McCain trashes Rummy for iraq war mess

[240 is Back]

BLUFFTON, S.C. (AP) -- Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Monday the war in Iraq has been mismanaged for years and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld will be remembered as one of the worst in history.
"We are paying a very heavy price for the mismanagement _ that's the kindest word I can give you _ of Donald Rumsfeld, of this war," the Arizona senator told an overflow crowd of more than 800 at a retirement community near Hilton Head Island, S.C. "The price is very, very heavy and I regret it enormously."

 

McCain, the ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, complained that Rumsfeld never put enough troops on the ground to succeed in Iraq.

"I think that Donald Rumsfeld will go down in history as one of the worst secretaries of defense in history," McCain said to applause.

The comments were in sharp contrast to McCain's statement when Rumsfeld resigned in November, and failed to address the reality that President Bush is the commander in chief.

"While Secretary Rumsfeld and I have had our differences, he deserves Americans' respect and gratitude for his many years of public service," McCain said last year when Rumfeld stepped down.

On a two-day campaign swing in South Carolina, McCain fielded questions from the crowd for more than an hour and said the United States can succeed in Iraq with additional troops and a new strategy. McCain has been a strong proponent of using more troops and favors Bush's increase of some 21,500 U.S. forces in the nearly four-year-old war.

"I have been saying for 3 1/2 years that we would be in this sad situation and this critical situation we are in today," he said.

McCain's bid for president was sidetracked in South Carolina in 2000 after a victory in New Hampshire. George W. Bush won the primary here and went on to win the nomination and White House.

[Dos Equis]

McCain speaks the truth. 

[Tre]

One *has* to be anti-war in order to get elected next November.

[240 is Back]

One *has* to be anti-war in order to get elected next November.

Hilary's "Get out of Iraq in 90 days" bill just undercut Obama's advantage and is forcing the republicans to take the stance they refused to do on that troop surge bill.

[pumpster]

He should have said this more forcefully and more loudly years ago. If this surge works, and there's a possibility it might help, it could've been done years ago.

[240 is Back]

He should have said this more forcefully and more loudly years ago. If this surge works, and there's a possibility it might help, it could've been done years ago.

talking heads say there is a coordinated effort already to put a good PR spin on the surge results.  in other words, as the first troops arrived, both the white house and iraqi pm office put out simultaneous statements saying how many successes the surge is bringing.  is it politically motivated?  of course it is.  So any evaluations by people with elected positions should be studied. 

[mightymouse72]

One *has* to be anti-war in order to get elected next November.

i disagree, voting for a anti-war president would be a vital mistake.
we need a war-time president.  despite your feelings about iraq, we are still fighting terrorists all over the world that want to cause more blood shed over here.
times have changed.
we don't need another "appeaser". 


the more i hear about mccain, the more i like him.

[240 is Back]

i disagree, voting for a anti-war president would be a vital mistake.
we need a war-time president.  despite your feelings about iraq, we are still fighting terrorists all over the world that want to cause more blood shed over here.
times have changed.
we don't need another "appeaser". 

There is no appeasing going on.  You either want to keep our men in the cities, or you want to make the iraqis manage the cities.  A "pullout" only means they no longer manage the cities.  Our men and bases will remain there forever no matter who gets in.  Once Hilary stands in front of a mic and says "leave the cities", McCain's position will be suddenly be "I feel the same as hilary except i want to leave troops where they're getting killed".  He can't win with that.

[mightymouse72]

There is no appeasing going on. 

i was referring to b. clinton

[240 is Back]

i was referring to b. clinton

clinton did it.  Bush does too.  (N Korea just got a million tons of oil to SUSPEND their nuke program!) LOL...

[mightymouse72]

clinton did it.  Bush does too.  (N Korea just got a million tons of oil to SUSPEND their nuke program!) LOL...

i thought you were all about negotiating??  they finally settle an issue, whether it's temporary or not we'll see, through talking and you still fuss about it.  would you rather had done it militarily?  they never killed innocent people through suicide bombers. 
there is a difference in negotiating with a leader of a nation than with religious fanatics.  you can't do the latter.

and it wasn't a million tons of oil

[240 is Back]

and it wasn't a million tons of oil

CNN thinks the deal is for a million tons.  Weird.  i guess one of you is wrong.  Who knows.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/13/nkorea.talks/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

[pumpster]

talking heads say there is a coordinated effort already to put a good PR spin on the surge results. 

