NationStates Jolt Archive

McCain: ‘I Was The Greatest Critic’ Of The Iraq War Over The Last Four Years

Yesterday on CNN, host Kiran Chetry suggested to Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that he’s been unfairly “painted as being a huge supporter of the president’s Iraq strategy. Is that an accurate portrayal?” she asked.

McCain responded that “life isn’t fair” because, in reality, he’s been “the greatest critic of the initial four years” of war:

It’s entertaining, in that I was the greatest critic of the initial four years, three and a half years. I came back from my first trip to Iraq and said, This is going to fail. We’ve got to change the strategy to the one we’re using now. But life isn’t fair.

The “greatest critic” who claimed the war would “fail”? Nobody heard that from McCain when he was busy campaigning for Bush’s reelection in 2004 and praising the President’s leadership. Here’s a sampling of what the “greatest critic” of the war was telling us in the months and years after the invasion:

“But I believe, Katie, that the Iraqi people will greet us as liberators.” [NBC, 3/20/03]

“It’s clear that the end is very much in sight.” [ABC, 4/9/03]

“There’s not a history of clashes that are violent between Sunnis and Shiahs. So I think they can probably get along.” [MSNBC, 4/23/03]

“This is a mission accomplished. They know how much influence Saddam Hussein had on the Iraqi people, how much more difficult it made to get their cooperation.” [This Week, ABC, 12/14/03]

“I’m confident we’re on the right course.” [ABC News, 3/7/04]

“I think the initial phases of it were so spectacularly successful that it took us all by surprise.” [CBS, 10/31/04]

“I do think that progress is being made in a lot of Iraq. Overall, I think a year from now, we will have made a fair amount of progress if we stay the course. If I thought we weren’t making progress, I’d be despondent.” [The Hill, 12/8/05]

With people like John McCain, Michael O’Hanlon, and Ken Pollack now claiming to be war “critics,” that term is fast becoming a description for people who support the war but aren’t George Bush.

Original Think Progress article (http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/18/mccain-greatest-critic/)
More neutral article (http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mccain-life-isnt-fair-2007-08-17.html)

Hahaha, oh dear. What people will say in an election campaign.

It's like brain freeze without the ice cream. :(

wellllll

you have to look at it from the proper angle.

mccain may well be the greatest mainstream republican, presidential ball licking, critic of the war over the last four years.

And what happened when you woke up, Senator?

He has indeed been a vocal critic of the administration's conduct of the war. None of those quotes suggest otherwise.

He has indeed been a vocal critic of the administration's conduct of the war. None of those quotes suggest otherwise.

This would be when you provide some quotes, yes?

Trilby63;12976754']This would be when you provide some quotes, yes?

He has consistently and vociferously argued for a bolstering of US forces in Iraq. The astounding success of the surge in curtailing violence in Baghdad was a resonating achievement for McCain's meticulously-conceived vision. However, he recognized that it would be insufficient if we were to attain all our objectives in a timely manner. Unfortunately, Bush has systematically committed the error of sending in too few troops.

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/fdeb03a7-30b0-4ece-8e34-4c7ea83f11d8.htm

He has consistently and vociferously argued for a bolstering of US forces in Iraq. The astounding success of the surge in curtailing violence in Baghdad was a resonating achievement for McCain's meticulously-conceived vision. However, he recognized that it would be insufficient if we were to attain all our objectives in a timely manner. Unfortunately, Bush has systematically committed the error of sending in too few troops.

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/fdeb03a7-30b0-4ece-8e34-4c7ea83f11d8.htm

Seriously, do you just copy your prose straight out of the purplest romance novels you can find?

Seriously, do you just copy your prose straight out of the purplest romance novels you can find?

I was about to ask the same thing... I heard somewhere that Tom Clancy has a pseudonym that he writes romance novels under... *shudders*

Some one needs to take away McCain's meds because he has lost his damn mind.

Seriously, do you just copy your prose straight out of the purplest romance novels you can find?

Yes. That was an excerpt from a novel entitled: The Naked McCain.

I was about to ask the same thing... I heard somewhere that Tom Clancy has a pseudonym that he writes romance novels under... *shudders*

Oh, gods... Heaving bosoms and techno thrillers! /me has just gone blind...

I suppose it bears mentioning:

We have always been at war with Eastasia, never with Eurasia. Black is white. The Party has always been in control.

