Democrats Pounce on McCain's Iraq Blunder

Democrats Pounce on McCain's Iraq Blunder

By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 31, 2008; Page A05


Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) spent Friday on the defensive from rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) after mistakenly saying the United States had drawn down its troops in Iraq to pre-buildup levels.

In comments to reporters on Thursday, McCain said, "I can tell you that {the troop increase} is succeeding. I can look you in the eye and tell you it's succeeding. We have drawn down to pre-surge levels. Basra, Mosul and now Sadr City are quiet and it's long and it's hard and it's tough and there will be setbacks."

In fact, as the Obama campaign was quick to point out, the troop level in Iraq is at about 155,000, well above the 130,000 that would mark a return to levels preceding the "surge." Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, operations chief for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in February that the Pentagon's goal is to reduce troop levels to 140,000 -- still above the pre-buildup levels.

Democrats seized on McCain's comment, saying in a statement released by the Democratic National Committee that it shows he either "doesn't know the facts on the ground in Iraq or he is continuing the Bush Administration's pattern of intentionally misleading the public."

McCain, speaking to reporters in Milwaukee, refused to acknowledge a mistake, saying that "I said we have drawn down. And we have drawn down."

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/30/AR2008053002790.html?sid=ST2008053003281

The man is simply incapable of talking extemporaneously without uttering gaffes.

Obama is the perfect candidate to blast him on the blunders.

I said it and that's how it is.

just like Dubya. Charming.

Add another 150 pages!

just what we need, another bubble boy.....


McCain Declares Mosul "Quiet" On Same Day As Three Suicide Attacks (Video)


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/05/29/mccain-declares-mosul-qui_n_104208.html

<snip>

Speaking about Iraq at a townhall event on Thursday evening in Greensdale, Wisconsin, Sen. John McCain declared, "I can tell you that it is succeeding. I can look you in the eye and tell you it's succeeding. We have drawn down to pre-surge levels. Basra, Mosul and now Sadr city are quiet and it's long and it's hard and it's tough and there will be setbacks..." (Video is below.)

McCain was wrong on two points. First, U.S. forces have not returned to pre-surge levels. Before the surge, there were 130,000 troops in Iraq; even if the scheduled troop reductions are carried out as planned, there will still be 140,000 troops in Iraq in August.

Moreover, McCain's claim that Mosul is "quiet" was disproved earlier today in grim fashion. Three suicide bombings -- two in Mosul and another in a surrounding town -- left 30 Iraqis dead and more than two dozen injured, according to press reports.

Clearly, McCain's various congressional trips to Iraq haven't made him infallible on the issue.

Here's video of McCain from this evening: