McCain Myth Buster: John McCain and General Petraeus

April 8, 2008 -- John McCain has said we should listen to the generals on the ground in Iraq--including General Petreaus--who he calls "one of the greatest generals in American history." But in truth, McCain has refused to say if he agrees with General Petreaus' comment that "no one" believes "there has been sufficient progress by any means in the area of national reconciliation" and recently declared, "I don't care what anybody says. I've seen the facts on the ground."

Support the troops - bring them home now sign: Photo by Monique Rhea (CC)

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Instead, McCain talks about his willingness to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, even though he has failed to put forward any plan for the future of Iraq and refuses to explain how he will pay for the war that is now costing American taxpayers $12 million a month while making Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy permanent. [USA Today, 3/24/08; Reuters, 3/14/08; Washington Post, 3/14/08; AP, 3/10/08]

With General Petraeus set to testify before the Senate today, now's as good a time as any for McCain to finally weigh in on the issue of political progress in Iraq or explain to voters where we go from here. After all, this hearing is much more than a photo op.

2008: McCain Would Spend 'a Hundred Years' or a 'Million Years' in Iraq. McCain interrupted a voter during a townhall meeting in New Hampshire telling him we could spend "maybe a hundred" years in Iraq and "that would be fine with me." After the townhall meeting, he told a reporter "that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for 'a thousand years' or 'a million years,' as far as he was concerned." [McCain Derry, NH townhall meeting, 1/3/08; motherjones.com , 1/3/08]

After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth.

Source: DNC