McCain: Obama "Completely Wrong" On Iraq

Ariz. Senator Ridicules Democrat At First President Bush's Summer Home

(CBS/AP)  Republican Sen. John McCain insisted on Monday that he has been consistently right on both Iraq and Afghanistan while Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama "has been completely wrong."

As Obama toured the war zones, McCain ridiculed him from afar during a visit with the first President Bush at his summer home on the Atlantic.

"My respect for him knows no bounds," the elder Bush said of McCain. Still, Mr. Bush said he wished Obama well on his overseas trip, and said he hoped the Democrat would get an especially warm welcome in Berlin.

One senior Republican strategist said that if Obama's trip is successful, it could mark a new chapter for the McCain campaign, reports CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod, because if Obama does narrow the foreign policy credibility gap, McCain will have to start confronting his rival much more directly.

McCain told reporters he didn't care if Obama's trip was stealing attention and "doesn't in the slightest undercut" his own message. "It is what it is," he said.

Any withdrawal of troops from Iraq "must be based on conditions on the ground," McCain said.

But McCain said that most troops would leave the country within two years, as long as the gains the U.S. has made hold up, reports CBS News' John Bentley.

“I am confident as long as we maintain the progress we have made, and it's fragile, but it's there, but it has to be based on conditions on the ground,” McCain said. “Whenever you win wars, and we are winning, then we will be able to come home."
(Click here to read Bentley's full post in the "From The Road" blog).

McCain disparaged Obama as "someone who has no military experience whatsoever."

"When you win wars, troops come home," McCain said. "He's been completely wrong on the issue. ... I have been steadfast in my position."

On Afghanistan, McCain said, "I've always said it's long and tough and hard."

As to Iraq, "We've succeeded. We're not succeeding, we've succeeded," McCain said later at a fundraiser.

Mr. Bush declined to comment on his views on the two wars, saying he would defer to McCain.

"No advice," he said. "I think he's doing great."

Mr. Bush said he would not criticize either McCain for advocating drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf nor his son for rescinding his own 1992 presidential order banning such offshore drilling, saying increasing domestic production was important.

Chatting alone with reporters, Mr. Bush later said he's looking forward to a final parachute jump from a plane next June 12 when he turns 85.

He said his wife Barbara told him, "One way or the other, this is your final jump."

[minuteman247]

Obama''s long-held positions on Iraq and Afghanistan are turning out to be correct, while McCain''s are turning out to be dead wrong. It''s starting to look like McCain''s decades of experience haven''t helped his judgment one bit.

[flreason]

John McCain has a fixation on "winning" a war. It seems as if he feels a personal need to be involved in an effort that, unlike Viet Nam, could be labeled a "victory". I find it hard to understand how this war, justified by deceit, stained by the Presidential and Congressional approval of torture and use of criminal mercenaries, could ever be anything but a hollow victory...a lie as self-serving as the ones that destroyed America''s reputation and looted our coffers.

[riddelup-2009]

When Hitler blitzed through Poland his supporters proclaimed success and victory. The invasion of Iraq was wrong as was the invasion of Poland. However both were successful. There is no doubt the strongest Nation of the world can and did invade a small country successfully. I would have never thought we would against seek to test our military might against a country much smaller than we are. We learned nothing from Vietnam. Iraq was never a threat to us and never threatened us yet we invaded Iraq and caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of their citizens. Yes the surge was successful. We should try it in Chicago, Atlanta or even in our nation''s capital.
riddelup 2:41 PM

[david1737]

McCain lost me last year when he lied about the situation in a Bahgdad market in which he took a walk through.

The market was described as being %u201Clike a normal outdoor market in Indiana." When in fact, McCain had to be protected by more than 100 soldiers in armored Humvees, with attack helicopters circling over head, and snipers on the roof tops near by.

Bottom line McCain can''t be trusted, especially in respects to his depiction of the situation in Iraq.

[zerato-2009]

"There''s no doubt in my mind that we will prevail and there''s no doubt in my mind, once these people are gone, that we will be welcomed as liberators." John mccain on the Iraq war, "Hardball" interview, March 24, 2003

So John, you were right? Where are those liberation parties the last 5 1/2 years?

