Republican presidential front runner John McCain wants to convince the United States that the war in Iraq is succeeding...even though Northern Iraq is in complete peril. If he can't get the American people to accept the Iraq war, he says, " I lose. I lose."
Right after McCain made the statement to reporters from his campaign bus, he didn't take long to back-pedal. "If I may, I'd like to retract 'I'll lose.' But I don't think there's any doubt that how they judge Iraq will have a direct relation to their judgment of me."
McCain has been an avid supporter of the Iraq War, and makes clear that he intends on keeping U.S troops in the Middle East until the "War on Terror" is complete. He made a statement last month indicating that the troops could possibly be in Iraq for another 10,000 years, and his support of the military surge has been something he constantly boasts about.
McCain's Democratic rivals argue his candidacy would serve as a continuation of George Bush's failed policies. McCain has fought back, saying that withdrawing troops would be like waving the "white flag of surrender."
Although many Republicans still support the Iraq War, Democrats and Independents want out, and they have good reason to. The war in Iraq has been anything but a successful fight against terror. In reality, terror as only increased in the Middle East.
The Turkish military's web site says an additional 41 Kurdish rebels have been killed in a cross-boarder operation in Iraq. A total of 153 Kurds have died since the beginning of Turkey's incursion, with Turkish troops destroying rebel shelters and logistic centers.
In addition, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Baghdad on Sunday, killing 40 Shiite pilgrims and injuring 60. The bombing was the second attack of the day. Hours earlier extremists used guns and grenades to attack a group of Sunnis in another part of Baghdad. The attack killed three and wounded 36.
Bush's policies along with the Iraq war have been complete failures. McCain's denial is a great indication that if he makes it to the White House, the failures will live on.
Mo Rocca has appeared on a bunch of shows, including 'The Daily Show,' 'I Love the 80s,'...
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Conditions in Northern Iraq Worsen...But McCain Says The War is a Success.
Posted Feb 25th 2008 3:06PM by Ana Kasparian
Filed under: Iraq, Politics, Elections, George Bush, Young Turks, John McCain
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Mo Rocca appears on a bunch of shows, including CBS News Sunday Morning (with the indescribably wonderful Charles Osgood), The Tonight Show on NBC, and NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! He's a sometime judge on Iron Chef and was featured on Telemundo's Amore Descarado. Last year he starred on Broadway in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. His expose "All the President's Pets" was published by Crown in 2004.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 4)
1. Clearly, this nation can't afford a weak kneed liberal puker for president.
So Bush's war failed, huh? In the tribal region of Pakistan the approval rating for Al Qeada and the Taliban are down from seventy percent to single digits.
Al Qeada in Iraq is being hunted by their brother Sunnis. Violence is down in Iraq. Al Qeada casualities are up all over the world. The Iraqi government is coming together recently passing legilation to bring the country together.
Obama ... a big Palestinian supporter until he decided to run for the senate, wants to pull the troops out ... to insure defeat. I wonder if he's willing to take the consequences for pulling out, or if he'll do what liberals are famous for ... screw up and blame republicans?
Yeah, Bush lost his war ... liberals will make sure of it. All they need is a weak kneed liberal in the Oval Office.
Thomas J Gassett at 5:08PM on Feb 25th 2008
2. Gassett, move to Pakistan or to Iraq if it's such a paradise.
Until then youre still an idiot.
Dennis at 5:13PM on Feb 25th 2008
3. Terror is at an alltime high world wide because of your boyfriends war on terror, fool.
Dennis at 5:15PM on Feb 25th 2008
4. Iraq is a success, but by accident. The documents used to support war were a fraud. We didn't find the WMD as promised. The Anthrax didn't come from Iraq, it came from America. They lied about Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman. McCain promised to stay in Iran for 100 years and he sings about Bombing Iran. The choices couldn't be any clearer. This is Al Gore's turn. Heal the Party and we will Heal America.
Cecil Jones at 5:59PM on Feb 25th 2008
5. Any war is hell. I wonder what the people that are living thru this one have to say about it, either way?
Patty at 6:16PM on Feb 25th 2008
6. SFCmac, you can comment, Gassert just repeats talking points. But how're you going to feel when your kids get thrown into that mess and your grandkids are paying for it?
Dennis at 6:34PM on Feb 25th 2008
7. Hey Stank, better return Harry Reid's "Whiny- Surrender-Iraq-Failure" speech before he knows it's gone! Just pathetic, again...
BirdmanJones at 6:43PM on Feb 25th 2008
8. . SFCmac, you can comment, Gassert just repeats talking points. But how're you going to feel when your kids get thrown into that mess and your grandkids are paying for it?
