McCain: Bringing troops home "not too important"

[motivez]

YouTube Video

Wow, it keeps getting worse for him every time he opens his mouth.. and it's not just the blogs that are bringing this up, now big named Democrats have come out and commented on it..

John Kerry:

Kerry: McCain confused, 'unbelievably out of touch'

John Kerry, who's served in the past as Obama's heavy-hitter on national security, expressed incredulity at McCain's remark this morning that the timing of troops return is "not too important."

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs of Americans and particularly the families of troops who are over there. To them it’s the most important thing in the world when they come home," he said. "It’s a policy for staying in Iraq."

Kerry and Obama aide Susan Rice also both said McCain is "confused" -- a line some in McCain's camp will surely take as a shot at the candidate's age.

"He confuses who Iran is training, he confuses what the makeup of Al Qaedais, he confuses the history going back to 682 of what has happened to Sunni and Shia," Kerry said.

Rice cited a "pattern of confusing the basic facts and reality that pertain to Iraq."

UPDATE: Asked if "confused" was a shot at McCain's age, Rice responded: "What I meant by that was very simple: That on critical factual questions that are fundamental to understanding what is going on in Iraq and the region, Senator McCain has gotten it wrong, and not just once but repeatedly."

Kerry called the suggestion it had something to do with age "unfair and a ridiculous."

"There are plenty of Senators and Congressmen in Washington, D.C., who understand the difference and don’t make the mistakes that he has made with respect to those policies," Kerry said, mentionin John Warner. "They know who the Sunni are and they know who the Shia are."

Ben Smith's Blog: Kerry: McCain confused, 'unbelievably out of touch' - Politico.com

Joe Biden:

"Senator McCain’s comment is evidence that he is totally out of touch with the needs of our troops and the national security needs of our nation. I think many of our brave soldiers and their families would disagree that it’s ‘not too important’ when they come home.

"Knowing when our troops can come home from Iraq is vitally important, because the costs of staying with 140,000 or more troops are getting steeper every day: the continued loss of the lives and limbs of our soldiers; the strain on our troops and their families due to repeated, extended tours; the drain on our Treasury – $3 billion every week; the impact on the readiness of our armed forces; and the inability to send enough soldiers to the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the people who actually attacked us on 9-11 have regrouped and are plotting new attacks. It is long past time to refocus our foreign policy on the many challenges we face, not just Iraq.

"Like President Bush, Senator McCain cannot tell the American people when, or even if, Iraqis will come together politically – which was purpose of the surge in the first place. He can’t tell us when, or even if, we will draw down below pre-surge levels. He can’t tell us when, or even if, Iraq will be able to stand on its own two feet. He can’t tell us when, or even if, this war will end."

The Page - by Mark Halperin - TIME

Harry Reid:

"McCain's statement today that withdrawing troops doesn't matter is a crystal clear indicator that he just doesn't get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course -- Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished. We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war."

TPM Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Harry Reid Hammers McCain For His "Not Too Important" Iraq Comment

Nancy Pelosi:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement today in response to Senator John McCain’s comments on the "Today" show this morning that it is "not too important" when our troops can redeploy from Iraq:

"Senator McCain’s statement that it is ‘not too important’ when U.S. troops are redeployed from Iraq is yet another indication how out of touch he is with the effect the war in Iraq is having on the readiness of our military. Addressing the national security implications of the military readiness crisis ought to be considered as extremely important by someone who aspires to be commander in chief.

"The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, said again yesterday that our military commitment in Iraq is hindering our ability to meet threats to our national security in places such as Afghanistan. Military leaders agree that the demands of frequent deployments to Iraq are stretching our Army to the breaking point, and that unacceptable strain is being placed on our troops, their families, and their equipment.

"For our military readiness, for the families of our brave men and women in uniform, and for our national security, America needs a New Direction in Iraq — not the continuation of the Bush-McCain plan for an endless war in Iraq.

The Page - by Mark Halperin - TIME

Rahm Emmanuel:

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel released the following statement reacting to Senator John McCain’s comments this morning on the Today Show that it is "not important" when American troops are able to come home from Iraq:

"When asked this morning about American troops coming home from Iraq, John McCain said ‘that’s not too important.’ Senator McCain, to the men and women who are serving their second, third, or even fourth deployment in Iraq, and to their families, it is incredibly important.

