Posted on 08/23/2006 2:54:43 PM PDT by Aussie Dasher
John McCain has been President Bush's indispensable political ally on the war in Iraq. So what was the Arizona senator and top-shelf 2008 presidential contender up to yesterday in Ohio when he unloaded on the Bush Administration's handling of the war in a speech that, with a few tweaks, could have been delivered by an anti-war Democrat? "I think one of the biggest mistakes we made was underestimating the size of the task and the sacrifices that would be required," McCain said. "Stuff happens, mission accomplished, last throes, a few dead-enders," he went on, citing some of the, ah, less-than-accurate assessments of the Iraq venture made over the years by the President, Vice President and secretary of defense. That kind of overly optimistic talk, McCain said, "has contributed enormously to the frustration that Americans feel today because they were led to believe this could be some kind of day at the beach, which many of us fully understood from the beginning would be a very, very difficult undertaking." Several factors are at work here. First, McCain was speaking at a campaign event for fellow Senator Mike DeWine, who needs all the help he can get in his uphill re-election battle. DeWine is the perfect example of the kind of incumbent Republican who would win in a normal mid-term election year but will likely be swept away if anti-Bush, anti-GOP, anti-war sentiment turns voters towards Democrats this fall. Republicans are in trouble for a lot of reasons this year, but Iraq is the biggest. By criticizing Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld on Iraq, McCain was trying to help DeWine, who desperately needs to distance himself from an unpopular president and unpopular war. But McCain had another, more personal agenda.
(Excerpt) Read more at time.com ...
You have to give Carney credit. His analysis is completely wrong.
Ironically, the more he says the less votes he's likely to get.
I would love to have ONE freeper tell me why McCain should get ANY votes in the primary...let alone the nomination for POTUS...
I can't think of one...and that pretty much puts him down in the catagory that John F'n Kerry was in in 2004.
How about this one...
"""when he unloaded on the Bush Administration's handling of the war in a speech that, with a few tweaks, could have been delivered by an anti-war Democrat?"""
So wrong, an anti-war Democrat would never focus on the mishadling of the aftermath, and don't. Condi gave them an wide opening when she admitted "thousands" of mistakes were made. The anti-war Dems can't use that because to question the handling of the aftermath doesn't question the initiation of the war.
"Let's face it: McCain will say or do ANYTHING if he thinks there is a vote in it!"
Hmmm... there's a word for someone like him...
Oh yeah, whore!
It's just too good to leave alone politically, so these political "turds in the punch bowl" have to give the RATS something to chew on.
Because there are a lot of Democrates and other liberals who would vote for him in the POTUS race?
Maybe if DeWine hadn't screwed his constituents by sabotaging the end of the judicial filibuster, they might be more enthused to vote for him.
As for McCain, since when is the author of a Bill of Rights for terrorists an "indispensible" ally in the WOT?
"Behind McCain's Blast At Bush Over the War"
Ah, he want's to attract votes?
Next.
McCain is a self-seving ass.
He is a political moron.
He is a media whore.
I detest him and I know I am not alone.
"McCain is a self-seving ass.
He is a political moron.
He is a media whore."
I agree, just like most of D.C.
Sorry, I find it hard to get past this part.
Anybody got any evidence of this?
Todays ... regarding comments made by McCain...
WHITE HOUSE PRESSER WITH TONY SNOW (WHO IS ON VACATION WITH SUB BY MS. PERINO)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1688630/posts
Q Senator McCain, in his comments yesterday, said that the American people had been led to believe by the administration that the Iraq war would be a "day at the beach." Does that concern the White House? Do you feel that you're losing support among Republicans?
MS. PERINO: I think it's important to look back at what President Bush has said from the beginning. If you look at what he has said, starting even in March of 2003, that, "Helping Iraqis achieve a united, stable, and free country will require our sustained commitment." Throughout the year, since we've been in Iraq, he has called it -- he has said that it is difficult work to do, going to require sacrifice and patience, prevailing in Iraq is going to require much more tough fighting, it's going to require more sacrifice, and he's thankful for the sacrifices that the military and military families are making.
It's puzzling to me that McCain's comments yesterday are getting so much attention today when if you look over the past couple of months, Senator McCain has made similar comments. He is a Senator who is not shy about sharing his views. That's one of the reasons he is such a unique figure in American politics, and also one of the most popular. And he shares, however, a commitment with the President that we win Iraq, and he understands the struggle that we're in. The President appreciates his support.
The President has never made the comments that you referred to. Any time that the President has felt a need to acknowledge mistakes in the war on Iraq, he has done so. And other members of his administration, they can speak for themselves. And I know that the Vice President has repeatedly been asked about comments that he's made in the past, and he's answered them. So I don't understand why we're going back over all this ground now.
Q Well, perhaps because support for the war seems to be slipping, it's down at a new low point in the latest polling, and may reflect concern for the political year that we're in.
MS. PERINO: I think if you look at what the President said on Monday, this is tough work that we're doing in Iraq, and criticism is part of our system of government and certainly a part of when you take tough action and when you are stalwart in your action. We're aware of the polls, and the President said on Monday, of course, you want people in America to support your positions. You've seen him out talking about it. His administration is going to continue to explain to the American people the situation that we're in, the struggle that we face and how important it is that we win.
Well put, m; I agree 101%. He's cowardly, treasonous, lying, pandering, lowlife garbage.
Which side is McCain on?
His own, evidently.
that's a really awful thing to say about anyone who has fought for America.
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