>>>>
Catch a clue, Lefty! Obama pulls us out of Iraq, and you can count on our grandchildren fighting and dying in the Middle East. We can win now ... or we can do it all again latter. The problem is ... it looks like it's Obama's decission to make. And let's not forget that he was a big Palestinian supporter ... before he ran for the Senate.
Thomas J Gassett at 7:37PM on Feb 25th 2008
9. 3. Terror is at an alltime high world wide because of your boyfriends war on terror, fool.
>>>>
Terrorism has been growing expenitally for decades. Stupid tells us it's growing because we are fighting them. The logical end to stupid's argument is stop fighting and it gose away. Is this the sort of insanity thats going to govern this nation? Be afraid ... be very afraid.
Thomas J Gassett at 7:40PM on Feb 25th 2008
10. Wow! "Cheryl",used the words "paradise" and "Iraq" in the same sentence...lol....been a long time since what I was drinking shot out my nose. Violence is still at a high level, the national medical-care system has been largely destroyed; perhaps 4.5 million Iraqis have either fled the country or become internally displaced persons; approximately 70% lack access to clean water; and 4 million, according to the UN, don't know where their next meal is coming from. I hope and pray our current servicemen and women have a firmer grip on reality than this delusional "retired" one.
EJ Murphy at 7:46PM on Feb 25th 2008
11. The surge message by McCain and the republicans are disengenuous. Here is why I think so:
After four years of Shia killing Sunni and Kurds, Sunni killing Shia and Kurds, Kurds killing Shia and Sunni and Al Quiada killing Shia,Sunni and Kurds the Iraques got tired of the bloodshed and living in a Boiling pot of hatred. Also, many Iraques had left the country and many neighbor-hoods had become only one ethnic group.
Due to the above information plus the fact the Iraques felt the American troops could not stop the bloodshed nor provide the safety most Iraques were looking for, they decided to do something about their own situation. So, the area of Iraq that was predominately Sunni started working with the Americans by helping root out Al Quaida and stopped many Iraque on Iraque killing. Even Sadr called off his Shia folowers and reduced Iraque on Iraque killing. There were many news articles that the reduction in violence had already started long before the idea of a surge.
So what the Bush adminstration decided to do a political move by having a "Surge" that hopefully would be bought by the American poulation as the solution to the downturn in violence! Bought hook line and sinker by the easily fooled and those that only get their news from "Faux News". The "Surge " outdoes the Bush "Photo Ops"!
Tommy at 8:31PM on Feb 25th 2008
12. Hey, I dont like war, just the thought of getting shot, anywhere...
But good things ARE BEING DONE. We are helping them. I dont know why it had to be like this or why it is taking so long, but, I dont think we should leave, not until conditions are more stable.
Michelle at 8:38PM on Feb 25th 2008
13. My husband is currently in Mosul-Northern Iraq-right now. i can attest to the fact that it is, in fact, worsening. This is his second tour. His first was in the initial surge. If this are worse now than they were in the inital surge, that leaves me wondering what the hell we are doing over there? Our soldiers are dying every day and it's worse over there?! Please, if you care at all about our soldiers, thier families, or common sense, vote for a Democrat this election.
Emily at 8:44PM on Feb 25th 2008
14. Cenk - I Don't think you got the memo: Iraqis are now assisting the US in rooting out the Baathists and entrenched terrorists and helping us to destroy them. I think you and Dennis Kucinich are the last two lefties to fail to realize that the surge is working.
Your assertion that terror is increasing is a little bit like saying the Nazis got mad at us once we jumped into World War 2. Wars are always more dangerous when you're fighting them and less dangerous when they are over, assuming our side wins and we're going to. That's really bad news for Congressional Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, the folks who are invested in defeat.
Dave at 8:45PM on Feb 25th 2008
15. Hey, all you pro-war neocons... if this war is so important, WHY AREN'T YOU THERE??? We military families are sick of bearing the burden of this war of greed and choice that you champion! So go ahead, sign up! Sign your kids and grandkids up while you're at it; McCain would have us there for 100 years!! Go over there and fight this thing out, if our "security" depends on it! Hey, better yet, since Iraq is improving so much and is so safe and secure these days, why don't you go ahead, bring your families there, and colonize it? You and McCain can stroll freely through the open markets in Baghdad as much as you want. But how about letting our real troops come home? It's very easy to support a war when you remain unaffected by it.
L.M. at 8:49PM on Feb 25th 2008