In an appearance on Meet the Press on NBC today, Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) tried to distance himself from President Bush’s announcement that he was sending 21,500 more U.S. forces into Iraq.
Faiz Shakir, associate editor of Think Progress, explains:
In October 2006, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) called for “another 20,000 troops in Iraq.” In January 2007, President Bush accepted the idea and announced he would send 21,500 more soldiers into the middle of Iraq’s civil war. McCain quickly endorsed the strategy.
Since that time, McCain has been slowly back-pedaling from the escalation plan, offering numerous reasons for why the strategy will not succeed. He has argued the Pentagon was “dragging its feet” in implementing the strategy. Now, he is arguing that the escalation is too small.
In response to a question by host, Tim Russert, McCain expressed reservations about the numbers — numbers that he, himself, floated in the past — but puts the responsibility on the shoulders of General David Petraeus:
MCCAIN: I am concerned about it, whether it is sufficient numbers or not. I would have liked to have seen more.
I looked General Petraeus in the eye and said is that sufficient for you to do the job? He assured me he thought it was and that he had been told if he needed more, he would receive them. I have great confidence in General Petraeus. I think he’s one of the finest generals that our military has ever produced, and he has a proven record on that. He wrote the new army counterinsurgency manual. [emphasis added]
Senator McCain has a history of waffling on troop increasements and the numbers.
His speech on January 5 at the American Enterprise Institute, appeared, to me, to be beginning of McCain’s effort to differentiate the “McCain Doctrine” from Bush’s decision outlined in the national address. Senator McCain emphasized a “substantial and sustained” increase of U.S. forces in Iraq. I was completely shocked that McCain endorsed the plan just six days later.
McCain’s presidential hopes hinge on the success or failure of Bush’s troop increase. If it fails, it will sink his candidacy. McCain’s only move in the face of failure is to distance himself from the policy the best he can.
1 Response to “McCain Backs Off Support of Increase”
Something to say?
So basically McCain is getting all Mitt Romney on himself. Nothing like holding a public debate with oneself on the most important issue in America today.
Left by Matt Browner Hamlin
January 21, 2007 at 6:50pm