[mbcsmith]

Had Nobama had his way, Iraq would still be suffering daily death counts. Mccain called for the surge long before it happened. It certainly appears McCain was right and Nobama was wrong. Nobama is still blowing in the political winds.

Perhaps McCain lives in an alternative universe where " he has been consistently right on both Iraq and Afghanistan while Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama "has been completely wrong." "

Projection ... a bad thing in a politician.

[david1737]

With respects to Iraq McCain has no clue.

"I can look you in the eye and say we''ve made progress in Iraq. We''ve drawn down troops to pre-sugre levels."

When in fact at the time levels were 22,000 above pre-surge levels.

[talkingham]

No stupid, if Obama had had his way we would have never had a president who lied us into this "war" that is going to cost us more than a trillions dollars Idiot!

[mbcsmith]

Bottom line McCain can''''t be trusted, especially in respects to his depiction of the situation in Iraq.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by david1737 at 03:31 PM : Jul 21, 2008



The fact that the cowardly Nobama is there means that Mccains depiction is accurate.

[david1737]

With respects to Iraq McCain has no clue.

"I can look you in the eye and say we''ve made progress in Iraq. We''ve drawn down troops to pre-sugre levels."

When in fact at the time levels were 22,000 above pre-surge levels.

[mbcsmith]

"I can look you in the eye and say we''''ve made progress in Iraq. We''''ve drawn down troops to pre-sugre levels."

When in fact at the time levels were 22,000 above pre-surge levels.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by david1737 at 03:36 PM : Jul 21, 2008



Please LIB, offer up some proof.

[mbcsmith]

Nobama hasn''t got a clue how to defend this country!

McCain position on the War will cost him the election. The "Obama Express" moves on.

[six-six-seis]

MacSame, ive been right all along even after i flip flopped ,
Daddy sHRUB says so....

[mcvet]

The fact that the cowardly Nobama is there means that Mccains depiction is accurate.

Posted by mbcsmith at 03:35 PM : Jul 21, 2008

Now I know you fascist are grasping at straws but this one you got to explain to me!! IF we follow Obama, IF we have a leader with HIS judgement INSTEAD of Bush, we have over 4000 of our troops alive and Bin Laden Dead. YOU fascist DO remember him don''t you?? Now I know in Swastika Land Bin Laden is in Iraq but in the REAL World it''s Pakistan!! SIEG HEIL McSAME!!

[david1737]

McCain is wrong on Iraq.

McCain quote:

%u201CAl Qaeda is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran.%u201D

McCain doesn''t know that Iran is Shia and Al-Qaeda is Sunni!

In this instance Joe Lieberman had to lean over to correct McCain, this is dangerous.

[david1737]

"I can look you in the eye and say we''''''''ve made progress in Iraq. We''''''''ve drawn down troops to pre-sugre levels."

When in fact at the time levels were 22,000 above pre-surge levels.



-------------------------
----------------------------------------
---------------

Posted by david1737 at 03:36 PM : Jul 21, 2008



Please LIB, offer up some proof.

Posted by mbcsmith at 03:37 PM


I guess that you don''t bother with any media at all?

Do you read, watch Television, check any major internet news? You must you''re on line right now.

If you need me to hold your hand or just find the major news stories for you I will, just give me a minute.

[macusweil]

The surge was not a bad idea it just did not do very much to stabilize the situation.

Things got better on the ground when the US started paying to Shiites not to attack us.

This is something we could have done day one by not disbanding the the whole Iraqi military and putting all these terrorists on the streets. Bush is an idiot and handled the whole invasion poorly. McCain has that part right.

With the greatest military on earth it should not even be an issue almost six years later. Give a NASCAR to a kid with a learner''s permit and see if he makes it around one lap, that''s Bush Jr.

[whitemale08]

We''ve heard this over and over again that "we''ve turn the corner" "this time there''s reconciliation" "this time the surge is working".

At some point you have to say "time''s up" pack up and go home. Enough people have died, you should''ve never went in the first place.

And you can''t keep 147,000 troops in Iraq indefinitely.

Mark my words: "When they move some of these troops to Afganistan, you''re going to hear all kinds of reports of more car bombings troops being killed and you''re back at square one."

Quit trying to "save face for George Bush" he''s a failure....Admit it!!!

[mbcsmith]

Please LIB, offer up some proof.

Posted by mbcsmith at 03:37 PM


I guess that you don''''t bother with any media at all?

Do you read, watch Television, check any major internet news? You must you''''re on line right now.

If you need me to hold your hand or just find the major news stories for you I will, just give me a minute.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by david1737 at 03:51 PM : Jul 21, 2008



Just as I thought. More LIB LIES!

[mbcsmith]

Now I know you fascist are grasping at straws but this one you got to explain to me!! IF we follow Obama, IF we have a leader with HIS judgement INSTEAD of Bush, we have over 4000 of our troops alive and Bin Laden Dead. YOU fascist DO remember him don''''t you?? Now I know in Swastika Land Bin Laden is in Iraq but in the REAL World it''''s Pakistan!! SIEG HEIL McSAME!!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by MCVet at 03:47 PM : Jul 21, 2008




Aparrently, the Hitler youth support Nobama.

[briannorwood]

Grandpa says Obama is completely wrong about Iraq?


Right. We don''t need a withdrawal timetable. What we really need is a "horizon timeline".

Oooh Johnny, you so smart!

[whitemale08]

And another thing...

Quit trying to call these sock puppets leaders, ok. They''re not. They''re just sock puppets with no legitimate power over anybody. I have yet to see any of these puppets walk around outside the Green Zone with no body armor on and tons of body guards.

Obama couldn''t walk around Iraq outside the Green Zone like he could in a regular city here in the States.

That''s all the evidence McCain needs to know that surge has failed and he was wrong been wrong and is wrong.

So quit trying to repeat his full name over over again as if that adds legitimacy and just call Saddam they''re leader until the troops leave and they can decide once and for all if they want Maliki.

[hasher47]

The %u201CSurge%u201D
Although I am very happy that violence for both our troops and Iraqi civilians is down, I am not sure it was totally as the result of the additional troops. According to 2 Iraqi Parliament members speaking at a House Foreign Affairs Sub Committee meeting, they attribute the decease in violence to Tribal Chief militias going after Al Quaedi terrorists.
Ref: http://c-span.org/search.aspx?For=iraq+parliment&By=Relv
House Foreign Affairs Subcmte. Hearing with Iraqi Parliament Members
Sunday, June 8, 2008 : Washington, DC : 2 hr. 55 min.

However, as everyone remembers, the Surge wasn%u2019t about decreasing the level of violence. The mandate of the Surge was to provide security while the Iraqi government reached political agreements, most of which have now been accomplished.

I would argue that it has been Barack Obama%u2019s tough talk about pulling our troops out that has FINALLY forced the Iraqi%u2019s to reach political reconciliation.

[chrisl45]

Obama this is all that I got to say to you "THOSE WHO CAN DO, THOSE WHO CANNOT DO TEACH". You are and always will be the teacher of minorities (even radical islamists) at law school.

[david1737]

McCain gets it wrong on Iraq again.

McCain quote:

"I can look you in the eye and say we''ve made progress in Iraq. We''ve drawn down troops to pre-sugre levels."

McCain 5-30-08

When in fact we remain 22,000 above pre-surge levels.

[beehive21-2009]

McCain, must be from another planet,heard he is computer illiterate ,how''s going to communicate with the World and staff.Anyone in this day in age that cannot email,log on and pay a bill,we do not want, your lost in space,like not being able too read.Hey, Big Oil ,see you presented this article, sorry your going too lose the white house.We know you can''t complain, Big oil, already destroyed the country.

[element51]

MCVet....I''m a little confused by your last two posts. In one you call Obama a "pretender" and in the next one you seem to support Obama. Could you please clarify this for me? Thanks.

[david1737]

McCain gets it wrong on Iraq again.

McCain quote:

"I can look you in the eye and say we''''ve made progress in Iraq. We''''ve drawn down troops to pre-sugre levels."

McCain 5-30-08

When in fact we remain 22,000 above pre-surge levels.

[hasher47]

Be careful, Element51!
there''s a McVet, and than there''s McVet''s EVIL TWIN McVet-(dash) :-)

[david1737]

McCain''s basic lack of understanding about the situation in Iraq and on the economy automatically disqualify him from being Presidential material.

McCain quotes:


"I can look you in the eye and say we''ve made progress in Iraq. We''ve drawn down troops to pre-sugre levels."

McCain 5-30-08

When in fact we remain 22,000 above pre-surge levels.



%u201CAl Qaeda is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran.%u201D


McCain doesn''t know that Iran is Shia and Al-Qaeda is Sunni.

[david1737]

Where did mbcsmith go?

Did he finally decide to register Democrat?

Or perhaps do a little research, then register Dem?

Either way someday mbcsmith will come to his senses and stop accusing others of lying.

[david1737]

McCain lost me last year when he LIED about the situation in a Bahgdad market in which he took a walk through.

The market was described as being %u201Clike a normal outdoor market in Indiana." When in fact, McCain had to be protected by more than 100 soldiers in armored Humvees, with attack helicopters circling over head, and snipers on the roof tops near by.

Bottom line McCain can''t be trusted, especially in respects to his depiction of the situation in Iraq.

[noprejudice]

Let''s face it. at some point in our lives, our minds begin to deteriorate. do you accept the judgment of someone elderly without considering the normal physiological process, & when this someone just keeps touting ''war'', despite what everyone else says, further consideration into this ''judgment'' should definitely take place!

[david1737]

Look I''ve got more important things to do than prove that McCain''s not qualified. If you don''t get it by now than you deserve more of the McSame failures of the past nearly 8 yrs.

Remember this in the words of McCain''s foremost economic guru Phil Gramm (who by the way is responsible for the Subprime debacle):

"America is just a nation of whiners."
-Phil Gramm

[macusweil]

As I said earlier with the greatest military on earth this should not even be an debate after almost six years of conflict.

Any president with half a brain would have gone in and focused on nothing but winning. It should have been a 6 month mop up operation.

Bush did the opposite, rather his team set about putting in place a GOP insider''s gravy train. No-bid contracts to Republican cronies with no experience put in charge of everything. For that we get defective wiring, poor sanitation for our GIs and failed infrastructure projects everywhere all at tax payer expense.

It was just to BIG a money grab for them to worry about winning or establishing lasting peace.

Give the top NASCAR on the circuit to a kid without a learner''s permit and see if he makes it around one lap, that''s Bush Jr alright.

[noprejudice]

that''s right. mccain wants to continue the empirialist grab-bagging that Bush did so well. hard to hear that his opinion is not the most solicited at this point!

[medmom04]

Bored! boring old McCain! give me a break. all i hear is silly ''he did'' and ''he said'' but personally, NOT A CLUE on current issues and what matters today. Health insurance? Birth control? Cultural education? oooooo so much to be proud of.... nice, repub party! way to represent!

[dnsallday]

It''''s interesting to note that the elder Bush refrained from showing any support for McCain''''s position other than a vague positive. Perhaps this is because he joined forces with Bill Clinton after realizing that that diplomacy speaks louder than bombs....

Posted by raflin1 at 03:32 PM : Jul 21, 2008
********************************************************* Poppy Bush is going to be voting for Obama, along with Jenna and Barbara Bush, Laura Bush, Condi Rice and Colin Powell.

