Posted on 05/15/2008 1:13:57 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Republican John McCain declared for the first time Thursday he believes the Iraq war can be won by 2013, although he rejected suggestions that his talk of a timetable put him on the same side as Democrats clamoring for full-scale troop withdrawals.
The Republican presidential contender, in a mystical speech that also envisioned Osama bin Laden dead or captured, and Americans with the choice of paying a simple flat tax or following their standard 1040 form, said only a small number of troops would remain in Iraq by the end of a prospective first term because al-Qaida will have been defeated and Iraq's government will be functioning on its own.
"By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom. The Iraq War has been won," McCain told an audience of several hundred here in the capital city of a general election battleground state.
Later, as the Arizona senator drove to the airport on his "Straight Talk Express" campaign bus, McCain was peppered by reporters with questions about the timetable. He and his aides insisted there was a difference between ending the war and bringing troops home and, as they criticize the Democrats, announcing a withdrawal upfront without regard for the military endgame.
"It's not a timetable; it's victory. It's victory, which I have always predicted. I didn't know when we were going to win World War II; I just knew we were going to win," McCain said.
The Vietnam veteran added: "I know from experience, you set a day for surrender — which is basically what you do when you say you are withdrawing — and you will pay a much a heavier price later on."
In the primary campaign, McCain had criticized former Republican rival Mitt Romney for hinting at a timetable.
Democrats challenged McCain's comments, led by presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton.
In a statement, the New York senator dismissed McCain and said he "promises more of the same Bush policies that have weakened our military, our national security and our standing in the world." The Barack Obama campaign said that while the candidate agrees with some of McCain's sentiments, "you cannot embrace the destructive policies and divisive political tactics of George Bush and still offer yourself as a candidate of healing and change."
Other Democrats equated McCain's comment with President Bush's May 1, 2003, speech on the deck of an aircraft carrier displaying a "Mission Accomplished" banner.
In his remarks, McCain peered through a crystal ball to 2013 and envisioned an era of bipartisanship driven by weekly news conferences and British-style question periods with joint meetings of Congress.
The senator conceded he cannot make the changes alone, but said he wanted to outline a specific governing style to show the accomplishments it can achieve. He backed up his remarks with a Web ad featuring similar content.
"I'm not interested in partisanship that serves no other purpose than to gain a temporary advantage over our opponents. This mindless, paralyzing rancor must come to an end. We belong to different parties, not different countries," McCain said. "There is a time to campaign, and a time to govern. If I'm elected president, the era of the permanent campaign will end; the era of problem-solving will begin."
To the disdain of some fellow Republicans, the likely GOP nominee has worked with Democrats on legislation aimed at overhauling campaign finance regulations, redrafting immigration rules and regulations and implementing government spending controls.
While that has cultivated a maverick image for McCain, the Arizona senator has also been accused of exhibiting a nasty temper — swearing even at fellow lawmakers from his own party — and unabashed partisanship.
In particular, McCain has clashed with the leading Democratic presidential contender, Barack Obama. After tangling with the Illinois senator on lobbying reforms, McCain questioned Obama's integrity in a publicly released 2006 letter.
McCain wrote he had thought Obama's interest in ethics legislation "was genuine and admirable," before adding: "Thank you for disabusing me of such notions." He accused Obama of "partisan posturing."
In outlining other potential achievements of a first term in his speech, the 71-year-old McCain implicitly was suggesting he would seek a second term, an attempt to mute suggestions he would serve only four years after being the oldest president elected.
In particular, he sees a world in which the Taliban threat in Afghanistan has been greatly reduced.
He added: "The increase in actionable intelligence that the counterinsurgency produced led to the capture or death of Osama bin Laden, and his chief lieutenants. ... There still has not been a major terrorist attack in the United States since Sept. 11, 2001."
McCain also pledged to halt a Bush administration practice of enacting laws with accompanying signing statements that exempt the president from having to enforce parts he finds objectionable.
uh, yeah.
mystical. right.
