The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

They always wanted the U.S. troops to leave Iraq until the Sunni insurgents was receiving pay to defend their own government. The Sunni insurgents were fighting the American troops before the Sunnie insurgents was on the payroll. Mccain wanted to stay in Iraq for 100 years or 10,000 years without realizing the stay in Iraq wasn't his decision now he wants to say its because of the success of the surge that the Iraqi's can ask for a withdrawl. The Iraqi's have always asked us to leave and didn't want us there. This is proof that Mccain doesn't know half of what the public thinks he knows on a number of issues.

Mccain is only saying that its because of the success of the surge the Iraqi's can ask for a withdrawl. The Iraqi's didn't want us there in the first place. The Iraqi's didn't ask the U.S. to invade there country the first or the second time. Its not because of the surge that Iraqi leaders want a time table for withdrawl, the always wanted the U.S. troops to withdrawl until they started paying them to fight for there own country.

The surge may have improved conditions on the ground but there were reasons why. A cease fire with rival tribal groups, paying Sunni insurgents to fight their own war, and spending a trillion dollars. Bush bought little progress and if Mccain is elected we would continue to die in Iraq,spend billions in Iraq to win what. What is worth more than our own economy and self interest. Theres no guarantee that if we leave or stay it will prevent Iraq being overthrown by another way with a neighboring country. Bush and Mccain wants to police Iraq because its rich with oil but we can't regardless how long we stay there and all the training in the world couldn't help Iraq become stronger against other nations so why are we investing with American lives and money for the impossible. If we leave and 2 or 10 years if Iraq goes to war and lose will that mean we lost the war? This notion that we must win the war that isn't ours is ridiculous especially when the real terroist always was in Afganistan Pakistan borders. If we did leave Iraq with a functioning government and a year later or 5 years later it falls apart does that mean we failed. Since when has the Iraqi government or any government was the responsibiltiy of America to invest so much? What is success in Iraq? Success in Iraq doesn't have anything to do with America but all to do with Iraq. We can't force them to achieve a functioning government. It wasn't a functioning government when Saddam was there. Now we must stay another 5-10 or 100 years like Mccain said to police Iraq. This is insane. We can't afford to stay and right now we need to focus on our country. If anybody wants to win a war and lose their country in return than vote for Mccain. Mccain just want to win any war because he lost in veitnam. Well he'll never win the war in Iraq regardless how long we stay there because once we leave anything can still happen. So why keep investing?

Re: tomabrahams

Are you kidding me? They stay at home.

Patricio;

Yes take the oil. We fought for it. We won.

The troop surge results are inconclusive because of the cash surge. If you don't know what the cash surge is; read about below.

The troop surge in Iraq was about 20,000 to 30,000. What has been in the news but not a topic in the media was the dollar surge in the millions of dollars. Every reporter and correspondent knows that when the troop surge started the US started paying the insurgents. They put them all on the US payroll and we are paying for it. This is why these idiots are saying the "surge" worked but they don't tell you that the over 100,000 insurgent are getting paid every day by the US government. They are like junkyard dogs; if you don't have a pork chop in your hand they will turn on you.

The situation in Iraq IS markedly improved.

Grinding past axes is boring.

The question is - how do we proceed from here?

The Dems, who were put in control of Congress last promising to quickly end the war, went SPLAT!

Maybe they need to update their positions, quit crying about Florida in 2000, etc.

Ahhh Indiana...

What's a Hoosier anyway?

Doesn't it basically translate into "backwater hillbilly?"

And exactly why would the rest of us, particularly residents of California, the 6th or so largest economy in the world...

why would we take your opinions on international affairs seriously at this point? ... Considering how terribly your brand of conservative Republican has screwed up ever since you guys let 911 happen?

Iran has it's meaty fingers all over Iraq now, and that's on you guys...

You Republican own that failure...

and now Democrats are going to have to spend the next 8 years trying to clean up the messes of knuckledragging neanderthals from Red states like Texas and Indiana.