Not necessarily. The troop increase amounts to a multiple increase in troops actually on the ground, plus the build-up will take time so there is no way to have already judged the effectiveness. Some impartial observers give it a reasonable chance.

[24KT]

i thought you were all about negotiating??  they finally settle an issue, whether it's temporary or not we'll see,

It's as temporary as it was the last time there was an agreement to suspend their program. But then someone reneged on their end of the deal, ...named NK part of the axis of evil... and NK started flexing her nuke muscles again.

[mightymouse72]

CNN thinks the deal is for a million tons.  Weird.  i guess one of you is wrong.  Who knows.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/13/nkorea.talks/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

ok, you got me. i never heard of the second shipment.

now wipe that smirk off your face.

still, are you are saying it's a bad thing??

[240 is Back]

Sorry, didn't mean to be a dick.

I do believe it's appeasing the threat.  Clinton did the same thing, gave them money to stop, and they bought it from Donald Rumsfeld's private company in 1999 anyway.

IMO they just want to hand the problem to Hilary or McCain.  They just want to put it off so they can use their political capital in Iraq/n.  it puts us in a dangerious spot, as the quiet research going on for the next two year, coupled with the oil $.

[tu_holmes]

It's as temporary as it was the last time theere was an agreement to suspend their program. But then someone reneged on their end of the deal, ...named NK part of the axis of evil... and NK started flexing her nuke muscles again.

I think the whole "axis of evil" quote really made Lil' Kim stand up and start chest thumping... Lumping him in with the terrorist groups was a shitty idea.

[24KT]

I think the whole "axis of evil" quote really made Lil' Kim stand up and start chest thumping... Lumping him in with the terrorist groups was a shitty idea.

Since when was one of W's ideas not so? I'll give him one thing... he is consistent. 

[tu_holmes]

Since when was one of W's ideas not so? I'll give him one thing... he is consistent. 

Here's a question, would we be a better country if "W" had actually choked on that pretzel and died?

[Dos Equis]

i disagree, voting for a anti-war president would be a vital mistake.
we need a war-time president.  despite your feelings about iraq, we are still fighting terrorists all over the world that want to cause more blood shed over here.
times have changed.
we don't need another "appeaser". 


the more i hear about mccain, the more i like him.

I agree.  I've always liked McCain.  I just hope he can find a fountain of youth before the election (assuming he will be the nominee). 

[24KT]

Here's a question, would we be a better country if "W" had actually choked on that pretzel and died?

That would have put Cheney in the Oval Office. I doubt that would have changed much.
Instead of a puppet dancing to his master, ...the puppet master would have been in charge. No diff.

[tu_holmes]

That would have put Cheney in the Oval Office. I doubt that would have changed much.
Instead of a puppet dancing to his master, ...the puppet master would have been in charge. No diff.

Good point...

[trab]

What we NEED is - to NOT NEED THEIR DAMN OIL. Let them drink it and kill each other like they so much enjoy. Unfortunately that is not a quick fix.

I wanted Bush to Invade Iraq, but it was a mistake in retrospect. This is why construction workers dont get to be President. We'd just Nuke 'em all.
I cant believe how many of my Conservative very well off Business associates are done with Bush.
Dems will win unless they really screw it up.  I dont think HillY C. has a chance though.
Big F'n mess & the little people are the ones who pay the price.

McCains just another self serving politician.

[24KT]

What we NEED is - to NOT NEED THEIR DAMN OIL. Let them drink it and kill each other like they so much enjoy. Unfortunately that is not a quick fix.

I wanted Bush to Invade Iraq, but it was a mistake in retrospect. This is why construction workers dont get to be President. We'd just Nuke 'em all.
I cant believe how many of my Conservative very well off Business associates are done with Bush.
Dems will win unless they really screw it up.  I dont think HillY C. has a chance though.
Big F'n mess & the little people are the ones who pay the price.

McCains just another self serving politician.

Trab, I couldn't agree with you more. Unfortunately for the time being and the near foreseeable future,
we ALL still need their oil. However, there are some pretty pro-active steps we can take to not need so much of it.

Here's a way to painlessly reduce our fuel consumption <--click me without having to drive less.

Be sure to click on the 'Products tab' and pay real close attention about 4 mins 50 seconds into the video.

Hope That Helps   

[Tre]

He should have said this more forcefully and more loudly years ago. If this surge works, and there's a possibility it might help, it could've been done years ago.

Dude - you've got, what, roughly 150,000 U.S. troops on the ground right now and haven't even secured the road from the airport to downtown Baghdad in 4 years.  Do you have any idea how large Iraq is?