Political Punch

We now know that 'swiftboating' means telling the truth!!

General McPeak (Obama adviser) was the first one to use the phrase 100 years that's probabaly where McCain got it......General Wes Clark (Hillary adviser) has always said that McPeak and McCain just don't understand the region...it's our presence there that has created this war.

This is different than Germany or Korea where our presence was to maintain the peace against an identifiable enemy. In Iraq we have rallied an enemy that was not armed or committed to fight us until we presented ourselves.

There's a reason Republicans have been in power so long....it took a centrist like Clinton to break up their streak...and Clinton got a lot accomplished in his 8 years....the whole time they were trying to bring him down. His sex life didn't help...but his record of accomplishment was not his morality.

These guys can't wait to get their hands on Obama...Obama may compare himself to the Kennedys but his experience does not compare. And I for one don't believe that he could stand up to a Republican attack (swiftboat) if he couldn't make a difference in his own church.

Hillary may not have changed Walmart completely but she did make a difference there.

I don't trust Obama's handlers to withstand the Republicans because they are by and large the same Senators that haven't been able to shake any of their policies through the Republican controlled Senate.re

What a great campaign tactic....First we have just watched the presurge troops leave (set for July 08) Then in September Bush pulls out a few more brigades....leaving the next President with 50% of the forces....Maybe around 80,000.............Now Obama and Hillary are faced with a delimna and McCain says "We're winning I want to work with the military to keep an orderly transition"

No Iraq as an issue....How's McCain on the economy again?

@MI guy

Thanks for the answer to my post that was apparently removed. Seems to me the difference with OPEC is that it's a business enterprise rather than motivated by religion. I think OBL would be much harder to deal with than the Saudis.

I think we ought to drill our own oil and get nuclear power going again and anything else we can think so we won't be dependent on people who hate us.

I agree that China is a big problem. In fact, we've got lots of problems and we've probably only begun. Being self sufficient in energy should be of the highest priority.

@SuziQ:

The Middle East has a caliphate - it's called OPEC. They can turn off the spigot anytime - were you around in the 70's? Going to Iraq has done nothing to make our oil any safer - perhaps you haven't noticed but the price of oil has actually trebled since the invasion. And like it or not, it is not OUR oil - it is THEIRS. Our dependence on it is OUR peril. It turns out, though, that the rest of the world needs OUR food. And we used to make a lot of it, give it out cheaply, and make a lot of friends and money in the process. That is, until we became so silly as to waste it making biofuels.

Something even scarier? How about China not buying our T-bills? There is a reason we are holding our criticism of them; our economy would go POP, BANG, KERPLOOIE without them propping up our economy. If we don't stop spending so much money we don't have, we'll all be billionaires and won't be able to afford a loaf of bread.

Not sure what the point of Iran is that you are making? What is the solution that you propose? Sitting in Iraq waiting for them to make nukes so that they can hit our soldiers easier? Invade Iran? Bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran?

Look, the Iraq war was like the new house people bought 5 years ago. Now the mortgage is readjusting and we can't afford it. What do we do, sit in the house until we're bankrupt and foreclosed upon? How about figuring a way out. Now I don't expect Senator McCain to understand this, because he doesn't understand the mortgage crisis either.

I'm not saying don't vote for John McCain for President. He's a nice enough guy. But fiscal conservatives are against him for a reason and the economy is not a strong issue for him (in his own words). I think he has integrity, but his first wife would beg to differ. I thought he was a 'maverick' (and he had my vote in 2000) until he recently started playing footsies with George Bush. I think the majority of people want the next President to clean house of Bush/Cheney cronies. I used to think McCain was the man but now I'm not sure. I want him to have a clean break with the Bush/Cheney policies and he needs more than innuendo to convince me.

let's completely withdraw from iraq and ignore iran's growing influence in that country and iran's desire to develop nuclear weapons.

"Still in Japan? Check.
Still in Germany? Check.
Still in Korea? Check.

This is what McCain meant" HoosierSue

There's a significant difference. The people around those bases were in acceptance of the US being around – at least to the degree that they weren’t flying airplanes into office buildings, etc.

Bin Laden took out the WTCs because his people don't like the US on Arab soil, interfering with their sovereignty and security, etc. If US troops remain on Arab soil in Iraq for the next 100 years, there’s a darn good chance that you and your kids can look forward to suicide bombers for the next 100 years. That’s the problem.