No wonder McCain is down by like 15% in California... the world economy can't afford Republicans in office another 4 years, much less 4 months.

"Basically it boils down to the fact that Republicans lost their war, and handed Iraq over to the Iranians."

Yeah, right. And it don't snow in Indianapolis in the winter time.

;)

bam,

Sort of... but Clinton didn't actually give up national security info... she was just scaring idiotic white voters into being afraid someone might kill Obama before the Dem convention.

McCain actually leaked US national security info.

Incredible.

James,
Thanks for the link to the NY Daily News article citing McCain's leak of Obama's schedule. Reminds me of Hillary evoking Bobby Kennedy's assassination as a reason to stay in the race. Interesting to speculate that if Obama were killed, Michelle might become the nominee (like Jean Carnahan), pulling in the female Democrats allegedly defecting to McCain. Wouldn't FOX be in an uproar over that??

barbara,

Bush had no choice. Maliki knows that our current agreement calls for the removal of US troops... Bush has been trying to renegotiate it for months... even holding billions of dollars in Iraqi oil revenue for ransom.

But Maliki wasn't having it. He has us by the short hairs. He knows it's only a matter of time.

Basically it boils down to the fact that Republicans lost their war, and handed Iraq over to the Iranians.

That's the bottom line... and it's such a disaster, we may not even hear criticism from Democrats because Republicans have weakened America to such a degree, it could be dangerous for the truth of Republican failure to get out en masse.

These posters are the dumbest, most ill-informed of any I have ever seen.

The surge hasn't worked
Steal Iraqi Oil
Barack is a God

All idiots, not worth reading

Just in time for Senator Obama's international trip and the November election, Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki calls for a timetable for US troop withdrawal and the Bush administration appears to cooperate, claiming the surge has been a success. I smell a rat.

bam,

Not sure Maliki is playing along with Bush... he's basically kicking us out...

and that's not going to be covered up for long.

Iran essentially controls Iraq at this point, and that failure by Republicans isn't going to be forgotten by voters in November...

at least not by the 75% who don't support Bush.

New topic.

McCain commits treason, leaks Obama's schedule in Iraq to our enemies.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2008/07/18/2008-07-18_john_mccain_i_expect_barack_obama_to_be_.html

Treason? Or just another McCain "Senior Moment?"

Either way, he's unfit to serve... proven once and for all.

If you say so pal...

But your support for stealing Iraq's oil shows that you have a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to be a real Democrat in 2008.

So given your views, I'm not sure you're one to judge Democrats elected by the rest of us.

The neocons are now trying to take the Iraq disaster off the table for the November election. Their puppet, Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki, said a few days ago that he wanted a timetable for US troop withdrawal. McCain and all the other warmongers planned from the beginning of the "surge" to declare victory by the end of Bush's tenure in the White House. In the meantime they bought off the Sunni and Shiite militants to get them to stop fighting, so that it would look like the Republican invasion was a success.

Voters are more savvy this time around.

McCain has lost every war he has been in.

McCain was one of the lowest scoring military students ever.

McCain has one of the worst military records one could have - even with the support of his Admiral father. He knows how to act like his father, but has nothing to back it up with upstairs.

McCain has no business experience. NONE. He's never worked a real job. He knows very little about how america works.

McCain couldn't even read this website if he wanted to - he doesn't know how to use a computer. McCain is out of touch with america. He uses servants to attend to all his needs - he lives off his wife's and our money. Even when running for POTUS, he only works 3-4 days a week total, and has basicly ignored his congressional duties. Does he even want to be POTUS?!

McCain has only negative value to america as POTUS.

Real democrats who have power, our leaders in Dc, are; funding the war, not impeaching Bush and Cheney (cheney first), not repealing the patriot act, not condemning torture, not restoring habeas corpus, not stopping warrantless wire taps, not investigating the Katrina desertion of federal agents and leaders, not conceding to the winner of a democrat primary and running as an independent, not investigating the exposing of our secret agents and it goes on and on. I am more a democrat than those worthless in morons in DC.

Real democrats who have power, our leaders in Dc, are; funding the war, not repealing the patriot act, not condemning torture, not restoring habeas corpus, not stopping warrantless wire taps, not investigating the Katrina desertion of federal agents and leaders, not conceding to the winner of a democrat primary and running as an independent, not investigating the exposing of our secret agents and it goes on and on. I am more a democrat than those worthless in morons in DC.

Rickywahoo,

I think you're a liar who's saying whatever he can to make Democrats look bad.

No real Democrat is going to say we should take Iraq's oil despite international law. People who believe those things already have a party who supports their ideals.

Republicans like you lie on these blogs everyday... it's what you do.

Another McCain "Senior Moment."

Or is he just trying to get Obama killed?

Today McCain announced Obama's schedule for visiting Iraq, ignoring the fact that US politicians try to cloak their timetables for visiting Iraq in some amount of secrecy before arriving...

Thanks John... your incompetence and pandering to the press has just put the future President of the Unites States' life in jeopardy.

If we can't trust you with the lives of our fellow Americans and members of Congress, we definitely can't trust you with our National Security.

Either you're an idiot...

or a Treasonist.

I'm assuming you're just an idiot, John.

Context:

"I believe that either today or tomorrow -- and I'm not privy to his schedule -- Sen. Obama will be landing in Iraq with some other senators" who make up a congressional delegation, McCain told a campaign fund-raising luncheon.

I'm not a republican. I am a registered democrat. I think the republicans are weak because they won't risk their safety to preserve their individual freedoms. You always hear about these flag waving idiots reminding us of the ultimate sacrifice our troops make for our freedom in the US but when its time for us to risk our lives in this country to uphold our individual freedoms, they fold and violate our constitution just to stay safe. Losers and hypocrites. Also they don't hold their leaders accountable. They let them get away with anything just because they are republicans. The democrats are no better when we sent the calvary in to rescue us from these criminals in DC they laid down with them and gave them comfort and aid. Losers and cowards. So now what do you think??

GM and Rickywahoo...

So your defense is to say that since Europeans committed genocide 600 years ago in the Americas... we should too?

Uh... you Republicans need some serious psychological help.

Dog eat dog world doesn't mean becoming like Putin or imitating the Russians. They have a black market economy dominated by the mafia... so if that's what you Republicans are trying to imitate, you can forget it. Decent Americans want nothing to do with you or your heroes in Russia.

So yes, in the opinion of decent Americans, those days should be over for American policy... if only Republicans, Russians, and Nazis didn't go on murdering people for their resources.

Rickywahoo,

Fortunately, guys like you who don't understand or care about international law won't be in charge much longer.

Fortunately, guys like you who don't understand or care about international law won't be in charge much longer.

Thud;

Bush and Cheney are criminals so why not. I know those idiots have weakened us morally and our military but we are still strong. Grab the oil we earned it and those morons said the oil profits would be used to pay us. the US taxpayer, back so I just call it a foreclosure action.

Rickywahoo,

Nobody believes you when you say you aren't a Republican.

Every Republican these days claims to be an independent because your party has shown itself as totally incompetent since you got us hit on 911.

Your nutty opinions makes believing anything you say pretty difficult.

Nobody believes you when you say you aren't a Republican.

Every Republican these days claims to be an independent because your party has shown itself as totally incompetent since you got us hit on 911.

Your nutty opinions makes believing anything you say pretty difficult.

Essentially, this has devolved into a conversation about pillaging. In the most basic sense, the US cannot take oil directly from Iraq without violating international law. While the Bush administration has been known to ignore the Geneva Convention when it comes to individuals, it is much less likely to do so with resources.

