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McCain Makes Baghdad Stop
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/mccain-makes-baghdad-stop-8th-iraq-trip/n20080316104709990063 ^

Posted on 03/16/2008 8:15:16 AM PDT by swampdweller

BAGHDAD (AP) - Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee who has linked his political future to U.S. success in Iraq, was in Baghdad on Sunday for meetings with Iraqi and U.S. diplomatic and military officials, a U.S. government official said.

Details of McCain's visit, which had been anticipated, were not being released for security reasons, the U.S. Embassy said. It was unclear who he met with; no media opportunities or news conferences were planned.

McCain, a strong supporter of the U.S. military mission in Iraq, is believed to be staying in the country for about 24 hours.

"Senator McCain is in Iraq and will be meeting with Iraqi and U.S. officials," said Mirembe Nantongo, spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.

This is the senator's eighth visit to Iraq. He's accompanied by Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Before leaving, McCain said the trip to the Middle East and Europe was a fact-finding venture, not a campaign photo opportunity.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.aol.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: iraq; mcbeggingforvotes; mccain; palmsunday; surprisevisit; wot
McCain is looking presidential while his two rivals are squabbling and in St Patty Day parades.
1 posted on 03/16/2008 8:15:16 AM PDT by swampdweller
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To: swampdweller

Your turn Barack. Barack will probably do Iran instead.


2 posted on 03/16/2008 8:18:18 AM PDT by Mike Darancette (Democrat Happens!)
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To: Mike Darancette

He will do Iran with his knee pads on.


3 posted on 03/16/2008 8:20:02 AM PDT by Piquaboy (22 year veteran of the Army, Air Force and Navy, Pray for all our military .)
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To: Mike Darancette

Iranians are already talking to his campaign.


4 posted on 03/16/2008 8:20:42 AM PDT by Perdogg (Reagan would have never said "She's my girl")
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To: Mike Darancette

Sitting down with the Amadmanjihadi the kookah smoking a hookah... and remember Obama inahles because he understands when you smoke drugs it is for a purpose.

Wonder why we never see or hear about Barracks White relatives.. I wonder if Jeramiah Wright approves?


5 posted on 03/16/2008 8:33:31 AM PDT by tomnbeverly (Standing by for the: if your not with us your a racist tactic.)
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To: swampdweller

republicans are about leadership; doing what is best for the long term national interest and make unpopular decisions.
Democrats simply follow the polls. They pick style over substance if that is what sells.


6 posted on 03/16/2008 8:54:38 AM PDT by ari-freedom (McCain must pick a conservative VP if he wants conservative support)
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To: ari-freedom
republicans are about leadership; doing what is best for the long term national interest and make unpopular decisions.

Uh-huh. I guess that's why McCain's on Al Gore's Global Warming bandwagon and is planning to put our troops under the jurisdiction of the United Nations' International Criminal Court, along with giving tens of millions of foreign invaders amnesty.

7 posted on 03/16/2008 9:00:16 AM PDT by Digital Sniper (Hello, "Undocumented Immigrant." I'm an "Undocumented Border Patrol Agent.")
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To: Digital Sniper
The fear of McCain is getting old. How about a little fear of Obama/Clinton? That's what were heading for if we don't vote for McCain.

And don't tell me that the big gov't dems (universal health care, high taxes, abortion, supreme court libs, retreat on war, etc.) are going to be no worse than McCain.

8 posted on 03/16/2008 9:11:48 AM PDT by swampdweller (Live Free or Die Hard)
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To: swampdweller
I'm happy to say I'm not going for the boogeyman argument. I don't vote for liberals, particularly when they're snake-in-the-grass RINOs who act like they're entitled to my vote just because they have an 'R' by their name.

And don't tell me that McCain won't "go maverick" and "reach across the aisle" on those issues. Remember that he was a member of the Gang of 14 who opposed Bush's judicial nominees. You really think a liberal like McCain is going to tap anyone for the SCOTUS that doesn't get Chappaquiddick Teddy's blessing? Got news for you, sunshine.

And while we're on the subject, let's recall that McCain opposed the Bush tax cuts, citing class warfare reasoning that stunk of Democrat talking points. And let's also remember that McCain favors federally-funded embryonic stem cell research. You can't have that without abortion, kiddo.

Nope...I won't sign off on the leftward death spiral of the GOP or for conservatives becoming the Republican version of the Democrat's Black Caucus. You want to do that? Knock yourself out...but don't expect the rest of us to join you on your political suicide pact.