Rarely in history have we seen guerrilla warfare defeated. When it has been, they’ve tended to lack the will and the means. If the suicide attacks haven’t been an indication of the Arab will, all one has to do is consider their resolve over Israel to get some sense of how determined they are.

Guerrilla warfare defeated the US in Vietnam. It defeated the Soviets in Afghanistan. It’s still very much in the fight in Afghanistan against the US and it will continue to be the major problem in Iraq as long as the US troops remain there.

Vanessa

Obviously you're stating something you heard -- not something that McCain said. Like Obama, you snip a sentence out of a paragraph and pretend the rest wasn't said. You and Obama are two peas in a pod.

Actually, Harry Reid's description was completely accurate.

Well that would be the first time. Can you blame anyone for being confused?

@ MIGUY

IRAN IS DEVELOPING NUCLEAR WEAPONS!

IT WAS IN THE NEWS YESTERDAY!

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is going to have nuclear weapons.

Don't we have to vote for Obama, what with affirmative action and all? Or does he just get spotted a few million votes?

Hit the nail on the head, RonPaulSupporter - I don't understand why people just don't look at the numbers...

Republicans know this will be a key phrase Obama and other Democrats will use in GE

They want to down play it

It won't happen

I saw the footage and this was exactly want he said

America can stay in America for as long as 50 or 100 years

@JOHN C:

Iran will not invade Iraq - they are not interested in a regional war. They do not have nuclear weapons. They do not have ballistic missiles capable of reaching us here.

Even if we wanted to protect the border of Iran/Iraq we do not have the money or the troops to do it. And by the way, we would have to protect the border of Iraq/Syria at the same time and we can't do that either. And by the way, we'll have to interject ourselves between the Turks and the Kurds and we can't do that either. Don't believe me? Why don't you go pay a visit there and see for yourself? Might as well drop by Gaza and see the hell the Palestinians are living in. And go through Israel and see the folks worrying about getting blown up by a suicide bomber.

We have the greatest military and troops and country on this planet. The fallacy in this is thinking that our troops haven't done their job - they have. The solution at this point is not the military.

@ AkaDad

and Obama tells Mississippians they are getting HOODWINKED.

Bush jokes about missing WMD's, Hillary jokes about sniper fire, and McCain jokes about bombing Iran.

It's time for a change.

Is there any greater joy than watching republicans spin themselves into supporting John McCain? A man they have spit at for 8 years?

So fun to watch the acrobatics.

Hillary does need to drop out......her stay in is hurting the nominee (OBAMA) by HIGHLIGHTING HIS SHORTCOMINGS!

McCain hates war.

McCain has a son who just came back from a seven month tour in iraq as a marine in anbar province. He found out McCain won New Hampshire when he was digging his truck out of a ditch. He enlisted at 17.

McCain saw how it affected his wife to have a son deployed. His wife kept a cellphone taped to her wrist and kept the emotions inside until she cried when he came home.

McCain said he will turn over the areas to the iraqis and bring our troops home with honor.

Enough of the smearing of McCain.

McCain's family sacrifices and they get smeared by the Clinton's who have never served and the Obama's who have never served or Dean who had a back back and went sking in colorodo during his youth.

Hillary is real presidential she said she tried to be a marine now Bill is saying she tried to join the army. The Clintons can't keep their lies straight. It was really a test against the recruitment office to see if they were biased against feminism. Is that who you want as CIC?

McCain voted against keeping our troops in Lebanon.

McCain wants to close gitmo.

McCain's foreign policy is like Bush Sr.

The media is lying to portray him as a warmongering neocon which he isn't because they know the real mccain is very attractive to independents so they have to lie about him.

You know McCain is the real deal when the Howard Dean's of the world are distorting him.

Dean used to use McCain to argue against bush now is saying he is like Bush. The dems attacks are juvenile.

McCain passed the tests to become a pilot. The Navy is also elite.

McCain's son is at the navy academy and has a 3.0 grade point average.

He is in the bottom ten percent in his class with a 3.0.

@smartprimate

I thought Republicans were the blood and guts, take no prisoners party... but those Obamatrons and Clintonistas are ripping each other to shreds.
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Yes, Republicans are so lucky to have found the perfect man to represent them, and America, so early in the election year.