Stealing resources from another country is a threat to our allies that torture was not. It is the same as what Saddam did when he invaded Kuwait. It would spark a similar (truly) international effort against the United States.

GM and Rickywahoo...

So your defense is to say that since Europeans committed genocide 600 years ago in the Americas... we should too?

Uh... you Republicans need some serious psychological help.

Dog eat dog world doesn't mean becoming like Putin or imitating the Russians. They have a black market economy dominated by the mafia... so if that's what you Republicans are trying to imitate, you can forget it. Decent Americans want nothing to do with you or your heroes in Russia.

So yes, in the opinion of decent Americans, those days should be over for American policy... if only Republicans, Russians, and Nazis didn't go on murdering people for their resources.

James:

You and the rest are so typical. You are always dividing us up as liberals and conservatives. I am neither and we rule over the dichotomy y'all have created.

James, while I don't necessarily support what Rickywahoo suggests, I can't help but note that it is also exactly what Europeans in the Americas.

Are you planning to leave the country anytime soon?

It's what mankind has done for centuries because, quite frankly, it's a dog-eat-dog world out there, with people that play serious hardball.

Are you familiar with the name Vladimir Putin at all?

frog all stone kitchen key deliver america letter red student university university elephant england

A sovereign nation we invaded and conquered. I was strongly against the invasion and war with Iraq but we are already there and with a cost approaching a trillion dolars and the priceless cost of American lives. The conservatives don't even have the guts to suggest what I do. I'm not a nazi, I am an American. I care about others but we come first. We also invaded Panama and kidnapped their leader so where does that thought label me under your judgmental perspective.

Rickywahoo.

Iraq is a sovereign nation.

What you propose is what the Nazis did in Europe.

Congratulations conservative Americans for showing your true colors.

We did the war, a long time ago. Nobody not even Obama will give our military the respect and credit they deserve. We should have surrounded the oil wells and started shipping the oil to the USA, the hell with drilling. We took over a country with the second largest oil reserves in the world and we have 150,000 troops there to claim the spoils of our war. Nobody else really helped, we can give the British a couple hundred thousand barrels.

We won the war but the weakest link, our leaders in DC, lost the occupation. Kind of like a coach for the winning Superbowl team ordering his players to stay on the field and keep running plays. JUST DUMB

rtfanning.

No, McCain will not do that.

He supports the war criminals. He's one of them and always has been.

As John Mccain calls for your support against Barack Obama he also parrots George Bush in his calling for another terrorist attack before the election. One can not help but wonder what connection exists between the repblican party and the terrorist network? So many things point towards that treasonist connection it can not possibly be anything but factual given the condition of the nation from the current group of people in power. This party has presided over the greatest transferral of wealth in recorded history but it did not transfer to Americans but to Saudis of the same tribe that committed the past terrorist attacks. No amount of spin can change that fact since mathmatics does not lie nor does it have any party affiliation to preserve.

Yea but, Mr. James Mc Douglas,

get off your soap box and answer the question ; will President Mc Cain demand the prosecution imprisonment and summary execution of war profiteers as part of his 100 year war in Iraq?

I gotsa know !
The video is only 9 minutes long and 130,000 Americans have watched it.

Halliburton: Taxpayer Funded Fraud In Iraq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSvXG1r23_0

So according to McCain, Obama will reap the rewards of the Republican surge... which delivered Iraq into the hands of the Iranians?

Thanks John McCain!!!

Thanks from America. We really appreciate your work on behalf of Iran... and all of your party's work on behalf of Saddam in the 90's... and all of your party's work on behalf of the Taliban and Bin Laden in the 80's.

Thanks!

So McCain's surge worked?

It worked in delivering Iraq into the hands of Iran.

I guess therefore that was the Republicans' plan... according to McCain.

Makes sense... we can't bomb an enemy until we've created them... as we did with the Taliban and with Iraq... we armed them and then we bombed them because we didn't like how they started using our weapons.

Same old story from the Republicans.

