McCain hawkish, and lonely, on Iraq (front page, Boston Globe)

[rodeodance]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/10/24/mccain_hawkish_and_lonely_on_iraq?mode=PF

McCain hawkish, and lonely, on Iraq
Few GOP hopefuls support strategy

By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | October 24, 2006

WASHINGTON -- As Senator John McCain travels the nation on behalf of Republican candidates, his proposal to send tens of thousands of additional US troops to Iraq is making things awkward for some of the congressional candidates he's campaigning for. His stance is also shaping the early stages of the 2008 presidential campaign.

As public support for the war dwindles, it is hard to find any Republican candidates who publicly agree with McCain, an Arizona Republican who is among the party's brightest hopes for the presidency in 2008. While staunch military supporters such as Virginia's Republican senators, John W. Warner and George Allen, have begun to suggest a change of course in Iraq with fewer US troops, McCain's proposal to add troops has distanced him from the mainstream of his party.

McCain aides say the senator, a Vietnam veteran and former POW who remembers serving in an unpopular war, is acting on the courage of his convictions without regard to the political ramifications. Since the war began, he has repeatedly urged the Bush administration to send more troops to Iraq, and he says he still believes that is the best way to secure the country.

"My view -- which is clearly a minority view -- has been, for a long period of time, that we need more troops on the ground," McCain said last week while campaigning for a GOP House candidate in Iowa. "We need to put down what is now a classic insurgency."......

[Journeyman]

1. And so McCain begins the long, slow, arduous task. . .

or rendering himself irrelevant in the 2008 election.

So long, Johnnie! The more we knew ye, the less we liked. . .

[ps1074]

2. I don't understand why pundits say he is a 2008 frontrunner

He keeps defending the Iraq war. In 2 years time, the war will be as popular as Mark foley...

[Vidar]

3. Glad to see him self-destruct.

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. McCain just wants to prove

that he can kiss Bush's ass better then anyone else.

That's right John, stay the course, no matter what happens.

[leftchick]

5. mccain needs to read a newspaper

the generals said no more troops at their meet up with the chimp on Sat. I think he has lost his mind.

[MGKrebs]

6. Who's the Repubs best bet after McCain? Warner?

[Virginia Dare]

11. John Warner?

He's 82 years old, and probably is going to retire from the Senate after this term.

I think it's Rudy the Saint.

[sarge43]

7. Ah Senator, pounding troops down a hell hold does not

work, not when you're engaged in non-conventional warfare. Jeebus, you went thru Nam the hard way. If anyone should know ... Second, we do not have a clear military mission objective. We have a half ass political one, but without the former, one troop or a million, they'll just run in circles, scream and shout, while trying to survive.

[truthisfreedom]

8. classic insurgency? well, except for that annoying little civil war, john.

the one none of your thugs admit exists.

[liberal N proud]

9. Why doesn't he just end it here and now?

Put us our of his misery

[bronxiteforever]

10. McCain WANTS to be the man who asks men to die for a mistake