John McCain Myth Buster: John McCain and Straight Talk on Iraq

John McCain says he's a straight talker who will tell people the truth, not what is politically expedient. But as we've seen from the way he has backed away from his Iraq comments, McCain will try to cover up things he has said when they do him political harm.

John McCain: Photo by Matthew Chastain Wright (CC)

This week, McCain and the RNC are claiming McCain's comments about keeping our troops in Iraq for one hundred years have been distorted, even though McCain has repeatedly said he has no problem with there being a long-term American troop presence in Iraq. And the RNC is using its lawyer to manufacture baseless legal arguments to stop people from hearing what McCain has said about Iraq because Republicans know he does not have a plan to bring our troops home.

With our economy in crisis and the war now costing $12 billion a month, the last thing our country needs is a president who will say or do anything to win--even back away from his very own comments.

McCain Said US May Stay In Iraq For 100 Years. At a New Hampshire town hall when McCain was asked "President Bush has talked about our staying in Iraq for 50 years." McCain responded: "Maybe 100" and "that would be fine with me." [McCain Town Hall, Derry NH Opera House 1/3/2008]

McCain: Once Iraqi Troops Take Over, I Don't Think Americans Are Concerned If We're in Iraq for 100 Years or 1,000 Years or 10,000 Years. Once Iraqi troops take over responsibilities from American troops, McCain said: "And then I don't think Americans are concerned if we're there for 100 years or 1,000 years or 10,000 years. What they care about is a sacrifice of our most precious treasure, and that's American blood. So what I'm saying is look, if Americans are there in a support role, but they're not taking casualties, that's fine. We're in Kuwait now. As you well recall, we had a war, we stayed in Kuwait. We didn't stay in Saudi Arabia. So it's going to be up to the relationship between the Iraqi government and the United States of America." [CBS, Face the Nation, 1/6/08]

It Could Be 1,000 Years or a Million Years, Said McCain. Asked by Diane Sawyer about keeping American troops in Iraq for 50 or 100 years, McCain explained: "Could be 1,000, could be 1,000 years or a million years. We have bases in Kuwait right now. We have bases in South Korea, in Japan, Germany. I mean, it's a straw man. It's a, it's a fallacious argument by people who don't understand that it's not American presence, it's American casualties. If we can get American casualties down and eliminate them, Americans are not concerned. In fact, they may be glad we have a secure base in that part of the world as we do in Kuwait. The success of the surge will bring the casualties down and gradually, gradually eliminate them as the Iraqi - military takes over those responsibilities. So, and it's a very dangerous part of the world." [ABC, Good Morning America, 1/9/08]

Source: DNC

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