So now Obama's going to go on over there with his little entourage of leftist media types like Katie Courec. I'm sure he'll be painted glowingly-perhaps with 2 halos. When are Americans going to wise up and stop allowing a bunch of ladder climbing career obsessed journalism majors make the important decisions for them?

Time to declare ourselves the winner and come home. Wait for the bullsh&t spin that will surround this. "WE WON THE WAR", but "WHAT THE FU&K DID WE WIN'?

The troop surge in Iraq was about 20,000 to 30,000. What has been in the news but not a topic in the media was the dollar surge in the millions of dollars. Every reporter and correspondent knows that when the troop surge started the US started paying the insurgents. They put them all on the US payroll and we are paying for it. This is why these idiots are saying the "surge" worked but they don't tell you that the over 100,000 insurgent are getting paid every day by the US government. They are like junkyard dogs; if you don't have a porkchop in your hand they will turn on you.

Ever notice Mccain does like one of these town hall meeting every other day, they are his meat and potatoes. They don't get much press, we all know that but you would think the Mccain people would put all of them on youtube. They don't and you know why? Because in almost every one they are just short of being completely embarrassing to Mccain, He comes off looking like an idiot, every time. He is asked questions he stumbles over, often he can't remember what he was talking about. He misspeaks and goofs up all kinds of things and it is so common it isn't even news anymore. Unless he does something so stupid like his Checklosvakia thing it isn't even news. It;s like, "Yea we all know the guy is an idiot, so what else is new". I hope someone is recording all this and can put it on a loop to show what a complete dunce this guy really is. You would need a whole day just to watch it.

'Unfortunately Martinets are limited in their strategic capabilities and so blindly follow whichever leader has an authoritarian personality. We as voters need to think strategically and vote for the man who will prepare to protect us rather than the man who waits for the crisis, then acts."

Obama's Kool-Aid drunken cult followers, whose commitment to the Pied Piper of (Undefined) Change - a mantra which apparently refers solely to changes in his campaign promises as opposed to changes in policy, informed, as Obama is, with respect to foreign policy by an army of 300 Clinton era throwbacks - seemingly blinds them to his position changes on FISA, election financing reform, NAFTA, etc., etc., could certainly be among those "Martinets" to whom you refer.

And, with his recent moralizing to blacks, Obama's is clearly the only "cult of personality" in the room. (Does this message of personal responsibility only apply to American blacks, by the way, or does it also extend to Africans, whose endless warfare, death, corruption, destruction and despair have purposelessly devastated countries for decades? If so, nearly the entire continent appears to be in desperate need of "holier than thou" Obama's pearls of self-righteous wisdom.)

And I'm sure Obama is "preparing" to protect us, just as he's presumably "preparing" to protect Michelle, attacks against whom Obama maintains "enrage" him. Apparently, his years of experience as an adult man, a husband and father, have yet to result in preparation sufficient to enable action.

But it would be interesting indeed to see just how effective Obama's soft power and sanctions are against the battle-hardened Taliban terrorists Afghanistan.

One thing Americans can be sure of, however - it won't be extremist left-wingers like Barack and Michelle Obama, Reverend Wright, the Kennedy/Schlossber/Shriver children, Weatherman Bill Ayers, Brookings Institute senior fellow Susan Lake, or David Axelrod (the new face of Karl Rove) who will actually be fighting there. Indeed, it won't even be the war profiteers and criminals who supplied the money Tony Rezko used to prop up the Obamas' mansion purchase.

No, it'll be those bitter, religion-clinging, gun-toting working class American bowlers who will be lured there by Obama's promise of a free ride college education (the cost of which will be paid for, no doubt, with "Grandma Millie's" Social Security).

Whether we're talking about Bill Clinton or George W. Bush, it seems clear to me that America's current situation is the direct result of electing "rock stars" as opposed to "statesmen," voting for someone who is "sexy" over someone who is "substantive." Applying America's standards, Obama would win election over Nelson Mandela hands down!