[alohaone1]

if it was not for Bush courage under fire , we would have seen a ton of headlines regarding Irag right now . Instead of talking about coming home in honor , American troops would be evacuated from roof-tops like in Vietnam . Fact is , Obama and his Dems. cronies have been totally wrong about the Surge . If they got their wish , we would have a giant disaster right now . They were wrong because they do not have the GUT to go with the difficult decision when things got tough , and now , as their mistake and misjudgements have become obvious, they still Do NOT have the GUT to admit that they had been wrong about the cut-and-run policy . Guess what , it will come back and bite them in the coming months . Just like Obama did not have the GUT to admit to his bad judgement in the relationship with Wright only to be forced to dumped the guy at the end , The whole nation will see the real Obama come NOvember . Obama must not win , or when face with tough decision , he will fail again . And we all know about his judgements with friends like Wright , FAther Pflaiger, Bill Ayers and the 20 years sitting in a racist church in Chicago....

[broadwayphi]

Right from the beginning, my friend?

Up your meds.

[endofempire]

david1737: Iran will train anyone willing to inflict losses on the infidels. We should not call Muslims murderous, for they are only following their manual, the holy Quran...

[jlagat]

-"When you win wars, troops come home," McCain said.

According to that statement, we came home from Vietnam with a ''win''.

-As to Iraq, "We''ve succeeded. We''re not succeeding, we''ve succeeded," McCain said later at a fundraiser.

Then based on the first statement, since we have succeeded, troops should be coming home.

Before, I saw McCain as a not-so-typical cookie-cutter Republican. However, sadly, he''s becoming more and more like his ignorant, double-talking neocon counterparts everyday. A pity, I was hoping for a difficult decision this November.

[realpatriot1]

alohaone,

They don''t evacuate troops from rooftops anymore. They evacuate them through southern Iraq to Kuwait.

Obama was right when he said that the surge would increase sectarian violence..it did initially.

He was also correct when he argued against sending our troops into Iraq in the first place. There''s no doubt that our troops have done a remarkable job of fulfilling the Mission they were given, but the Mission itself has not done anything to improve our position in the battle against those who actually attacked us. In fact, taking our eye off Afghanistan has allowed the Jihadists to come back from the dead.

There''s honor for our troops, but where''s the honor for our leadership in that?

[alohaone1]

Being old is not so bad , your grandparents and parents have been there . Mc Cain with his experience , at 72 years of age , has shown judgements surpassing Obama and the rest of the Dems party in supporting the Surge in Iraq even before Bush came up with the Surge . That is something AGE has advantage over YOUTH . A guy who has been around know a thing or two that a Junior senator does not to make up for his age . Ronald Reagan was about Mc Cain''s age when the took down the Soviet Union against the more youthful Govbachev ! So , you may me stronger than your parents and your grandparents , you may not be HALF AS WISE AS THEM . Youth is a double-edged sword as it comes with Inexperience and Arrogance , especially when one is the president of the most powerful nation on earth , Muscle is not something that is needed in daily decision-making anyway . Any concern with Mc cain age should be put to rest with the fact that he has a clean bill of health and that his Mom IS WELL AND HEALTHY AT 92 YEARS OLD , It is in the GENE !

[alohaone1]

Posted by realpatriot1 at 04:50 PM : Jul 21, 2008

Realpariot1 , you crack me up big time , mate . Yes , we would be forced to evacuate on roof-top if the enemies is shooting at our retreating army left and right . Southern Iraq To KUWAIT? are you kidding me ? how do you think we got our embassy''s people out of Vietnam ? Why do you think the BEst ARMY in the world lost in Vietnam , it was not the fault of the trooop , it is with the guy at the TOP! If Bush made the wrong decision back then , we would be seeing a dramatically different picture today of Iraq . It does not matter how strong the ARmy is , if the GEneral is incompetent , it is useless and doom to fail , this is History 101! Thank God it was Bush who made the decision regarding Iraq ayear ago and not OBAMA or any DEms. Mc Cain will have the experience and courage to do the same when face with a difficult situation and NOT OBAMA ...

[oneamerican-]

Barack Obama views, before the surge:

%u201CI am not persuaded that 20,000 additional troops in Iraq is going to solve the sectarian violence there. In fact, I think it will do the reverse.%u201D

Barack Obama
January 10, 2007

[minuteman247]

mccain is another puppet, but who''s controlling him? daddy bush?

[minuteman247]

hey in this picture mccain looks older that bush senior!!