"Once again, John McCain has displayed a fundamental misunderstanding about the situation in Iraq, our strained military, and American troops and their families. The truth is, with more than 160,000 American troops in Iraq with no plan from the Bush Administration for a timely exit, Al-Qaeda reconstituting on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border, and the American military strained beyond all appropriate readiness, bringing American troops home from Iraq is incredibly important. With each passing day, the more John McCain talks about Iraq, the more the American people are reminded of how much we need change in Washington - not more of the same from Senator McCain."

The Page - by Mark Halperin - TIME

I have a feeling we're going to be treated to many a gaffe such as this from the McCain camp before November.. the idea that it's "not too important" has got to be one of the most callous statements I've heard one of the candidates say.

[TankRizzo]

nice fade out on the explanation.

[motivez]

He said it was about casualties. But that's the same bullshit he used to try to justify his "make it 100 years" comment as well.

It's still extremely important.. and not just to the family members of those serving. The Iraqi's don't want us there, we should be preparing to leave..

[TankRizzo]

Originally Posted by motivez

He said it was about casualties. But that's the same bullshit he used to try to justify his "make it 100 years" comment as well.

It's still extremely important.. and not just to the family members of those serving. The Iraqi's don't want us there, we should be preparing to leave..

...in your opinion.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by TankRizzo

...in your opinion.

In my opinion what? That the Iraqi government doens't want us there? That's just a fact. They're trying to get us to leave.

[TankRizzo]

Originally Posted by motivez

In my opinion what? That the Iraqi government doens't want us there? That's just a fact. They're trying to get us to leave.

This is news to me, link?

[motivez]

Originally Posted by TankRizzo

This is news to me, link?

US threatens Iraq's foreign reserves in bid to prolong occupation

[TankRizzo]

Originally Posted by motivez

US threatens Iraq's foreign reserves in bid to prolong occupation

That's about them trying to not get strongarmed into signing a deal with us about a long term occupation, that doesn't mean they want us out now.

[motivez]

Originally Posted by TankRizzo

That's about them trying to not get strongarmed into signing a deal with us about a long term occupation, that doesn't mean they want us out now.

Read the new post I put in there. They want us gone, they don't think we're needed, and a majority of the same government the Republicans touted as being freely elected, representative, yadda yadda.. for so long wants us gone.

I mean, there's been a majority of the Iraqi government that has wanted us gone dating back to at least '07, when a majority signed a legislative petition calling for us to set a timetable, and then follow it.

If they're a sovereign nation, why don't we respect that?

[TankRizzo]

Originally Posted by motivez

Read the new post I put in there. They want us gone, they don't think we're needed, and a majority of the same government the Republicans touted as being freely elected, representative, yadda yadda.. for so long wants us gone.

I mean, there's been a majority of the Iraqi government that has wanted us gone dating back to at least '07, when a majority signed a legislative petition calling for us to set a timetable, and then follow it.

If they're a sovereign nation, why don't we respect that?

I did read it, and it's about us trying to strongarm them into that deal. When they get together and ask us to leave, yeah, but this isn't about that, it's about the deal.

[motivez]

They don't want the deal, and they don't want us there. In both instances we're actively ignoring the wishes of a sovereign government whose country we're currently occupying. Now against their will.

And McCain is living in a fantasy world where it doesn't matter when we can finally leave.

[WickedLou9]

Iraq lawmakers want U.S. forces out as part of deal - Yahoo! News

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of the Iraqi parliament has written to Congress rejecting a long-term security deal with Washington if it is not linked to a requirement that U.S. forces leave, a U.S. lawmaker said on Wednesday.

[motivez]

Yeah, I just posted the Reuters version of the same article. They're saying it precisely because they don't want us there long term. That's their main problem with the deal.

They want us gone.

[Scrum]

He is so out of touch.

[SoFlaJDM]

YouTube Video

germans, russians... same shit

[motivez]

Originally Posted by SoFlaJDM

YouTube Video

germans, russians... same shit

"They both had communist governments in WW2 that.. err, wait. Well, they both ended in "IST!" just like the word "TERRORIST!" Which is bad!"

[kinggovernor]

is that really the best you guys can do? This is the second time you have taken his words out of context in a half-assed attempt to say something about his Iraq policy.

His words speak to anyone who has ever been overseas in the military, it really doesn't matter where you are. You aren't home but if you aren't getting shot at, things are pretty good.

I would like to hear Jim Webb's response to this.

[motivez]

It's hardly taken out of context. Each time he's caught himself to add in the bit about casualties, but there's no good or justifiable reason to spend the next 100 years occupying Iraq, or to say that it's not important when our troops can get out of there and come home.