wounded, the traumatized. I mean if you don't count the dead how can you count the wounded?

McCain must apologize to the familys of these fallen Americans! He is a callous and deluded man.

[hopeless277]

How can you compare a few dead soldiers to GLORIOUS VICTORY? America with never surrender in Iraq no matter how long it takes, how many human beings have to be killed, and how much it costs. Americans want VICTORY. Americans love to WIN. Americans will fight NO MATTER WHAT. Even if the fight gains us nothing and cost us everything. After all, what would John Wayne do?