McCain pleads for patience in Iraq

[rodeodance]

Source: AP



McCain pleads for patience in Iraq

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer Wed Apr 11, 3:06 AM ET

WASHINGTON - Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), staking his struggling presidential candidacy on the
Iraq war's outcome, embraced the unpopular conflict anew and defended his unwavering support for
President Bush's troop increase.


"It is the right road. It is necessary and just," the Arizona Republican said in excerpts of remarks prepared for delivery Wednesday at the Virginia Military Institute.

"Democrats, who deny our soldiers the means to prevent an American defeat, have chosen another road. It may appear to be the easier course of action but it is a much more reckless one," McCain said as Democrats, who control Congress, continued their standoff with Bush over war funding and a withdrawal timetable.

All three leading Republican presidential candidates support Bush's decision earlier this year to send more troops to Iraq to try to quell violence in Baghdad and Anbar Province. But McCain, who has called for additional forces for years, is the only one directly connected to the policy, and, by extension, the war.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070411/ap_on_el_pr/mccain_iraq;_ylt=AsChS7KvaFzM_fbmfXr3oSLMWM0F

[Demeter]

1. The Good Bushbot / Soldier--Is There a More Pathetic Sight?

[mac56]

2. That last itty-bitty scrap of respect I still held for McCain?

It's gone now.

[maddezmom]

3. whatever...take another stroll on the right road

without all those soldiers covering your ass! :eyes:

[pinniped]

4. Bsh* jr. in training.

What a jerk.

[rcdean]

5. McCain Doesn't Know Diddley About Ground Combat & Guerrilla Warfare

He was a flyboy shot down from 20,000 ft and spent the rest of the time in a prison.

Now he postures as a war expert. He's full of it.

We lost Iraq, like we lost Vietnam, when we decided we didn't care about the hearts and minds of the people; when we start bombing CITIES!!! and kicking doors down and humiliating fathers and sons and brothers in front of their families; when we decided it was more important to line the pockets of inexperienced political hacks and corrupt companies than to get results--real results like electricity for the people--from our "rebuilding" effort.

McCain is wrong. The Iraqis hate us. And for damn good reason. If I were one of them, I'd sure as hell be an insurgent.

We need to redeploy our troops: 1/2 to home; 1/4 to Kuwait as a rapid response vs Al Qaeda in Iraq and 1/4 to Afghan. Now!

[DemoTex]

11. Actually, he was a lot lower than 20,000. But I agree, McCain is wrong.

Minor detail: McCain was coming off a low-level bombing run in Hanoi when his A-4 Skyhawk was hit. He was probably just a couple of thousand feet off the ground when he punched out. He landed in Truc Bach lake in Hanoi.



McCain has a long history of keeping bad company.

[rcdean]

14. Agreed. But a run is not a good oppty for observation.

Doubt he had much else on his mind while diving.

I never saw them except from very up close when they were in attack mode. So maybe they flew a lot lower than 20k normally while getting from point base to ao.

We did come within 50' of hitting one while flying an 01 Birddog at about 2k one day. We could see the pilot. Don't know if he even noticed us. Took some plentiful Cap'n Jacks to get beyond that one!

[merwin]

6. I'm pleading for McCain to get the nomination.

God that would be an easy win

[IndianaGreen]

20. McCain is still fighting his Vietnam demons

McCain deserves our sympathy, our empathy, and he needs intervention and medication.

[liberal N proud]

7. Begging now?

How pathetic

[Ian David]

8. John McCain has been coached...

by Baghdad Bob!

[Zandor]

9. How many more years John?

Have you forgotten our pretext? Remember spreading democracy through Arab nations and raising our standing in the world? We have failed. Miserably. The whole situation is largely beyond our control.

Don't ask us what we would do now. The cause is futile and has been for a long time.

[BlueManDude]

10. I'd almost like to see him elected in 2008

Just to see him crumble under the shitpile that Bush has left for the next president.

[gratuitous]

12. Right, necessary and just?

Nonsense, Senator Bullshit. This war is and always has been wrong, wasteful and its burden has fallen most heavily on people who aren't white, male and wealthy.

[deutsey]

13. McCain, go take a long walk around a Baghdad block

[cliss]

15. The man really has lost it.

Look at his quote, "Democrats, who deny our soldiers the means to prevent and American defeat,..."

I think what he's trying to say here, is Democrats, who deny our soldiers the means to prevail in Iraq..."

His statement makes no sense.
It also shows, he really has lost his mind.

[CBHagman]

17. The "and" is a typo.

I saw the prepared remarks and listened to portions of the speech. He said, "to prevent an American defeat."

That said, I suggest looking at the whole transcript. It's an infuriating warm-up of Frank Luntz's war on terror/Iraq talking points, a lot of partisan sniping, and of course the requisite sentimental tale of a wounded serviceman, an item McCain pulls out towards the end to create an effect. We're talking Mr. Calculation here.

Also, lest we forget, McCain is known for his Imus moments, too. Look at his misogynistic "joke" at the expense of our then-attorney general, first lady, and the first lady's DAUGHTER. Any man who makes snotty jokes about the appearance of a young girl hasn't much character and probably cannot be regarded as a real man at all.

The hell with this opportunist. Ambition can be a poisoning thing.

[bdamomma]

16. after 5 years, and all those who died for lies, come on McCain

oh, wait you disagree with majority of the American people, you have some fuckin nerve, to ask us to be patient.

[IndianaGreen]

18. I would be very happy to vote for Hillary if McCain is the GOP nominee

McCain is so far gone to the Dark Side of the Force, just as Joe Lieberman has, that any Democrat currently running for President would look mighty good compared to him.

[bif]

19. Iraq pleads for patience with McCain

"Sure he's a Bush lapdog with no credibility whatsoever, but give him a chance," says Iraq.

[wordpix]

21. McBush Jr. pleads for patience? We've given 5 yrs., 3000+ soldiers, $1 trillion,

30,000+ maimed, not to mention caused the suffering of a million refugees and Iraqis who can't flee.

My patience ran out when the WMD hoax was revealed. :grr:

[crossroads]

23. Well Said! nt

[sutz12]

22. "Four more years...four more years"

:sarcasm:

[Imagevision]

24. McCain can't even get his own lines, he insists on parroting Bush!

[ingac70]

25. Boy, John really isn't interested in being President at all is he?

I don't see the rest of the repubs mulling the Presidency this rabid about more senseless death and money wasting.