McCain will accept “verdict” if voters reject him on Iraq
Seattle, WA – While polls show that the majority of Americans are in favor of a troop withdrawal, John McCain said he will maintain his message on Iraq in a general election campaign even if it means he might lose.
“I see more and more Americans who realize that if we set a date for withdrawal, that it puts all of those hard won successes at risk. And I will stand my ground as I did earlier. And I will stand my ground that we cannot afford to let al Qaeda declare victory,” McCain said during a press conference on his plane Friday.
While the stay-the-course message has resonated with Republican primary voters, a number of whom support the war, some analysts note that McCain’s support for the surge may hurt him in the fall. For his part, the Arizona senator is ready to make his case for Iraq in front of the voters even if it means a defeat in November.
“If American public opinion embraces an immediate withdrawal as both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton have espoused, I will accept their verdict,” he said.
McCain also defended his belief that the U.S. may need to maintain troops in Iraq for 100 years, if necessary, lashing out at critics who are using the comments against him.
“It is a totally false argument and of course they seize on it. ‘Oh McCain said we will stay.’ How long are we going to stay in Japan? Been there since 1945. How long are we going to stay in Germany? Been there since 1945,” McCain said, adding that the American public is usually content with prolonged troop commitments abroad such as Bosnia and Kuwait as long as casualties remain low. “I understand that life isn’t fair and politics isn’t fair and arguments aren’t fair and your words can be misinterpreted. But the key to this as far as I am concerned is Americans getting out of harm’s way and the way they do that is for this surge to continue to succeed.”
Tags: barack obama, hillary clinton, Iraq, john mccain, November
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Well, now McCain is getting some of his own medicine. People are using his own words against him.
[...] I Understand That Life Isn’t Fair [...]
… Oh sob, sob … do I feel so sorry for you John?
I hope you do keep up your rhetoric about 100 more years of war in Iraq, with all due respect, it will serve you right to be booted in the end. Oh, and I don’t think just reading a book by Alan Greenspan will help you much with economy John.
Barack will be glad to debate you on either issue … the country does not want 8 (or 100) more years of the same.
Dave writes…
I hope you do keep up your rhetoric about 100 more years of war in Iraq, <<<
That’s not what he said at all. He was asked about Bush’s statement that we may be in Iraq for 50 years and his response was (and I quote)
“Make it a hundred. … We’ve been in Japan for 60 years. We’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me, as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. It’s fine with me and I hope it would be fine with you if we maintained a presence in a very volatile part of the world where al Qaeda is training, recruiting and equipping and motivating people every single day.”
So you see he was never saying he advocated 100 years of war he said he advocated a military presence in an unstable part of the world. And BTW..Hillary and Obama each agree we need a military presense in Iraq to protect our interests which means despite their pledges to get out of Iraq even they won’t pull out.
Now if you are aware of this then you are guilty of knowingly spreading flase propaganda (first introduced by Hillary two debates ago), and if you were not aware of it you are guilty of spreading propaganda without first researching to find out what the truth was. Either way…you just lost your credability.
MCCAIN IS LOOKING LIKE A YELLOW DOG DEMOCRAT GET HIM HUCK
The Republican party is heading for disaster. You did not see Democrats change their core values as ludicrious as they are after they got their butts handed to them in 04′. Why did we? Until we get back to our core values of securing our borders,language, and culture is when we will gain control of both houses of congress and the presidency. As much as the establishment has moved left, it may never happen again. I feel there should be no parties and should elect a man or women based on their record and plans for future policy. I guarantee you our economy would be up and our congress would actually get the necessary things done. If there has to be a party system, then there has to be a third party called the ” American” party.
All Huckabee supporters please read this. I’M SOFA KING WE TODD DID!! Thats right! Say it again.
I’M SOFA KING WE TODD DID!! Much better! Try it one more time. I’M SOFA KING WE TODD DID!!
Probably the first correct thing you’ve said in a long time
To compare having a military presence in countries like Japan, Germany and South Korea to having that same structure in Iraq, the heart of the Arab world, is ludicrous. To think you can have a permanent presence and not be engaged in endless guerrilla war just boggles the mind. For someone who considers himself a military history buff he must of glossed over previous empires failures in the sands of Iraq.
Brent writes…
To compare having a military presence in countries like Japan, Germany and South Korea to having that same structure in Iraq, the heart of the Arab world, is ludicrous. <<<
Dude we have had military bases in Saudi Arabia for years. Even Hillary and Obama say we’re going to have a military presence in Iraq. Let me translate that for you. It doesn’t matter who is elected. We’re NOT leaving Iraq.
Scott your right the US do ( or did, they’ve since moved) have bases in saudi arabia, and look at what trouble they caused, it was one of Bin Ladens main gripes against the united states, US army bases on holy land, look, Iraq isn’t Germany or North Korea, the muslims are not germans, they have different histories and different religions, but go ahead McCain, if you want to cause more 9/11’s then have troops based in Iraq, just so long as we know who to blame after the next attack.
McCain is a very unintelligent person, he’s seriously flawed, the only answers he has are militaristic and the US need a 3rd bush term like a hole in the head. The guy didn’t even know the difference between isolationism and non-interventionism, he’s a thicko like Bush.
very well said my boy, i/m with you.