“It’s not a timetable; it’s victory. It’s victory, which I have always predicted. I didn’t know when we were going to win World War II; I just knew we were going to win,” McCain said.
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I’m sorry folks, I know politicians like to run their chops, especially when they need to grab the spotlight, but if Maliki can not clean house in another year or two as his forces build-up and take the fight to insurgents even more so than to date, this is just so much,, well, you know..
We all want to “win” and as soon as possible, well, except for those across the aisle and on the left, they still long for a defeat... but we all know, it is an election year after all, they need to act tough.
Oh, I am going to get so slammed for saying this, but how many times have we heard Bush say essentially the same thing? "Soon, soon, soon..."
I just don't think we can expect Iraq to have a government that can function on its own in the foreseeable future.
McCain is already kicking the can to the Next Guy.
The Iraq war was won a long time ago. We’re now fighting Iran and Al Qaeda in the place where they need to be fought - over there.
I just don’t think we can expect Iraq to have a government that can function on its own in the foreseeable future.
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Quite frankly, I think they are finally realizing that they can call shots and get things done.. and the situation from a democracy standpoint is in a lot better shape than ever. jmo. Maliki is to be commended for standing strong. (Notice how the media does all they can to avoid reporting such news.)
Won’t that be about a year late?
“I just don’t think we can expect Iraq to have a government that can function on its own in the foreseeable future.”
I’m just hoping we still have one!
As far as the Dems are concerned, it may as well be 100 years. And if they want to talk mystics, it may end in 2012 if the Mayan calendar is right.
McCain assumes he’s going to be the next president-elect in the Fall, but the way he’s directing the Republican party today, it’s becoming less and less of a certainty that he will be the president-elect in November because no matter what, he seems to grate on the minds of Conservatives everywhere.
As it is, it's Nation Building and we've never had very good success at that.
Third party. Definitely.
He was wrong about Kosovo. He wanted ground troops, remember?
March 25, 1999
‘’These bombs are not going to do the job,’’ said Senator John McCain of Arizona, a Republican who was a naval pilot in the Vietnam War. ‘’It’s almost pathetic. You’re just going to solidify the determination of the Serbs to resist a peace agreement.
‘’You’d have to drop the bridges and turn off the lights in Belgrade to have even a remote chance of changing Milosevic’s mind,’’ he said. ‘’What you’ll get is all the old Vietnam stuff, bombing pauses, escalation, negotiations, trouble.’’
Mr. McCain, who is expected to announce his candidacy for President next month, said the Administration was caught with unpalatable alternatives — bombing, which he said ‘’has never worked without ground forces,’’ and the use of ground forces, which he said had little support on Capitol Hill or in the nation as a whole.
‘’Many Republicans have criticized the Democrat president for a failure of resolve over the Kosovo crisis and in other earlier foreign policy crises like Bosnia and Iraq.Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, insists the United States should be preparing its troops for a ground war in case that option became necessary.McCain was one of a number of members of Congress travelling to Brussels and Aviano, Italy with Defense Secretary William Cohen in the next three days to meet top NATO leaders and visit U.S. forces involved in the operations.
http://www.alb-net.com/kcc/index24-1.htm
McLame’s global warming comments have made me decide to leave the Presidental ballot blank, or vote for Ron Paul. Gad, did I just say that....?
Ummm .... You mean like Western Europe after World War II and South Korea after the Korean War?
Even Israel does not stand by itself in the defense arena. Every major Istraeli war requires a massive U.S. logistics operation.
He should have boasted of flying cars that drive themselves, computer chip implants to add memory to the human brain, a cure for cancer, and a new food supply: soilent green. All by 2013!!!
I want a Republican primary do-over-——the guy is nuts, illustrating that the commies really are good at washing brains.
Yeah, you did, I am joining you though! LOL
“I just don’t think we can expect Iraq to have a government that can function on its own in the foreseeable future.”
I’m just hoping we still have one!
Oh we’ll have a government alright, way more than we ever could imagine!
A Politician making a Military prediction? Yeesh.
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