9 posted on 03/16/2008 9:21:09 AM PDT by Digital Sniper (Hello, "Undocumented Immigrant." I'm an "Undocumented Border Patrol Agent.")
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To: Digital Sniper

Please don’t act like your doing something courageous when your not. At least go vote for a Turd Party or Black Oblack rather than sitting out.

It may be personally satisfying to wait for the perfect candidate but Nationally, your a disaster.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters


10 posted on 03/16/2008 9:25:00 AM PDT by bray (Go InSain)
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To: Digital Sniper
I never said mccain is a conservative republican...at least not on every issue. But mccain will say what he thinks is right and he's not going to care if he doesn't sign on every item on someone's checklist. The iraq war is unpopular but he's not afraid to say that we may have a presence there for 100 years.

A conservative 'democrat' on the other hand may be worse. He may follow the checklist to the letter but doesn't have a mind of his own. He'll do it because that's what it takes to win an election. He goes by the talking points but he's in trouble if he's in a crisis. Clinton was a great example of such a democratic approach. He knew iraq deserved a military response, but he only attacked with airstrikes because a full scale invasion would hurt him in the polls.
11 posted on 03/16/2008 9:25:30 AM PDT by ari-freedom (McCain must pick a conservative VP if he wants conservative support)
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To: Digital Sniper

if you voted for huckabee, hunter or romney then you voted for liberals. They were all in favor of lots of spending and industrial policy.


12 posted on 03/16/2008 9:28:34 AM PDT by ari-freedom (McCain must pick a conservative VP if he wants conservative support)
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To: Digital Sniper
don't expect the rest of us to join you on your political suicide pact.

Garbage argument to not even acknowledge the destruction Hillary or Obama would do. Look, pal, you have three viable options. Hillary, Obama, or McCain. If you are conservative and cast a third party vote, you are only helping Hillary & Obama. At least recognize that Hillary/Obama have more damaging ideas for this country. Can you do that?

13 posted on 03/16/2008 9:49:45 AM PDT by swampdweller (Live Free or Die Hard)
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To: swampdweller

Stop what?


14 posted on 03/16/2008 11:00:02 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Barack Hussein Obama: THE WRIGHT STUFF)
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To: Jeff Chandler
Stop what?

...not sure I follow your question.

15 posted on 03/16/2008 12:06:26 PM PDT by swampdweller (Live Free or Die Hard)
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To: swampdweller

Headline: McCain Makes Baghdad Stop


16 posted on 03/16/2008 12:14:54 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Barack Hussein Obama: THE WRIGHT STUFF)
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To: swampdweller
And it's an even greater garbage argument to not acknowledge how voting for a liberal just because he has an 'R' by his name won't denigrate conservative influence for decades to come.

How about you recognize that stark reality for a start? That'd be a refreshing change among McRINO supporters.

And I don't buy your logic that I'm somehow supporting Hillary or Obama if I don't support McCain. The fact is that I'm not supporting those clowns, so -- by your very own fallacy of an argument -- I'm magically supporting McCain. Congratulations on winning the Most Ridiculously Asinine Pretzel Logic Award.

17 posted on 03/16/2008 12:30:33 PM PDT by Digital Sniper (Hello, "Undocumented Immigrant." I'm an "Undocumented Border Patrol Agent.")
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To: Jeff Chandler
Headline: McCain Makes Baghdad Stop

Hah! How did I not get it? Good one.

18 posted on 03/16/2008 1:02:07 PM PDT by swampdweller (Live Free or Die Hard)
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To: Digital Sniper
Who is it here that can't take a little challenge? I totally understand every implication of voting for McCain who has been liberal on some issues. But the protection of the country is paramount.

I don't vote for a candidate just because there is an R there. I vote for the most VIABLE candidate who will keep my values CLOSER to me than the other candidates. That is McCain...I don't like it...but it's him or one of the other two.

No one is going to ride in on a silver horse and save us. And I am not going to sanctimoniously vote third party or abstain from voting....just so I can say that I protected the Republican Party from a RINO.

McCain or Clinton or Obama is going to be the President of the United States real soon and I am going to have a say in which one becomes that.

Thanks for the award...just keep it for me on your mantle next to your trophy: "The Most Irrelevant Voter of 2008."

19 posted on 03/16/2008 1:18:29 PM PDT by swampdweller (Live Free or Die Hard)
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