Five Years Since "Mission Accomplished" Up Next: More of the Same

"Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." - President Bush, 5/1/03

"I believe that success will be fairly easy." - Senator McCain, CNN, 9/24/02

It has been five years since President Bush declared victory in the battle for Iraq. Today, with the same number of troops on the ground, 3,900 more US casualties, and no clear progress in sight, Senator McCain has tried to distance himself from the original Bush administration strategy. McCain claims he disagreed with President Bush on how the war should be fought, but five years ago John McCain was lined up squarely behind the President's ill-judged, reckless approach. Senator McCain argued that war would be "fairly easy" and that we would be "welcomed as liberators." He dismissed concerns over a potential civil war and agreed with President Bush that we had enough troops to secure the country. As things have gone badly, and public support has faded, McCain has called for more of the same - more troops, more time. His ill-defined approach says we cannot afford to fail, but fails to explain how to succeed. The reality is that there is little difference between John McCain and George Bush on Iraq.

John McCain Believed that the War Would Be Easy

"And I believe that the success will be fairly easy." [CNN, Larry King Live, 9/24/02]

"There's no doubt in my mind that once these people are gone that we will be welcomed as liberators." [MSNBC, Hardball, 3/24/03]

"I think the president has led with great clarity and I think he's done a great job leading the country." [MSNBC Hardball, 4/23/03]

"I'm a great admirer of Rumsfeld." McCain a year later said "I have great respect for Secretary Rumsfeld." [MSNBC Hardball, 4/23/03. Charlie Rose, 4/19/04]

"There's not a history of clashes that are violent between Sunnis and Shias. So I think they can probably get along." [MSNBC Hardball, 4/23/03]

McCain described Iraq as a "magnificent victory." McCain said "And I think it's important to sort it all out. But, to translate that as the Democrats are trying to do, and some kind of attack against this magnificent victory." [MSNBC Hardball, July 23, 2003]

April 2003: McCain was asked, "at what point will America be able to say the war was won?" He responded, "Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, I would imagine there'll be some die hards there that, but I think that we, it, it's clear that the end is, is, is very much in sight." [ABC, "Good Morning America," 4/9/03]

"But the fact is I think we could go in with much smaller numbers than we had to do in the past. But I don't believe it's going to be nearly the size and scope that it was in 1991." [CBS Face the Nation, 9/15/02]

McCain rejected calls to get more international troops on the ground in Iraq. "I think that the only military presence required right now would be American and British." [MSNBC Hardball, 4/23/03]

Senator McCain Has Consistently Misjudged the Situation in Iraq and Presented Rosy Scenarios Although He Now Claims that He Always Opposed the Strategy

"I`m the guy that opposed Rumsfeld and supported this strategy, which I think would help them make a judgment, would help them make a decision about my judgment." [MSNBC, Hardball, December 19, 2007]

"We've seen a number of signs of progress, including that of the capabilities of the Iraqi military, agreement with the Sunnis as framing the constitution, a decrease in suicide bombers from Iraqis and more and more coming in from the outside. By the way, that's the good news and bad news piece of it. And there is a legitimacy to the Iraqi government that, frankly, the government of South Vietnam never had. So, I think that there is progress." [CNN, Larry King Live, 6/28/05]

"We've got to show some success there, and I think we can, and I think we have, with --Elections are coming up on December 15th, where they'll have their own government functioning, and we are showing some progress in training and equipping the Iraqis." [FOX News, Chris Wallace Show, 11/6/05]

Exactly one year before violence in Iraq peaked: "Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course." [The Hill, 12/8/05]

As Iraq was heading into the peak levels of violence of 2006: "We are making progress. The formation of a government is helpful. We are training the Iraqi troops. There are parts of Iraq that are well under control and very peaceful. So it's a mixed bag here." [CNN, Larry King, 5/24/2006]

While violence in Iraq was still at its peak: "There are neighborhoods in Baghdad where you and I could walk through those neighborhoods, today." [Bill Bennett's Morning in America, 3/26/07]

Comments

[ignorantwillyharper]

After reading this Blog, it shows that McCain/ Bush along with Cheney, are all joined at the hips!
We sure don't need another four years of insanity sitting in the oval office.

[lady49]

THANK-YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ARTICLE!

Unfortunately most of America won't get this crucial truth because the right-winged 'attack' media can't call out the 'hate' people to spew their venom.
America is facing perilous times and we had better get it right this next election.

Please do me a favor and resubmit this insightful information just after the dust settles once a democratic nominee has been selected.

Thanks again, keep up the good work... We need you!

[mgloraine]

Mr. Bergmann

Excellent rundown! Well researched and very much to the point. If you could cram all or most of that into a 30 second spot for summer TV, it could make a difference...

At any rate, I had to save a copy of the article so that I can personally refer to it in the inevitable debates (which, thankfully, will NOT be televised) between myself and my Republican relatives later this year. Thanks!

[bobtr900]

McCain is another example of something horrible. Is it stupidity or is it just outright lying or is it Republican Party BS or is it Repub party incompetence at a level that is totally unimaginable and just a complete cabal of horrors? Is this whole thing/mess an example of just how truly bad at government the Repubs really are? We do know they hate all government and this is exactly why they should just stay out of that which they hate and are so bad at doing.

Maybe it's some of all of the above. Whatever it is they are a bunch of total screw-ups. The American people should wake up and smell the reality of the Repub party and keep them from ever using the office of the president to declare war.

This may be why the Founding Fathers put the declaring of war in the hands of congress. This puts the judgment and responsibility of declaring of war in the hands of a greater number of people. The Repubs under Bush just sidestepped the proper and legal process.

Now everything they do is all about cover up, look good, make nasty at any and all criticism, make nice at all other Repubs who keep up the insane facade.

Even Daddy Bush wasn't this stupid.

[akaJohnQ]

The fact that McCain finished 5th from the bottom of his US Naval Academy class says volumes about his lack of military expertise. His status as ex-fighter pilot / ex- POW does nothing to enhance his qualifications to be Commander In Chief. His knowledge of military tactics and policy rivals that of G.W. Bush. McCain has promised more wars and a 100 year occupation of Iraq. If Bush hasn't already done it, he will start a war with Iran. The draft will be reinstated to provide soldiers to fight our 3 wars. A McCain presidency is a disaster waiting to happen.

[obamanation31]

They are clueless.

[tlcutter]

This author( now that is a stretch) can easily blame McCain for having a plan. But the Dems have yet to give ANY detail in bringing home the troops. Just saying, bring em home is not a plan.

[izAriver]

The point is the lying. The man keeps lying! Of course he has no plan because he's lying! And your best argument is that the dems don't have any details in their plan to bring home the troops? Try doing some research.

[savagetiger]

True, but "Bring em home" without a plan vs. "Keep em in BFE" without a plan works better for me.

[madmaggie57]

This man is in the "Twilight Zone". He is so out-of-touch with reality that it is frightening. April revealed the highest American casualties since September of last year. Sunnis & Shites can get along? What history books has he been reading? He supported Rumsfeld...now he doesn't? Magnificent victory? Is that a synonym for "Mission Accomplished"? This "hero" crashed 5 planes while in the Navy's Air Force. He must have taken flight lessons from AWOL Bush. He was given 28 medals for only 20 hours of flight missions. Most soldiers on the ground had 7000 hours of combat, and most didn't get a thanks. Military stategist? I think not. The Iraqi government is just as productive as the non-existent Vietnam one. This man needs to progress to the 21st Century. He has become complete panderer. The sad part is that so many Americans are buying his lies. Did I mention that he attended the Rightgeous College of Eekonomics?

[byrok67]

Bush nor McCain know anything about war. Just because you were a POW does not make you an expert or a tactician. What it does do is teach you how to say anything that you can, regardless of whether its true or not, to get your way.

Whatever bullshit McCain is shoveling at the time dictates his beliefs. Just because he was a POW he is labeled some kind of superhero by the media. Does that make everyone, American, Japanese, German, French, and everyone else that has been a POW a hero?

I think not.

[tlcutter]

And I guess you have all the knowledge on war.LOL

[Henry]

"Mission Accomplished" and the "Powell Doctrine" need to be hung aroung the necks of republicans so that they can define the position of the USA (and the taxpayer) around the world. For example: The mission in Iraq was exactly what? Nation building? Oil theivery? A peaceful middle east for Israel? Why didn't the "coalition of the willing include Saudi Arabia???
It is long past since the time that our leadership needs to "fess" up. The truth would nice.

[tlcutter]

You cant handle the truth.