thinkprogress.org/2008/01/06/mccain-permanent-bases -> thinkprogress.org/2008/01/06/mccain-permanent-bases/
Fifty-nine percent say the US should "stick to a withdrawal timetable" instead of keeping "a significant number of troops in Iraq until the situation there gets better, even if that takes many years." But on CBS's Face the Nation, McCain claimed that Americans would not be "concerned" if the US spends "10,000 years" in Iraq: The point is it's American casualties. We've go to get American's off the frontlines, have the Iraqis as part of the strategy, take over more and more of the responsibilities, and then I don't think Americans are concerned if we're there for one hundred years or a thousand years or ten thousand years.
On June 10, 2007, McCain told George Stephanopolous that he opposes permanent bases: STEPHANOPOULOS: So no permanent bases? McCAIN: No, not forever, but certainly, we would be there for a long period of time in a support role, in many ways. But by McCain's logic, 10,000 or even one million years is not "forever."
January 6th, 2008 at 12:12 pm 2 Jason M Hendler Says: This will be a significant differentiator between Reps and Dems in the 2008 election. Basicly, the leading nominees better state their economic policies moving forward, because it will be economic plans, and stance on the War in Iraq that will determine the winner.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:12 pm 4 pluege Says: so what mccain is saying is that Americans don't give a rats ass about the $billions, and ultimately the cool $trillion (AT LEAST) that mccain's illegal unnecessary criminal invasion will cost our grand children or the lost opportunity cost of that $trillion that could have provided universal healthcare, education, and countless other humanitarian actions in desperate short supply for the needy of the entire world (not just the US) for a very very long time. Chief republican loon mccain is as big a criminal as the rest. The bush/cheney/neocon/mccain abomination in Iraq is crime against humanity of immense proportions. All its instigators and prolongers should have long ago been tried and be in jail by now.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:15 pm 5 Jason M Hendler Says: #3, RickS, It is the Padashah Emporer's perogative to send Saudaker anywhere he pleases, so long as the Guild and Choam buy in.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:15 pm 6 Oval12345678 aka James K Sayre Says: Insane McCain. Only nine hundred and ninety six years to go on the Thousand Year BushReich Imperial Occupation of Iraq. Two (too) insane war mongers for the price of one: a KMart Special: Attention all Shoppers...
January 6th, 2008 at 12:16 pm 8 Jason M Hendler Says: Dems and Reps better pass an energy plan that gets us off foreign oil and natural gas ASAP, or whoever wins the presidency will live with a long deep recession.
January 6th, 2008 at 12:17 pm 9 Del Capslock Says: He did follow that up with what he thought Americans were concerned about, which is whether or not American soldiers are dying. Still, McCain's whole argument was so full of holes and half-truths that Russert could have skewered him if he were so inclined, but of course he is not so inclined. Hopefully the Democratic nominee's team is assembling the whole litany of McCain bullshit, since there's no doubt at this point that he will be the Republican nominee. McCain scares me not just because he's the MSM's darling and will therefore get a pass on most of his dishonesty, but because he is more hawkish than George W Bush. A McCain presidency just about guarantees we will see more war, whether we like it or not.
Buckie Boy Says: So to McInsane the FACT that a large majority of Americans want us to get the hell out of there means we don't care if we are there for 10,000 years?
Nevar Says: So Shaddam IV will still keep troops in Iraq? Comment by RickS EUR" January 6, 2008 @ 12:12 pm Pretty funny... instead of Fish Speakers, they'll have Window Peekers...
rastaman Says: murdering mass amounts of iraqi men, women and children = GOOD torture = BAD i see how the orwellian geriatric say anything mind of McCain works now.
Keltoi at Night Says: I think it was pretty clear that he felt it was caualties that upset the American people, not the prescence per se. Where is the uproar and agitation for us to leave Germany, S Korea, Okinawa, Kosovo etc. I think we'd be shocked at how many Americans don't even know we have troops in those places.
Jay Randal Says: If Iraq had NO oil, then McCain would be screaming to get the troops out of that hell-hole ASAP. This proves that OIL is the sole reason the US in in Iraq and the need to stay there till every single drop is pumped out. Thus McCain thinks it OK if 10,000 years was needed to do it, but the oil could all be pumped out in way less than 100 years.
Jay Randal Says: Another thing McCain forgets is that South Korea requests US troops in their country to prevent an invasion by North Korea. Germany allows some US bases because it helps their economy. Iraq has been occupied by the US against the wishes of the people.
EUR "McCain's Logic" envisions an Iraq in some distant future, when the Sunni-Shia civil war has gone underground. In this newly-re-visioned, possible version of the future, a Musharrif-style democracy arises, that keeps a lid on car-bombings and back-alley massacres. It wields power, inside the template of America's now-established anti-terror efforts. Suspension of habeaus corpus, torture, hostage-taking - the things we used as belated excuses for overthrowing Saddam. "McCain's Logic" dictates that we coddle, and excuse the excesses of the new regime because it means a lessening of American battlefield casualties - regardless of the methods used.
barfly Says: The point is itEUR(TM)s American casualties. WeEUR(TM)ve go to get AmericanEUR(TM)s off the frontlines, have the Iraqis as part of the strategy, take over more and more of the responsibilities, and then I donEUR(TM)t think Americans are concerned if weEUR(TM)re there for one hundred years or a thousand years or ten thousand years. Sounds like a tacit acknowledgement that American troops should redeploy, out of harm's way. He attacked Murtha for proposing essentially the same thing.
Bruce Gorton Says: I donEUR(TM)t think Americans are concerned if weEUR(TM)re there for one hundred years or a thousand years or ten thousand years. Said with the confidence of a man who hasn't checked the bill.
tom Says: Personally, I wouldnEUR(TM)t mind it if John McCain stayed in Iraq for the next 10,000 years. Perhaps, he could even single-handedly save the Iraqi economy by buying rugs in the Baghdad markets every day. An earlier poster commented that McCainEUR(TM)s bus has left the depot.
Helen Rainier Says: #22 -- There are two ways McCain's comment can be interpreted to my way of thinking: 1 Does McCain think the American people don't care; or, 2 Is McCain admitting that HE doesn't think before he utters these non-reality based comments of his? Either way, it indicates to me that McCain is out of touch with how the American people think about the Iraq disaster.
gummitch Says: I think it was pretty clear that he felt it was caualties that upset the American people, not the prescence per se. Where is the uproar and agitation for us to leave Germany, S Korea, Okinawa, Kosovo etc. I think weEUR(TM)d be shocked at how many Americans donEUR(TM)t even know we have troops in those places. Comment by Keltoi at Night EUR" January 6, 2008 @ 12:28 pm The agitation to get troops out of Okinawa come from the locals, actually. Although they view the Americans as occupiers, the troops are there at the request of the Japanese government (for now) and are ultimately destined to move to Australia. There is no parallel, however, between Iraq and any of these other installations as you well know. Other than Okinawa and some occasional problems in Korea, the locals do not view the Americans as interlopers and usually welcome their contribution to the economy and security. The Iraqis have made it very clear they don't want US troops stationed there and any such long-term occupation will just continue to provide fodder for the fundies. It's an effective way for the US to encourage terrorism, and to fuel (heh) the local belief that the US is only there to steal resources.
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