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Republicans Try to Falsely Spin McCain's "100 Years" Comment Away Entirely

April 09, 2008 3:06 PM

On the Senate floor today, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said, "one of the things that we will be debating this fall, Mr. President, is whether our troops need to be in Iraq for another 50 or 100 years.  I think that will be a pivotal part of the debate that takes place for the presidential election.”

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, took issue.

“Mr. President, of course no one has said that," McConnell said. "And my dear friend, the Majority Leader, knows that.  That's a swipe at Senator McCain, who was talking about troop deployments overseas, not the continued engagement in warfare.  And the mainstream media, which has not been particularly friendly to the war, has hammered those who have accused Senator McCain of saying we were going to have a 100-year war in Iraq.  That is a deliberate misrepresentation of what he has said."

Actually, Harry Reid's description was completely accurate: McCain said it would be fine with him if US troops were in Iraq indefinitely. Watch HERE.

What he did NOT say is that the troops would be there engaged in a war indefinitely. It would be fine for them to be there as long as they weren't being hurt or killed.

Republicans are trying to use the media condemnation of the unfair distortion of these remarks (see HERE for when we hammered Sen. Barack Obama for such distortions) to turn it into a blanket condemnation of any time anyone quotes McCain on the matter.

The condemnations, Mr. McConnell, were for distortions -- not for accurate quotes.

- jpt

April 9, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (69)

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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?

Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:43:43 PM

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.


Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:38:42 PM

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.

Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:36:14 PM

@smartprimate

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

Posted by: Moxo | Apr 9, 2008 4:34:35 PM

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.

Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:34:26 PM

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.

Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:31:23 PM

@ 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!

Posted by: JOHN C. | Apr 9, 2008 4:28:18 PM

My friends,

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

So there you go.

Posted by: ken | Apr 9, 2008 4:21:39 PM

@ MOXO

I DON'T KNOW.

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

Posted by: JOHN C. | Apr 9, 2008 4:20:43 PM

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

Posted by: JACK | Apr 9, 2008 4:20:09 PM

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.

Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:18:02 PM

@John C.

Why is Obama backer Jimmy Carter meeting with Hamas?

===========================
Why did Reagan sell arms to our enemy Iran?

Posted by: Moxo | Apr 9, 2008 4:16:57 PM

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.

Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:16:08 PM

@ 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?

Posted by: JOHN C. | Apr 9, 2008 4:15:46 PM

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.
=======================================
Hillary-draw down starting in 60 days
=======================================

Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Apr 9, 2008 4:13:34 PM

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.


Posted by: Jason | Apr 9, 2008 4:09:18 PM

@ 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.

Posted by: JOHN C. | Apr 9, 2008 4:07:31 PM

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

Posted by: JOHN C. | Apr 9, 2008 4:05:12 PM

Why is Obama backer Jimmy Carter meeting with Hamas?

Posted by: geevill | Apr 9, 2008 4:04:56 PM

@ John C

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

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?

Posted by: Moxo | Apr 9, 2008 4:03:26 PM

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