Surprisingly the MSM is doing a good job eviscerating McCain's "it doesn't matter" gaffe.

[grantcart]

Newsday.com has it in context

http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/06/video_mccain_iraq_withdrawal_n.html

It is actually worse than I expected - also the gas tax gimmick.

Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/11/johnmccain.barackobama?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

Republican presidential nominee John McCain this morning categorised the time frame for US troops withdrawal from Iraq as "not too important" and suggested he is prepared for a long-term commitment there.

Rueters

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080611/pl_nm/usa_politics_dc

"No, but that's not too important," McCain said on NBC's "Today Show." "What's important is the casualties in Iraq."

In dueling conference calls, the campaigns propelled Iraq and the squabble over national security credentials back to the front of the campaign agenda. The focus this week had been on the U.S. economy, an issue that many analysts believe favors Obama.

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs and concerns of Americans and particularly the families of the troops who are over there," said Democratic Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts.

"To them it's the most important thing in the world when they come home. And it's the most important thing in the world that we have a commander-in-chief who understands how you can bring them home," said Kerry, a Vietnam veteran and close Obama supporter who lost the 2004 election to President George W. Bush.

]

Fox News

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/11/dems-pile-on-mccain-for-saying-troop-withdrawal-timetable-not-too-important/

“It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs and concerns of Americans,” Kerry said. “To them it’s the most important thing in the world when they come home, and it’s the most important thing in the world that we have a commander in chief who understands how they come home.

“It’s a policy for staying in Iraq … that’s a recipe for a third Bush term,” Kerry said.

“This is one further indication of his really striking lack of appreciation of the burden Iraq is placing on our military,” Obama foreign policy adviser Susan Rice said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid earlier released a statement saying McCain’s assessment is “a crystal clear indicator that he just doesn’t get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course.”

CNN

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/11/mccains-latest-iraq-comments-draw-fire/

MSNBC

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/11/1132092.aspx

[JimGinPA]

1. They Never Flog Him Long Though

K&R

[jgraz]

2. Lucky for us he has a never-ending supply of dumbfuckery

[grantcart]

3. Its been running all day and picking up speed - they know they have a good one this time

[Carrieyazel]

10. And it'll be gone before morning. That's the problem.

[gateley]

4. And SEVERAL big name Dems came out en masse to stomp on him.

It was great to see!

[blm]

8. Kerry and Biden pounded away and made it hurt.

Exactly the way Dems SHOULD back up the Dem nominee.

[tekisui]

12. They are coordinating attacks masterfully.

I am feeling good about this Fall. If they stay on point, they'll be unstoppable.

[cui bono]

5. Fox News said all that???

:wow:

[grantcart]

6. I think Murdoch knows where the power is

and also even if McCain were somehow to win they want to bring the men back so that they stop sending their money over there,

so I see it as an attempt to teach McCain a lesson.

[Thrill]

7. Remember McCain called the media his BASE

[Carrieyazel]

9. Not what I'm seeing. Lou Dobbs just dismissed it as petty nonsense that doesn't matter.

He also dismissed the Jim Johnson stuff as petty nonsense as well.

[gcomeau]

11. It's Lou Dobbs...

...he hates Obama with the fury of a thousand suns ever since Obama called him out on stoking xenophobia with his idiot program.

[grantcart]

13. well this was from the morning so I haven't seen anything recently but Dobbs is a contrarian