Special comment, in case you missed it.
McCain: Senator, Grow Up!
Monday 18 August 2008
by: Keith Olbermann, MSNBC Countdown
"Though victory in Iraq is finally in sight," you told the V-F-W today, Senator McCain, "a great deal still depends on the decisions and good judgment of the next president. The hard-won gains of our troops hang in the balance. The lasting advantage of a peaceful and democratic ally in the heart of the Middle East could still be squandered by hasty withdrawal and arbitrary timelines. And this is one of many problems in the shifting positions of my opponent, Senator Obama."
The shifting positions of Senator Obama?
Senator McCain - on the 22nd of May, 2003 ... you said, of Iraq, on the Senate floor, quote:
"We won a massive victory in a few weeks, and we did so with very limited loss of American and allied lives. We were able to end aggression with minimum overall loss of life, and we were even able to greatly reduce the civilian casualties of Afghani and Iraqi citizens.
Senator - you declared victory in Iraq, five years and nearly three months ago.
Today you say: "victory in Iraq is finally in sight"?
The victory you already proclaimed five years ago?
Are we going back in time Sir?
If that had not been enough, in June of 2003, with even Fox News noting "many argue the conflict (in Iraq) isn't over," you answered:
"Well, then why was there a banner that said 'Mission Accomplished' on the aircraft carrier? Look, the - I have said a long time that reconstruction of Iraq would be a long, long, difficult process, but the conflict - the major conflict is over, the regime change has been accomplished, and it's very appropriate."
In 2003, your war was won, because somebody was putting up a... banner.
In 2008, your war might finally be won, because you are putting up... a campaign based on the mirage that Iraq is winnable.
And yet it is Obama shifting positions on Iraq?
Even if this country were to forget, Senator, the victory lap you and President Bush took five years ago - just on their face, your remarks today at the V-F-W, Senator, are nonsensical.
more...
http://www.truthout.org/article/mccain-senator-grow-up