Paraphrasing the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, I dream of a day when both white - and black - people evauate a man, not on the basis of the color of his skin but by the content of his character (and not the character - or "story" - of his mother and father).

And on that basis, I'll be casting my vote for McCain.

But those who are intending to vote for Obama may want to consider taking some advice from The Who:

"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution; take a bow for the new revolution; smile and grin at the change all around me.

Pick up my guitar and play. Just like yesterday.

Then I'll get on my knees and pray we don't get fooled again."

rtfanning:

In 1973, John McCain told USNews & World Report this, and sadly, it apparently applies to your son:

"I have heard there was one B-52 pilot who refused to fly the missions during the Christmas bombing. You always run into that kind. When the going gets tough, they find out their conscience is bothering them. I want to say this to anybody in the military: If you don't know what your country is doing, find out. And if you find you don't like what your country is doing, get out before the chips are down."

So commit war crimes, sell out to Halliburton, do anything corrupt Republican politicians say... including now torture... or get out of "John McCain's military."

That's his Republican mantra. John McCain couldn't be any more anti-American. He thinks the military is his toy. He's against every decent thing our troops and our people have ever stood for.

McCain has lost every war he has been in.

McCain was one of the lowest scoring military students ever.

McCain has one of the worst military records one could have - even with the support of his Admiral father. He knows how to act like his father, but has nothing to back it up with upstairs.

McCain has no business experience. NONE. He's never worked a real job. He knows very little about how america works.

McCain couldn't even read this website if he wanted to - he doesn't know how to use a computer. McCain is out of touch with america. He uses servants to attend to all his needs - he lives off his wife's and our money. Even when running for POTUS, he only works 3-4 days a week total, and has basicly ignored his congressional duties. Does he even want to be POTUS?!

McCain has only negative value to america as POTUS.

I find it very convenient that the GOP talks withdrawal, conciliation, etc now that we are getting close to election time. Meanwhile the Iraqi people themselves are saying they fear the American withdrawal.

Gotta love those panderers.

Could this guy get any lamer!?

immitation is the greatest form of flattery, dialogue with the enemy, troop withdrawal,sound like a democrat to me

Dear Senator Mc Cain,
I registered as a Republican in 1976.

When you formulate your administrations policy on Iraq, would you please address this fraud.

My son volunteered to fight after we were attacked on 9/11 and I would appreciate knowing that war profiteers will go to prison or be executed before a firing squad and this will not happen on your watch.

Halliburton: Taxpayer Funded Fraud In Iraq

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSvXG1r23_0

This only shows that Obama was right all along. The problem with the GOP is that they fail to acknowledge their errors and in the process they dig America into even more trouble. They denied there was civil war in Iraq, then they claimed the surge worked!

This victory should have been won 4 years ago, but they did not listen to the Generals that said we didn't have enough troops on the ground to complete the job. How many American lives would have been saved if only Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and McCain had listened!!

Funny we never, ever hear about the 18 benchmarks that were defined to determine success of the surge. Last August the GAO reported that at least 13 of the 18 benchmarks to measure the surge of U.S. troops to Iraq are unfulfilled. That was the last we heard of them. Certainly more have been met since then, why are they not mentioned?

McCain translation:

"Obama will reap the rewards of an Iranian controlled Iraq."

What?!?

If that's the Republicans' idea of a reward... I'd hate to see their idea of a problem... Although, I guess we did when they got hit on 911.

The cost of gasoline in Iraq is 5cents. Everything else they have is free because the American people are paying for it. We are paying over $5 a gallon plus our economy sucks so the Iraqis can have a their cake and eat it too.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0606-04.htm

Our contract is up and Maliki is kicking our butt out of his country... no long term oil contracts for you!

What miraculous timing for the fake surge to have worked!!!!

Boy those Republicans sure are straight talkers.

Or something.

