Not Good Enough
Posted on June 11, 2008 by andrew
Marc Ambinder (and I’m sure others will make similar arguments; his just happens to be the first I saw) is already accusing Democrats of playing unfairly with McCain’s “not too important” remark regarding bringing our soldiers home from Iraq. In summary, Ambinder believes that Democrats ought to acknowledge the context of McCain’s comments, in which he followed the soon-to-be-played-on-an-endless-loop soundbite with the following:
What’s important is the casualties in Iraq, Americans are in South Korea, Americans are in Japan, American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw; we will be able to withdraw. General [David] Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are.
Of course, none of this context addresses the very real problem with McCain’s statement: Americans want the soldiers home now. They don’t want a semi-permanent presence partly because they (with good reason) don’t believe that casualties will end so long as we have soldiers in Iraq, partly because they don’t understand what John McCain expects to achieve by staying, and partly because we have no new soldiers to send and the soldiers already there deserve an opportunity to come home to their families.
It doesn’t matter why John McCain doesn’t think bringing our soldiers home is very important. All that matters is he doesn’t think bringing our soldiers home is very important and he wants to keep them there on an indefinite basis. If that statement is true- and John McCain has made it repeatedly- then the Democrats are in no way being dishonest when they choose to emphasize the senator’s own words.
Now, if McCain wants to convince the American people that his indefinite occupation is the wise course of action, he has every right in the world to attempt such an effort. However, (a) I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for him to succeed, and (b) the Democrats have no obligation whatsoever to help him make his case.
Sphere: Related Content» Filed Under 2008 presidential election, Iraq war, John McCain
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