And FandG has always been in desperate need of a constructive hobby. May I suggest woodworking?

Yes. That was an excerpt from a novel entitled: The Naked McCain.

AUGGHHH!!! MY EYES!!!!!! I need brain bleach!

And FandG has always been in desperate need of a constructive hobby. May I suggest woodworking?

No, no, he needs to take up blacksmithing. He can apprentice, and our Canton needs loaner armor. Win/win, yes?

I can see making the argument that he's been critical, but the greatest critic? Not even within his own party.

Of course, he's still far superior to the other frontrunners.

SNIPHahaha, oh dear. What people will say in an election campaign.

It's a moot issue as McCain's run for President is almost over. He will probably throw in the towel before long.

It's like brain freeze without the ice cream. :(
No flavor, but a funny aftertaste?

No flavor, but a funny aftertaste?

Just the intense sharp head pain from eating it to fast without the joy of eating it. :(

Just the intense sharp head pain from eating it to fast without the joy of eating it. :(
My comment was meant as an addition - I don't mind the occasional brain freeze, as long as the ice cream has a nice flavor. :p

I'm curious, does anyone know where (if anywhere, consistently) McCain stands on stem cell research? Because if he isn't already, he might want to get behind it. Could cure his Alzheimer's. :-P

I'm curious, does anyone know where (if anywhere, consistently) McCain stands on stem cell research? Because if he isn't already, he might want to get behind it. Could cure his Alzheimer's. :-P

He stands firmly on the side of those asking at the time. *nod*

ROFL, no history of conflict between Sunnis and Shia, he might want to cast his eye back to 632 CE.

He has consistently and vociferously argued for a bolstering of US forces in Iraq. The astounding success of the surge in curtailing violence in Baghdad was a resonating achievement for McCain's meticulously-conceived vision. However, he recognized that it would be insufficient if we were to attain all our objectives in a timely manner. Unfortunately, Bush has systematically committed the error of sending in too few troops.
...

Bit of a shame that the surge didn't prevent over 350 innocent civilians dying in 24 hours earlier in the month, eh?

He has consistently and vociferously argued for a bolstering of US forces in Iraq. The astounding success of the surge in curtailing violence in Baghdad was a resonating achievement for McCain's meticulously-conceived vision. However, he recognized that it would be insufficient if we were to attain all our objectives in a timely manner. Unfortunately, Bush has systematically committed the error of sending in too few troops.

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/fdeb03a7-30b0-4ece-8e34-4c7ea83f11d8.htm

I think he meant a less biased one seeing as you took it straight from his website.

I suppose it bears mentioning:

We have always been at war with Eastasia, never with Eurasia. Black is white. The Party has always been in control.


I'm waiting for someone's campaign slogan to be:

*War is peace
*Freedom is slavery
*Ignorance is strength.
-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

I'm sure somone out there belives,well,that if the party(thier party)demands that people must belive black is white,that the people must belive black is white.

The keyword here is blackwhite. Like so many Newspeak words, this word has two mutually contradictory meanings. Applied to an opponent, it means the habit of impudently claiming that black is white, in contradiction of the plain facts. Applied to a Party member, it means a loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this. But it means also the ability to believe that black is white, and more, to know that black is white, and to forget that one has ever believed the contrary. This demands a continuous alteration of the past, made possible by the system of thought which really embraces all the rest, and which is known in Newspeak as doublethink. Doublethink is basically the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.

– Part II, chapter IX - chapter I of Goldstein's book

It's like brain freeze without the ice cream. :(

Sigworthy.

Original Think Progress article (http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/18/mccain-greatest-critic/)
More neutral article (http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/mccain-life-isnt-fair-2007-08-17.html)

Hahaha, oh dear. What people will say in an election campaign.

Suuuure you are...

Well, he has a little respect from me for being on The Daily Show as often as he has been.
This last time on, this week, was a lot gentler than the occasion just prior.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/Stewart-and-McCain-thumb.jpg
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/Stewart-and-McCain-thumb.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/2006/07/25/mccain-dodges-stewart-que_e_25764.html&h=200&w=266&sz=11&hl=en&start=20&um=1&tbnid=wApFKvU99TOGLM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=113&prev=/images%3Fq%3DDaily%2BShow%2BJohn%2BMcCain%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG