John McCain: McCain Trying to Have it Both Ways on Iraq

October 3, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - After years of supporting President Bush's failed strategy in Iraq, and after leading the charge for the Bush-McCain escalation of that war, John McCain is trying to have it both ways by trying to cast himself as a long-time critic of the Administration while at the same time refusing to change course on the war.

In last week's new ads claiming that he was the "one man opposed [to] a flawed strategy in Iraq" and in his campaign's planned attacks on Democrats, the basic facts of McCain's record on Iraq are being ignored. [johnmccain.com/tvads/, 9/27/07] That record goes back to 2003 when McCain defended the Administration by claiming that the end was "very much in sight" in Iraq. Two years later McCain was still backing the President, arguing that another year would prove "stay the course" was working. [The Hill, 12/8/05; ABC News, Good Morning America, 4/9/03] In 2006, McCain argued that Iraq was "on the right track" even as it slipped further toward civil war. [MSNBC, Imus in the Morning, 3/1/06]

McCain attempt at having it both ways has created contradictions on the campaign trail this year. For example, despite describing the war in Iraq as the "premier issue" of our time early in his campaign, McCain skipped critical votes in the Senate on the Iraq War choosing instead to court conservatives for his presidential bid. [Washington Post, 4/7/07; Dallas Morning News, 2/5/07; AP, 2/16/07; MSNBC.com, 2/14/07; Los Angeles Times, 3/16/07] And after claiming there were neighborhoods safe enough for him to walk through in Baghdad, McCain had to accept the protection of 100 American troops and multiple gunships for a photo op in a Baghdad market. [NBC Nightly News, 4/1/2007]

"After trying to have it both ways on Iraq, John McCain's credibility and ability to offer new leadership have both suffered," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Luis Miranda, "McCain's record clearly shows that despite any new ads or carefully scripted rhetoric, he offers exactly the same failed leadership on Iraq that voters are already rejecting from President Bush."
Can't Have it Both Ways:
McCain Backed the President All Along

2003: McCain Said Bush Led With "Clarity" And Did Not Exaggerate the Case for War. During an interview with a live audience, Senator McCain praised President Bush on his leadership on the Iraq war and said, "I think the president has led with great clarity and I think he's done a great job leading the country, don't you all?" And asked if he thought the president exaggerated the case for war, McCain said, "I don't think so. And I think that it's obvious that the 16 words should not have appeared in his speech. He acknowledged that again today. But I think that he made a strong case and I think that case has been verified with discovery of mass graves and the brutality of this incredible regime." [MSNBC, Hardball, 4/23/03; Fox News, 7/31/03]

2003: McCain Said The End Is "Very Much In Sight." Senator McCain was asked "At what point will America be able to say the war was won?" McCain said there were oil fields to secure and "die-hards" to take care of but "it's clear that the end is very much in sight, and today I think Americans should be very proud of their leadership, their technology…There are still some foreigners, Syrians and others hanging around. But it won't be long. It will be a fairly short period of time, but this happens in wars. I'm confident that once they are confident the area is no longer a threat to the Marines and to our army troops that they'll start imposing discipline. In the meantime, we'll have a short period of chaos." [ABC News, Good Morning America, 4/9/03]

2005: McCain Said That Another Year Will Prove "Stay the Course" Is Working. "McCain believes that the U.S., and the cause of Iraqi independence, are moving forward in Iraq, a little bit at a time. 'I think the situation on the ground is going to improve,' he says. 'Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course.'" [The Hill, 12/8/05]

2006: McCain's Top Political Advisor Says McCain's Support for the War is "Stay the Course, No Matter What." John McCain's top advisor explained McCain's support for the war and the impact it would have on McCain's future aspirations saying, "It is stay-the-course, no matter what. And if it dooms McCain, so be it." [Bloomberg News, 4/20/06]

2006: McCain Said That Iraq Was "On The Right Track" As The Country Moved Closer To Civil War. Speaking on the "Imus In The Morning" radio show on March 1, 2006, McCain played down the increasing civil violence in Iraq. When Imus remarked that Iraq "already looks like a civil war," McCain responded, saying, "I keep trying to look at the bright side of this because we have to because the consequences of failure are catastrophic. But the gathering of the seven most respected religious leaders the day before yesterday, calling for calm and calling for some kind of reconciliation, I think, was important. I think, at least we're on the right track here." [MSNBC, Imus in the Morning, 3/1/06]

2007: McCain Claims Political Success, Pleads for More Time for Surge. McCain told MSNBC that "the security situation is such on the ground that we can have the Iraqi military take over more of those responsibilities. There is great local political progress being made." McCain argued for more time for the surge despite lack of progress on key benchmarks telling CBS that, "this new strategy's only had a few months." [MSNBC, 9/11/07; CBS Early Show, 9/11/07]
Can't Have it Both Ways:
McCain Missed Critical Votes Despite Iraq Rhetoric

McCain Called Iraq the "Premier Issue" of Our Time, and Troop Surge a "Last Chance." According to accounts in The Washington Post, Senator McCain said: "Look, this is the issue. This is the premier issue of my time and the next generation." [Washington Post, 4/7/07]

But Then Missed Iraq War Votes Because He Was Too Busy Campaigning. Senator McCain was campaigning while he missed each of the first three most crucial votes on the Iraq war this year. The first time, on February 5, "McCain admitted he was mending fences with conservatives in Texas when the Republicans in the Senate blocked a debate on the war." The second time, on February 17, McCain chose "to spend the day courting conservative voters for his presidential campaign in Iowa," and then immediately headed to Orlando, Florida for the National Religious Broadcasters convention. And finally, McCain missed the third Iraq war vote on March 15, because he was "campaigning in Iowa." [Dallas Morning News, 2/5/07; AP, 2/16/07; MSNBC.com, 2/14/07; Los Angeles Times, 3/16/07]

McCain Even Tried to Have it Both Ways on One Vote, Claiming He Would Return to DC But Then Dismissing It. "The senator's aides put out the word that he would probably be skipping his evening town hall in Mason City so that he could fly to DC for the vote. They assured reporters that he'd fly right back so he could continue his bus tour Friday morning. But things change quickly. So within a half-hour, the plans had changed. On the bus from the State Capitol to Ames, McCain informed reporters he would stay in Iowa, waving off the Senate votes as 'procedural.' It marks the third set of Iraq votes that McCain has missed while he's been on the campaign trail." [Washington Post Blog, 3/15/07]
And Who Could Forget This?

McCain Claimed There Were Neighborhoods Safe Enough for Him to Walk Through. McCain claimed there were neighborhoods safe enough for him to walk through in Baghdad but then toured a Baghdad market wearing a bulletproof vest while accompanied by "100 American soldiers, with three Blackhawk helicopters, and two Apache gunships overhead." [NBC Nightly News, 4/1/2007]

Source: DNC