Welcome to John McCain TV. We’re going to see a lot of it.
Since the topic is turning to Iraq anew, the latest developments are not good news. If Obama is hoping to earn respect on military matters, he needs to keep articles like this from popping up.
No matter who the Democratic nominee is, you can bet Iraq will sound something
like this. Obama was up yesterday, taking incoming from John McCain:
Despite McCain’s war-hero status and years of foreign policy experience,
Obama made it clear that he will not back down from such a fight, issuing
a quick rebuke of McCain that linked him to President Bush and the war in
Iraq.The spat began when McCain seized on a comment by Obama that he would reserve
the right to return to Iraq after withdrawing troops “if al-Qaeda is
forming a base in Iraq.”“I have some news,” McCain told voters at a rally here Wednesday
morning. “Al-Qaeda is in Iraq. Al-Qaeda is called ‘al-Qaeda in Iraq.’
My friends, if we left, they wouldn’t be establishing a base. . . . they would
be taking a country. I will not allow that to happen, my friends. I will not
surrender.” … ..
McCain hasn’t lost the “my friends” line yet? It’s awful.
Olbermann got into a telling back and forth with Margaret Carlson on Iraq, talking about this same back and forth between Obama and McCain, and it simply ended with Carlson saying she couldn’t imagine withstanding what McCain had, doubting she had his courage. At this point Olbermann started mumbling. This scene is going to play out over and over again.
Whoever the Democrats nominee is, with Obama clearly with the wind at his back, starting out
thinking despite McCain’s war-hero status and years of foreign policy experience is ignoring that there isn’t any “despite” on this one. Neither Clinton or Obama will have an easy time of it. Truth is that Democrats
forfeited Iraq as an issue after the new Democratic Congress squandered the vote of confidence they got though
the 2006 election. We won’t get another benefit of the doubt moment, especially up against John McCain, and not with the way he views this battle. Through Iraq he sees Vietnam, with the same thing playing out, which he’s determined to stop. No doubt he believes we lost the war back then because we didn’t fight it out and win. That’s driving him. Never underestimate an old warrior settling a score.
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