Ken McCain's IQ was tested at 133 in the Navy. Top 2 percent. It was tested when he was an adult not a teenager at the navy academy.

Clinton failed her DC Bar Exam.

Obama went to a junior college then got into columbia because of affirmative action.

Obama got b's at columbia and only got into harvard because of affirmative action.

Maritza McCain was talking about a post combat presence.

McCain said before the quote that he would withdraw troops and the iraqis would deal with the insurgency. The media rarely plays that part.

McCain says its a matter of casualties iraqis would be patrolling the roads and dealing with the insurgency.

Obama and Clinton will have the troops guarding our embassy. They will take rocket fire from sadr city and obama or clinton will have such weak rules of engagement they won't be able to fire on the rocket squads.

Who will guard the supply lines to the embassy.

McCain is the only one to responsibly withdraw by turning over the areas to the iraqis and coming home.

McCain is the only honest one. McCain knows counter insurgency strategy. Train iraqis, turn it over and come home.

McCain will allow for air cover to protect our troops at the embassy and going after al queda.

With Obama and Clinton they will have weak rules of engagement.

Clinton will leave troops there with no contractors supplying them. Who will deliver the supplies and guard the supply lines.

Only McCain can unify the country with a responsible withdraw. It is like Nixon going to China.

McCain will be a historic president. He has great leadership qualities.

McCain is the one who lead the investigation against abramoff.

@ ken

i don't know about you, but i rather have the top ten percent of the graduating class finding cures for incurable diseases than becoming the President or politicians!

My friends,

John McCain finished 894th out of 899 in his graduating class.

So there you go.

@ MOXO

I DON'T KNOW.

SOUNDS LIKE A PROBLEM FOR AN OBAMA SUPPORT AND I'M NOT AN OBAMA SUPPORTER.

The accurate title is "Media Spins McCain's "100 Years" Comment to the extreme

Clinton and Obama aren't being honest their advisors said you can't determine troop presence until they know the conditions on the ground after taking over.

@John C.

Why is Obama backer Jimmy Carter meeting with Hamas?

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Why did Reagan sell arms to our enemy Iran?

Obama advisor said he would leave 60,000 to 80,000 troops.

Clinton and Obama said they will leave troops for the embassy and to go after al queda.

Clinton said she would leave troops as a buffer with Iran.

You need troops to guard the supply lines.

@ MIGuy

and Iran is looking for any reason to nuke America and Israel off the maps. If we strike them for invading Iraq what exactly will they do?

Jackt51,
I think the imminent civil war that we will see in Iraq may make Viet Nam pale in comparison, in terms of civilian lives lost. I expect that the Shi-ites will attempt an extermination of the Sunnis, and vice versa. We've shown that we don't have the resources to fund this forever, our country is teetering on bankruptcy. The civil war is inevitable, but most likely countries like Saudi Arabia will step in and take responsibility. They have the moral authority that we lack. That's to our advantage.
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Hillary-draw down starting in 60 days
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To John, that is coming from someone from the new yorker.

John the media isn't showing the part of the back and forth.

McCain went to 101 town hall meetings. He opens himself up to access and back and forth with voters.

It was an anti war protestor looking to distort mccain.

McCain in the conversation said he would withdraw our troops and let the iraqis deal with the insurgency.

The media never plays that portion of McCain saying he will turn over areas to the iraqis and they will deal with the insurgency.

Obama said he would invade pakistan. That is his policy. Lets discuss that.

Lets discuss policies not distorted soundbites which are not policies.

@ Moxo

NO.

American needs to retain a presence in Iraq like it has done in other countries.

Is Obama going withdraw ALL troops or leave a presence? I think he will do the latter.

Iran already has an influential presence in Iraq. When the US leaves, Iran will just increase their presence and power.

Why is Obama backer Jimmy Carter meeting with Hamas?

@ John C

Guess what? As soon as we totally withdraw from Iraq what will happen? Iran will invade.
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So instead of the Iraqi Military defending Iraq from Iran, as they did in the 1980's, the US Military will??

Instead of Iraqis dying for Iraq, Americans will die for Iraq?

@ MIguy

As soon as we leave Iraq, Iran will invade.

That seems like a border that needs to be protected.