Obama and McCain finally found something to agree on: Afghanistan is where the real war's at! While McCain still wants to fight in Iraq some more, Obama thinks Iraq is totally last year's war and we should just throw everything we have at Afghanistan. Regardless of what they think of Iraq, the verdict is in. Afghanistan is the war to watch!

How must Iraq feel to be yesterday's quagmire? If only these two chaotic regions could talk...
http://www.236.com/news/2008/07/17/if_they_imd_iraq_and_afghanist_7775.php

"McSame = The same kind of man that made America Great!

McChange = John McCain

McShamed = For anyone's doubt that John McCain is the only solution left for America!

Posted by: McCHANGE 08' | July 18, 2008 3:44 PM"

THATS McLAME!

It's not a timeline.

It's a "time horizon."

And oh... Nixon won the Vietnam War.

And and and... Nixon was a innocent as well.

That is all.

-John McCain

Bush has dealt McCain a devastating blow. Just when McCain was continuing to argue that the surge was working and we need to stay in Iraq for many more years, now that darn Bush goes and agrees to a timetable for withdrawal.

Bush has finally recognized what Obama has been saying for the past two years: giving the Iraqis a firm set of deadlines will encourage them to move toward a political settlement of their civil war which is the only way violence will come to an end there.

Obama was right on negotiating with Iran -- and Bush has now sent a diplomat to do just that.

Obama was right on identifying Afghanistan as the frontline of the war against al Qaeda -- and finally Bush and McCain are saying they want to increase troops there to make a stronger effort.

Obama has been right on every major international policy subject he has commented on.

This Bush agreement to develop a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq is a terrific gift to Obama on the eve of his overseas trip.

The war was won with the "Mission Accomplished" message. We beat the Cr-- out of the Iraqi army. Now were are in an occupation phase trying to subdue the resistance (yes and terrorists). The surge was also accompanied by Al-Sadr calling off his troops, there by helping the surge work. The real war has been in Afganistan, and probably should have been in Saudi Arabia (the actual 9/11 terrorists were arabic). Oh well whatever plays well in the news is what we'll get to hear.

McSame = The same kind of man that made America Great!

McChange = John McCain

McShamed = For anyone's doubt that John McCain is the only solution left for America!

RonM, you are so right. Obama has been correct on his Afghan position for six whole days.

Contrary to what the followers of the secular messiah believe, Obama's posturing has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of informed, real action taken by real leaders. I guess when you come out on both sides of every issue, you can always claim that you were right.

McCain says what he needs to for votes...and a lot of voters will fall for it! I have a good memory, and I will remember when it's time to vote...whether or not it counts! I voted correctly in 2000, 2004 and will do so again in 2008. As someone recently said on talk radio, don't vote for someone who has a trust fund! Well....America....have you had enough of the Republican party or not? It's not a hard decision...Obama has not sold out on this country....McCain did several times, and don't forget the "Keating 5" ! Savings & Loan Scandal during Bush Sr. presidency....hmm....these republicans seem to always leave this country in ruins!

The overwhelming evidence suggests that the success of the "surge" can only be found by looking to the skies. It seems as though the number of sorties flown and the tonnage of weapons deployed (by air) has increased extensively immediately following the "surge"... I wonder when the Iraqi death tole will be "truthfully" put to print?

TTFN Kids,

Yes, of course, a "time horizon" in the sense that you're always moving toward it but you never quite seem to reach it.

"time horizon" my god, you gotta love this play on words....because a timetable would spell defeat, but a time horizon, thats different.....McBush, very fitting name!

Oh and if you diddnt hear, we are sending in a diplomat to talk to Iran's top nuclear guy about "incentives" to stop thier programs......wait, doesnt that mean we are negotiating and pandering to terrorists like Bush mentioned in a speech trying to tag Obama as a terrorist appeaser?????

The war was a mistake, all the reasons we went in were reported false by the pentagon (WMD's, Saddams Al Quaida Ties etc.) We have racked up over a quarter Trillion Dollars (15Billion unaccounted for)

The goals of this war are now so vague that we can declare victory or defeat depending on how you look at it....in the meantime Afghanistan is recruiting and organizing while we have been distracted in Iraq......Bush is a failed president

Remember "MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!"

The war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan are taking heat these days, and withdrawal timetables puts more heat on Afghanistan than ever before. Check out the site 236.com for a comedic comparison between the two wars, if they had an instant message conversation. --- http://www.236.com/news/2008/07/17/if_they_imd_iraq_and_afghanist_7775.php

A TIME HORIZON is a withdrawl but a very fuzzy one as a horizon is.

No one want to make specifics on a specific time to leave,

The only one who wants to do that is Obama. And Obama's entire campaign is based on the surge failing but now saying he supported the surge, but wants to withdraw.

But now that he has to talk to generals, they will tell him NOT to withdraw with a specific time line.

So expect Obama to flip on this one as well, or take credit for a closure to a war he never wanted, supported, gave good advice on, or even BEEN to Iraq.

so much foresight yet not enough to vote against the WAR!

It sounds to me like McCain is fast moving towards pulling troops out of Iraq and declaring victory. Since he has kept the markers of success a secret he can declare that any time he wants,

Maybe McCain has gotten a heads up from Bush that he plans to downsize operations in Iraq. The events in Afghanistan may look so dire that reinforcements are needed sooner than hoped for and delay for political gain at home will have to be abandoned. This is going to reinforce more strongly how right Obama has been about the need for more troops in the Afghan region. It would not be a coincidence if victory in Iraq was declared and an escalated withdrawal from Iraq were announced while Obama was in Iraq. Preempting the Democrat from making that declaration would be a top priority.

It is really frustrating that their are so many martinets who laud McCain for his foreign affairs capability. He has experience but he does not learn from it. On the overall strategy in East Asia McCain and Bush have no policy as indicated by no definition of victory in Iraq. Their lack of recognition of the threat Afghanistan posed has led to a lack of preparedness to respond there now that its needed and is a second indicator of no policy. McCain and his pal in the WH only think tactically which makes them responsive to crisis but not proactive. Obama thinks strategically so that when he gets good advice he can prepare for problems before they occur.

Unfortunately Martinets are limited in their strategic capabilities and so blindly follow whichever leader has an authoritarian personality. We as voters need to think strategically and vote for the man who will prepare to protect us rather than the man who waits for the crisis, then acts. We need out of Iraq and into Afghanistan, before it is a full blown preventable emergency. We do not need another 9/11.

set a "time horizon" for the eventual withdrawal of troops from Iraq

Wait a moment. Didn't Sen. McCain and President Bush say that anyone that wanted to set a timeline for withdrawel of troops was an appeaser?

Oh, that's why it is being called a "time horizon" not a "timeline"!

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WHY,? IS JOHN MCCAIN MAKING SO MANY PROMISES, NOW THAT HE IS A CANIDATE? THE MAIN THINGS HE OPPOSES NOW, HE WAS FOR THEM THEN , WHEN HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATIN ON VOTING FOR IT. WHAT? MORE CAN US AMERICANS TAKE? FROM THESE SELF-CENTERED ELECTED OFFICIALS. SOMETIMES I THINK ALONG WITH OTHER AMERICANS, DO ANY OF OUR VOTES COUNT?, UNDOUTLY THEY DON'T...

but... but, the surge is a surge in cash, as in the Cheney regime is paying the Sunni to not attack the Shia. Yes, it is a novel military strategy, but there is a black cloud a head...

ouch. methinks differently. you don't make up that sort of thing. i mean, diplomacy with iran, strategic strikes against pakistan al qaeda targets, withdrawing from iraq. methinks obama represents the third bush term

do puma supporters like mccain or dislike obama?

see the discussion and post:

http://thevote.abc13.com/2008/07/puma-passion.html