OK. So what does that mean? Let’s consider some recent statements from the Arizona senator and place them within a larger context.
First, this from Think Progress (which has the video):
“Anyone who worries about how long we’re in Iraq does not understand the military and does not understand war,” said McCain.
He then added that it is “really almost insulting to one’s intelligence” to question “how long we’re in Iraq” because he believes the current “strategy” is “succeeding.”
But, as Think Progress points out, McCain’s statements contradict what the Pentagon’s top brass has been saying:
By dismissing as naïve those concerned with how long the U.S. military is mired in Iraq, McCain is claiming that top officials in the Pentagon don’t understand “the military” or “war” as well as he does. In a recent GOP presidential debate, McCain argued, “I’m the expert” on Iraq.
Top military brass, such as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen and Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey, have worried in the past year that “a protracted deployment of U.S. troops”in Iraq would not be a wise move for the military
I don’t want to make too much of what the generals are saying, especially because of the political role that Gen. Petraeus has played in the debate in recent months. But it is interesting to hear someone who has served on the legislative side for more than two decades claim for himself the kind of authority that conservatives said the Johnson administration took for itself during Vietnam — you know, the argument being that the politicians didn’t let the generals do their job.
That said, McCain also goes out of his way to paint a rosy picture of the progress of the surge:
- “We are winning this. Let’s pursue it to the end together and stop this bitter partisanship.” (Huffington Post)
- On Sunday, McCain told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that “we’ve succeeded militarily” in Iraq. (Think Progress)
And then on Jan. 13, “McCain added ‘political reconciliation’ to his victory list,” according to a Jan. 14 post on Think Progress:
At a campaign stop today, McCain said that the new law is evidence that “we’re succeeding politically”:
Now, six months ago, the Democrats were saying we’ve lost the war militarily. […]
My friends, you would have to suspend disbelief to believe that it’s not. So then they said, after we succeeded militarily, Well, you can’t succeed politically. You’re not moving forward politically. Well, now we’re succeeding politically.
McClatchy, however, disputed the notion in a story yesterday:
Violence is increasing in Iraq, raising questions about whether the security improvements credited to the increase in U.S. troops may be short-lived.
He’s also likened a withdrawal to surrender:
“If we surrender and wave a white flag, like Senator Clinton wants to do, and withdraw, as Governor Romney wanted to do, then there will be chaos, genocide, and the cost of American blood and treasure would be dramatically higher.”
Higher than what? We’ve already witnessed everything McCain says will follow our withdrawal and, even with our presence there, it appears to come in waves.
Basically, McCain has been too much of a cheerleader on Iraq and is way too committed not only to maintaining a deadly policy, but potentially to escalating it and making it even more deadly and further damaging our already tarnished international reputation.
The question is whether the press will ask the tough questions or work from their prepared script. I guess we have nine months in which to find out.
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Hank Kalet 