McCain fears 'Tet Offensive' in Iraq

[jefferson_dem]

McCain fears 'Tet Offensive' in Iraq
By BOB LEWIS, Associated Press Writer

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain (news, bio, voting record) said Monday he fears an offensive by Iraqi insurgents similar to the Tet offensive by the Viet Cong that sent U.S. casualties soaring in Vietnam nearly 40 years ago.

McCain, a Vietnam war veteran who spent 5 1/2 years as a prisoner of war, said in an interview with The Associated Press that it's not the U.S. presence in Iraq that upsets voters but rather the number of casualties and the possibility those numbers could rise.

<SNIP>

"By the way, a lot of us are also very concerned about the possibility of a, quote, 'Tet Offensive.' You know, some large-scale tact that could then switch American public opinion the way that the Tet Offensive did," the Arizona senator said.

McCain made his comment in explaining why he did not believe the Bush administration should set a date by which it should deem Bush's troop increase a success or a failure.

"I think that it should be publicly open-ended because I think that if you set a date, that there's every possibility that the insurgents would just lay back and wait until we leave," McCain said.

<SNIP>

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070212/ap_on_el_pr/mccain2008;_ylt=AtvScKXBoY8voVyz7Pt.7bnMWM0F

[CBGLuthier]

1. And I fear gulf of Tonkin nt

[Hekate]

29. You took the words out of my mouth. He should be afraid of another Gulf of Tonkin.

[wakeme2008]

2. Asshole you are pusing for 21000 more TARGETS and now you think of

a Tet Offensive..... :grr:

[last_texas_dem]

28. Great point

If McCain truly believes the situation in Iraq could become that much more sinister (and isn't just trying to suck up to the right-wing of his party even more, since he's decided to run for Pres.) I'm definitely curious as to why he would want to put more of our troops at risk.

[Birthmark]

3. I guess McCain doesn't know...

...that Muslims don't celebrate Tet.

And this clown wants to be President?

[rodeodance]

4. guess what McCain---public opinion has ALREADY SHIFTED!!

[rodeodance]

5. every time this man opens his month lateley he gets more silly & STUPID

[hwmnbn]

9. You type faster than I do....

but our minds are on the same track.

[sakabatou]

26. Not again!

[AzDar]

6. I'm thinkin' more like Dien Bien Phu.....

OUT OF IRAQ NOW!!!

[hwmnbn]

7. Public opinion has ALREADY switched......

McCain still lives in a dreamworld if he thinks the war has majority support.

[catmandu57]

8. Millions of Iraqis

and neighbors v about 134,000 Americans yeah it could happen and it's been a fucking miracle that it hasn't yet, by the way fuck you mccain.

[BenDavid]

10. What is it that makes folks

pay attention to what McCain says? John McCain is no hero! No one is accusing Mr. McCain for not having a survival instinct, and we know he does. Mr. McCain in Viet Nam when he was a POW never risked his life. Hell, he saved his life. But no one will say that to him face to face, but what you saw from MCain was nothing more then self preservation. Hero? NO!

[brentspeak]

19. Completely incorrect. McCain was offered the opportunity to be freed from the Hanoi Hilton

by his captors because of his status as the son of an American admiral; he turned that opportunity down, because he didn't want to be given preferential treatment not afforded to his fellow POWs.

In the past few years, McCain has proved he is not fit to be President. But he definitely deserves his status as a war hero.

[susanna]

25. Agreed.

His captivity was mostly self-inflicted after a certain point. IOW, he was right back then. He is not right at the moment. Nice summation, brentspeak!

[Javaman]

11. mclame is an idiot. Iraq has been one long Tet offensive. nt

[Jacobin]

12. Clue phone ringing for McCain.

that already happened. this is 2007.

Please go back to slobbering all over his worship LordGawdBush.

that is all

[jaysunb]

13. Well, DUH !

WTF else do you expect. Were you not in Nam or have you not studied the what and how of the TET offensive ????

Any fucking idiot should be able to figure out what's going to happen when you get large groups of enemy ( US troops in this case ) all together in one place. Remember the Marine Barracks in Beruit ?

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD !!!!

And, this man wants to be President ?????????????????

[sutz12]

14. TET happened in '68. Vietnam went on for 5 more years after...

They probably think a 'Tet offensive' would buy them 5 more years, too.

[IndianaGreen]

15. Is this the same McCain that sounded half rational in 2000?

Something happened to him when he walked inside that alien spaceship in Area 51.

[Chulanowa]

16. Ladies and gentlemen, the Republican front-runner for 2008

"it's not the U.S. presence in Iraq that upsets voters but rather the number of casualties and the possibility those numbers could rise."

That's right, it's not that our men and women are taking three tours of the sandbox and shooting at the iraqis, it's that the iraqis are shooting back that worries voters. Of only we could get them to stop, we could occupy indefinately and peacefully!

John, we could achieve better results by getting the hell out and you know it.

[AlCzervik]

17. you mean like a massive breach of the greenzone? I thought thats why Bush wants

an escalation?

[Kagemusha]

18. So McCain finds highly disturbing the prospect that

insurgents might actually DECIDE NOT TO FIGHT US TROOPS while US troops are in the process of withdrawing.

The horror. The horror!

[scarface2004]

20. naw...let s repeat saigon 75!

that was awesome!!!

[saigon68]

31. oops

[AngryOldDem]

21. I've been saying that for quite awhile

Should I run for president, too?

Iran, Iraq, etc., are just biding their time.

[NI4NI]

22. don't forget Afghanistan, McCain

unless you think the Taliban and AlQaeda were vacationing on the French Riviera all winter.

[tabasco]

23. Cheney might have given him a heads up.

Chicken Dick hasn't sent the memo to the insurgents yet.

[Az_lefty]

24. Az_lefty fears McCain will continue to be my Senator...

he used to be a decent guy, now he's become more of an embarrassment.

[aaronbees]

27. Well, get on over there and fight it yourself, McCain

What an ass, saying this is a concern because of an effect on public opinion? Public opinion switched a long time ago. And gotta love the language that always makes it appear as if an enemy is just waiting for us to leave .... guess that means we'll never leave ... or not. :eyes:

[truthisfreedom]

30. Sometimes, Mr. McCain, basing your decisions on FEAR is playing into Enemy hands.

And that's what you're doing. You are weak, Mr. McCain.