Just Straight Talking
PHILADELPHIA, PA -- During an afternoon conference call, surrogates for John McCain defended the Arizona senator against a chorus of Democratic criticiam about his comment this morning that an estimate of when troops may be withdrawn from Iraq is "not too important."
Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and John Thune (R-SD) said that the Democrats' furious circulation of the comment lacked both context and attention to the more important need for crafting a responsible strategy for ending the war.
Lieberman complained of "reflexive attacks," saying that opponents are engaged in "another partisan attempt to distort John McCain's words." Thune accused Democrats of "trying to blow this up as an issue because they don't want to talk about the success of the surge and the stability that's been delivered throughout Iraq." The South Dakota Republican called the Obama camp's objections a "deliberate distortion" and "a head fake."
"I think what people need to do is keep their eye on the ball," Thune said, "and that is success and victory in Iraq."
The campaign's representatives pointed to the entire exchange between McCain and NBC's Matt Lauer this morning, arguing that the full context makes obvious that McCain said that it is his own "estimate" for troop withdrawal that is "not too important," and that he places tantamount importance upon the lives and welfare of American troops.
Asked if McCain should be more wary of comments that could be parsed by the opposition, Lieberman defended his Senate colleague, saying that such fearful caution would go against McCain's very nature.
"The problem is if you start constructing your remarks to defend against people who will distort them, you're not going to be the straight talker that John McCain naturally is," Lieberman said. "And I think he was straight talking here."
(NBC/NJ's CARRIE DANN)
McCain has been saying this, essentially, for a time...that he believes the troops could/would/should be kept in Iraq a LONG time, as long as they are not in combat...like in Germany or South Korea. Trouble is...we've been 50+ YEARS in South Korea and not exactly in the same kind of political environment. Wish the Dems and the "pundits" would get off this rag and talk about the assumptions behind McCain's comments. He just spoke inarticulately, but the position is the same as long beforehand.
I say: BRING THE BOYS HOME! The girls an come too.