McCain unwilling to accept reality

[ninjadude]

McCain: US winning in Iraq

By BRIAN SCHEID

Bucks County Courier Times

Sen. John McCain said that he is willing to stake his presidential campaign, as well as his political career, on his support for the war in Iraq.

In an interview with reporters on the back of his campaign bus, the “Straight Talk Express” Monday afternoon, McCain said that even in retrospect he would still have voted to authorize the war, as he did in 2002.

“I think there's no question,” said the Republican's likely presidential nominee. “I owe too much to these young people who are serving there to let political considerations interfere with what I know is right.

“I believe the American people, over time, will side with me, but if they don't I'll accept that,” he said. “I'd much rather lose a political campaign than lose a war.”

source

- the war is a clear difference. McCain wants to continue Bush's failed unpopular and expensive policy, lock, stock and barrel. Obama does not.

[__Kratos__]

McCain said that even in retrospect he would still have voted to authorize the war, as he did in 2002.

Wow.

Obama does not.

He's voted to fund the wars going on as well. Even if he's elected president, Iraq isn't going to reset to the beginning of 2003 like some video game and still will require managing. What's he going to do then?

Edited July 2, 2008 by __Kratos__

[ninjadude]

He's voted to fund the wars going on as well. Even if he's elected president, Iraq isn't going to reset to the beginning of 2003 like some video game and still will require managing. What's he going to do then?

First of all, not taking responsibility for a wrong decision is much different than having to deal with the aftermath. Obama has already said. There would be a withdrawal. McCain supports its continuation. No one said anything about a "reset". The current "predictions" of calamity after leaving come from the same liars that put us there. McCain has a track record of not owning up to his own mistakes, and fully supporting continuation of the failed war policy. Here is Obama's position:

Plan for Ending the War in Iraq

“But conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war. The pundits judged the political winds to be blowing in the direction of the President. Despite - or perhaps because of how much experience they had in Washington, too many politicians feared looking weak and failed to ask hard questions. Too many took the President at his word instead of reading the intelligence for themselves. Congress gave the President the authority to go to war. Our only opportunity to stop the war was lost.

I made a different judgment. I thought our priority had to be finishing the fight in Afghanistan. I spoke out against what I called 'a rash war' in Iraq. I worried about, ‘an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.’ The full accounting of those costs and consequences will only be known to history. But the picture is beginning to come into focus.”

—Barack Obama, Clinton, Iowa, September 12, 200

Judgment You Can Trust

As a candidate for the United States Senate in 2002, Obama put his political career on the line to oppose going to war in Iraq, and warned of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” Obama has been a consistent, principled and vocal opponent of the war in Iraq.

* In 2003 and 2004, he spoke out against the war on the campaign trail;

* In 2005, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops;

* In 2006, he called for a timetable to remove our troops, a political solution within Iraq, and aggressive diplomacy with all of Iraq’s neighbors;

* In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008.

* In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as president.

Bringing Our Troops Home

Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

Press Iraq’s Leaders to Reconcile

The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq’s Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.

Regional Diplomacy

Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction.

Humanitarian Initiative

Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis — two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven.

source

The difference is clear and stark. Here is McCain's position.

John McCain believes it is strategically and morally essential for the United States to support the Government of Iraq to become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people. He strongly disagrees with those who advocate withdrawing American troops before that has occurred.

source

[__Kratos__]

diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq

"capable of governing itself"

Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis

"safeguarding its people"

The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving.

"withdrawing American troops before that has occurred."

John McCain believes it is strategically and morally essential for the United States to support the Government of Iraq to become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people. He strongly disagrees with those who advocate withdrawing American troops before that has occurred.

Interesting...

Both of them want troops out of Iraq. One wants to own up to our mistakes and our trashing of Iraq and one does not.

[bathory]

remeber guys, Obama advocated withdrawing combat troops while the surge and awakening was going into effect.

If obama had his way, Iraq would still be like it wwas in 2006

[questionmark]

As I said: Dubya reloaded... love to be right most of the time...

[Bill Hill]

The question is though, can McCain survive C*@*tgate?

[__Kratos__]

The question is though, can McCain survive C*@*tgate?

Is there any evidence to that claim?