@JOHN C:

No offense, but do you realize that a Shiite country invading Iraq would be met with unification of the mostly Sunni Arabs of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia (as well as the bombs of the US) to counter them? Even Israel might be part of such a "coalition of the willing". No, Iran is better off with its insurgencies with Hamas, Hezbollah and Sadrists. They're not stupid, they know the US and Israel are looking for any reason to bomb them.

Okay, here is the problem folks: Iraq is not Germany, Japan or Korea.

Let's go one by one:

1. Germany- There was a clear need and clear border (i.e. East Germany) to defend.
2. Korea- See above:
3. Japan- We actually had a plan to rebuild the country and the country surrendered. We weren't caught in the middle of religious strife / civil war.

No, the reason for the troops has nothing to do with Iraq. It has to do with Iran and Syria. The problem is that we cannot afford the war with either men/women or money. How do those of you who think this is possible plan on securing two borders against unfriendly nations as well as the non-border of those willing to martyr themselves against us?

The best course is to actually define a useful endpoint for Iraq. Yes, maybe they want us to keep a base out there but maybe not (look at our friends, the Saudis). If Senator McCain can't define victory, here's a start: 1. Food, 2. Water, 3. Safety, 4. Electricity, 5. A semblance of government. The last must occur for us to have any success and there are no amount of troops, bullets, or guns that will accomplish that task for us. Hence Senator McCain's problem: he seems to think the military can solve a diplomatic problem.

@ Maritza

Guess what? As soon as we totally withdraw from Iraq what will happen? Iran will invade.

McCain will protect our troops guarding the embassy against rocket fire from sadr forces. Obama and Hillary will leave them as sitting ducks. McCain will allow the military to fire at the rocket squads from sadr city.

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Jason - considering that the Green Zone has been under attack recently by Sadr's militia, are you saying that Mr. Bush is not protecting our diplomats in the zone?

John,

As long as Obama doesn't say 100 year "war" he is FINE and I am sure that he won't say that again.

All he has to say is what Josh Marshall says that Dems should say when talking about McCain: "John McCain says he'd be happy to see our troops in Iraq for another hundred years. I just can't agree with that".

I agree with Josh Marshall. KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

BKMC,
I have no objection to maintaining a military presence 100 years in Iraq if that's what the public sentiment is.

I do object to Obama's characterization of it as a 100 years of war. That's just stupid.

I concur with Hillary's approach to start drawing down troops within 60 days. She and McCain are the only ones playing it straight here, it's just a matter of who can sell their plan.
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Hillary - out of Iraq starting in 60 days!
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@ JOHN

you're misrepresenting his quote.

you're obviously supporting Obama.

Obama and Hillary both said they will have u.s troops guarding our embassy.

We will always have a presence in Iraq with our troops guarding the embassy.

Obama and Hillary said they will leave troops going after al queda and hillary said as a buffer against iran.

McCain said he will withdraw troops responsibly by turning over areas to the iraqis.

McCain will leave it to the iraqis to deal with the insurgency.

Obama and Hillary will still be viewed by iraqis as occupiers with them leaving troops in the green zone.

McCain was talking about training iraqis long term. He said iraqis would be patrolling and dealing with the insurgency. We will be training iraqi air force pilots and patrolling iraq long term from the air.

McCain said he would work out an aggreement with the new iraqi government.

McCain said the training could even happen outside the country.

Earth to the dems no president can run for more than 8 years.

Hillary and Obama will both keep troops in iraq.

McPeak Obama's top military advisor said we could be in Iraq for a century and it could be like south korea if we get it right.

McCain will protect our troops guarding the embassy against rocket fire from sadr forces. Obama and Hillary will leave them as sitting ducks. McCain will allow the military to fire at the rocket squads from sadr city.

McCain will have schwarzkopf as secretary of defense while Obama will have McPeak.

Moxo

Now, try to read the future instead of mumbling irrelevant things about the past. Tell us, Mr. Wizard, how many troops will be killed in Iraq after the war has run its course.

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S - if my "mumbling irrelevant things about the past" is so wrong, then why do so many supporters of the Iraq Quagmire and McCain's "100 Years Occupation" keep pointing out that we still have troops in Germany, Japan, South Korea and Bosnia?

Interesting thought process, jackt51

Everytime I think of VietNam I think of the millions that died in Cambodia and Laos and Viet Nam after we left.

