Blair and McCain: A Double Blow to Bush

Blair and McCain: A Double Blow to Bush

Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2007

By BY MARK THOMPSON/WASHINGTON

In the afterglow of the successful invasion of Iraq in July, 2003 — just when hints of an insurgency were beginning to simmer — John McCain praised outgoing Army General Tommy Franks for his stewardship of the war at a Senate hearing. Franks basked in the kind words, as did his superior, Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, sitting alongside him. "I'll reserve any praise for Secretary Rumsfeld until he retires," the Arizona Republican said, triggering a laugh from Rumsfeld.

Well, Rumsfeld has retired. McCain isn't praising him, and Rumsfeld isn't laughing. ''I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history,'' McCain told 800 South Carolinians at a retirement community on Monday. McCain long complained during the war that the Bush administration had not sent sufficient troops to Iraq, but his Monday comments ratcheted up the criticism several notches. "We are paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement — that's the kindest word I can give you — of Donald Rumsfeld, of this war,'' he said. "The price is very, very heavy and I regret it enormously.''

McCain's blunt talk, coming atop the announced withdrawals of British and Danish troops from Iraq even as Washington dispatches more GIs, highlights the continuing erosion of the President's position. McCain is not only a war hero and a former POW; he is the ranking Republican on the Armed Services committee. The European pullouts have rendered the original coalition of the willing into an all-but-all-American show.

The White House, even as it is asking the country to send more of its sons and daughters to Iraq, hailed the partial British pullout as evidence of success. There was no suggestion from Washington that those European forces be redeployed to Baghdad to ease some of the strain on the U.S. military — because the Bush administration knows the answer would be no.

So while Blair's decision and McCain's words might sting, it's what they represent that really should be giving the White House the heebie-jeebies. After all, McCain's charge that Rumsfeld may be the nation's worst defense secretary won applause even from an elderly South Carolina audience. And Rumsfeld, as the former defense secretary never tired of saying while in office, served at the pleasure of the President.

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1592142,00.html

Of course, it's obvious Flip-flop McCain only spoke out for the benefit of his own ass rather than of any concern for the troops. But as long as it makes the little turd in the White House look bad, I don't really care.

:rofl:

McCain imo won't have any impact on anybody except himself.

Afraid to diminish the public's perception of the Republican Party and its inept and oh-so-dangerous President, that's where.

McCain and his cohorts ought to be booed off the stage. When his opinion MATTERED, he chose to suppress it and allow the status quo to rage on.

Now, with the benefit of a bitchslapping election behind him, he tells the people what he thinks they want to hear.

McCain, you are a SHAMELESS opportunist, much like the rest of the suddenly-moderate Repukes.

I wish them all a perilous road to hell.

Left to his own devices, Blair would have left the troops there or even committed more of them. The only reason we're pulling some of our troops out now is that Blair is on very, very thin ice right now. If he does things properly, he gets to leave office in a dignified manner and have a nice honourable retirement. If he tries anything radical, or tries to avoid much-needed actions like this, he's out on his ear and he know's it. The result is that Blair's messianic tendancies have been undercut and the balance of power has been returned to the rank-and-file.

Granted, the phaseout of our troops is good news but don't give Blair any credit for it, he had no say in the matter.