And the 55,ooo we lost

I still don't see how Obama's criticisms are unfair. McCain's position boils down to this, as written by someone who actually witnessed his 100 years remark:

"You have to hand it to McCain. It's impossible to imagine any of the other Republicans engaging in this kind of extended conversation with a citizen. There was more real debate in this exchange than in any of the so-called real debates.

But what the context shows, I think, is that yanking that sound bite out of context isn’t really all that unfair. McCain's wants to stay in Iraq until no more Americans are getting killed, no matter how long it takes and how many Americans get killed achieving that goal—that is, the goal of not getting any more Americans killed. And once that goal is achieved, we'll stay."

Harry and Obama...keep on saying it....HE SAID IT...100 Years!!! 100 Years!! 100 Years!!!!!

@ Maritza

But Obama misconstrued and misrepresented McCain's quote. Obama said McCain wanted 100 years of combat, which he does NOT. Obama & McCain both know even after withdrawal there will need to be a US presence in Iraq to help keep the peace or else Iraq will go into chaos with sectarian violence and Al-Qaeda taking over.

This adminstration is just like the Vietnam government in the 70's. They'd be happy to fight all these wars down to the last American. They're so giddy in fact, that they're running to star another one in IRAN. Just to make more money off of the sacrifices of our sons and daughters. And not even the democratrs are willing to stand in the way. The system is broken. And we'll all have to pay the price, either with our money or our children. Forgive me, if I tend to think the "reward" is NOT worth the price.

There is a DIFFERENCE between Japan, Germany, Korea.

Iraq is a ISLAMIC country. Also, we just CAN'T afford to do that unless we have a draft.

Moxo

Now, try to read the future instead of mumbling irrelevant things about the past. Tell us, Mr. Wizard, how many troops will be killed in Iraq after the war has run its course.

The Republicans CAN'T spin this one.

McCain said he would be "happy" to have the troops in Iraq for a hundred years.

everytime i think of Vietnam i think of John McCain's time as a p.o.w and his experience so I should vote for him over someone with half promises and who attacks his rivals by mislabeling them like Obama does.

How many US troops have been killed by Germans since the winning of WW2/Occupation of Germany?

How many US troops have been killed by Japanese since the winning of WW2/Occupation of Japan?

How many US troops have been killed by Koreans since the Cease Fire was instigated/Occupation of South Korea?

How many US troops have been killed by Iraquis since the Victory in Iraq/Occupation of Iraq?

Interesting thought process, John.

Everytime I think of the "100 years" comment, I think of 55,000+ American dead in Vietnam's sixteen years.

Support the Troops. Bring them home!

Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!

and Bill Clinton isn't running for President...his wife is. lol.

If you want to compare Bill's and Barack's Presidency go for it....except Barack hasn't been elected as President yet!

Hey Surelock,
As I recall the Republicans wanted to cut and run from Bosnia.
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Hillary stands up for human rights!
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ABC News is playing it exactly right. Obama's spin that McCain says he wanted a 100 year war was absolutely inaccurate and shows that Obama is willing to engage in politics as usual. However, it is fair to go after McCain saying he would be satisfied with a 100 year presence, because that was the absolute intent of his statement. It was also clear that McCain intended for this to a presence similar to Japan and Germany, etc. I don't know why the Republicans would want to back off of this-it's just odd.

Hillary Clinton and ABC News are the only ones that are dealing with the facts squarely on this.
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Hillary stands up for all the voters!
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And, Bill Clinton's Bosnia troops are still there after we were told they'd only be there for six months.

Everytime I hear this "100" quote I think of Obama pandering for votes.

HoosierSue - So true, but the libs want people to be like children so they are dependent on Government not self reliance!

Are we not in Germany, Japan, Phillipines (for now over 100 years), where else!
Pakistan, India, South Korea

It would be foolish for us not to leave a presence in the area for quick deployment and safety.

When are the libs going to say pull our troops out of Germany?

When are the libs going to stop using the Senate Floor as a campaigning tool!

Still in Japan? Check.
Still in Germany? Check.
Still in Korea? Check.

This is what McCain meant. Thinking people know that much as liberals would like to spin it another way. Shame on them! I like a politician who speaks to me like I'm an adult, not as a child who needs to be shielded from the truth.