McCain: 16 months is "a good timetable"

[asroc]

MCCAIN: 16 MONTHS A 'GOOD TIMETABLE'

Posted: Friday, July 25, 2008 6:06 PM by Mark Murray

In an interview on CNN today -- which the DNC is passing around -- McCain said that withdrawal from Iraq in 16 months is "a pretty good timetable."

That answer came when McCain was asked about Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki's earlier claim to Der Spiegel that Obama's 16-month plan "would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

Of course, McCain did stress that such a withdrawal would "have to be based on conditions on the ground." But calling 16 months a "good timetable" is something McCain hasn't said before -- and probably never would have said a week ago.

The transcript:

BLITZER: What if Maliki persists? You're president and he says he wants US troops out and he wants them out, let's say in a year or two years or 16 months or whatever. What do you do? Do you listen to the prime minister?

MCCAIN: He won't. He won't. He won't. Because it has to be condition-based.

BLITZER: How do you know?

MCCAIN: Because I know him. And I know him very well. And I know the other leaders. And I know -- I've been there eight times, as you know. I know them very, very well.

BLITZER: So why do you think he said that 16 months is basically a pretty good timetable?

MCCAIN: He said it's a pretty good timetable based on conditions on the ground. I think it's a pretty good timetable, as we should -- or horizons for withdrawal. But they have to be based on conditions on the ground.

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/25/1225053.aspx

[Kanadesaga]

give him an hour, he'll forget what he said and reverse himself. :lmao2:

[Independent Harry]

LOL, he's leading them to slaughter that Obama...

[Smurf-Herder]

McCain qualifies his statements with, "it depends on the situation on the ground" - which is logical.

Obama qualifies it depending on the situation on the ground with, BOTH "sending them to Afghanistan" AND "we could use the money better back here at home" - which shows he doesn't understand the strategic significance of Iraq.

McCain takes Iraq seriously as wanting a stable country smack-dab in the middle of the volatile middle east. And Obama just considers it another issue, among many.

[Mr, gone]

Dumbrain should be saying 'it depends on my ability to remember what I said'. :lmao2:

[Independent Harry]

McCain qualifies his statements with, "it depends on the situation on the ground" - which is logical.

Obama qualifies it depending on the situation on the ground with, BOTH "sending them to Afghanistan" AND "we could use the money better back here at home" - which shows he doesn't understand the strategic significance of Iraq.

McCain takes Iraq seriously as wanting a stable country smack-dab in the middle of the volatile middle east. And Obama just considers it another issue, among many.

If we had done what was righ tin the beggining, which was develop alternative fuels and use our shale oil for our country, then we wouldn' have to worry about this. I can't believe your still defending our choice to enter iraq, like it was a good idea.

We could better use the money back home. And Iraq is of no strategic signifigance to us if we don't need their oil.

[Scumbag]

If we had done what was righ tin the beggining, which was develop alternative fuels and use our shale oil for our country, then we wouldn' have to worry about this.
that would mean fucking up our country instead of someone elses and that would NEVER do!

[Independent Harry]

that would mean fucking up our country instead of someone elses and that would NEVER do!

no, it would mean that the Bush family doesn't get all the kickbacks from the Saud's for letting them get wealthy and transport american money overseas.

[Scumbag]

no, it would mean that the Bush family doesn't get all the kickbacks from the Saud's for letting them get wealthy and transport american money overseas.
Do you honestly believe that if Obama is elected President that we won't continue to buy oil from the Sauds and that the whole way of doing business with them would'nt remain as the status quo?

[Independent Harry]

Do you honestly believe that if Obama is elected President that we won't continue to buy oil from the Sauds and that the whole way of doing business with them would'nt remain as the status quo?

Yes we woudl still continue to buy oil from teh sauds, but I believe he will institute a progressive energy policy if elected.

[Michael Aldrich]

Iraq is a tremendous mess. Sure, it’s gotten better since the surge started, but it’s far from stable. Things would not be so bad if the Bush administration had an exit strategy. Improvisation is great for comedy – not war.

Joe Biden’s plan for Iraq included federalizing the country into three regions, or states. That would’ve been a much stronger path to begin with.

[asroc]

One reason Obama isn't exactly complimenting the surge is that the real problem isnt what boots on the ground can do, it's Iraq's own political situation nearing collapse that is the crux:

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/dreyfuss/339676/print

[Scumbag]

Yes we woudl still continue to buy oil from teh sauds, but I believe he will institute a progressive energy policy if elected.
By progressive energy policy, you mean he will be buying more oil from the Sauds?

[Independent Harry]

By progressive energy policy, you mean he will be buying more oil from the Sauds?

then who do you think will have us working on somethign other than oil?

[Smurf-Herder]

If we had done what was righ tin the beggining, which was develop alternative fuels and use our shale oil for our country, then we wouldn' have to worry about this. I can't believe your still defending our choice to enter iraq, like it was a good idea.

We could better use the money back home. And Iraq is of no strategic signifigance to us if we don't need their oil.

I don't think it's possible to make you understand. So I won't even bother anymore. You have a very narrow, short-sighted view of things.

[Smurf-Herder]

Yes we woudl still continue to buy oil from teh sauds, but I believe he will institute a progressive energy policy if elected.

They both say they will.

So, it comes down to, do you want to trust the guy that has flip-flopped here and there, or the guy who consistently tries to play all sides of an issue at the same time?

[Smurf-Herder]

Iraq is a tremendous mess. Sure, it’s gotten better since the surge started, but it’s far from stable. Things would not be so bad if the Bush administration had an exit strategy. Improvisation is great for comedy – not war.

Joe Biden’s plan for Iraq included federalizing the country into three regions, or states. That would’ve been a much stronger path to begin with.

That would have lead to even more ethic cleansing. Too many of the cities were mixed; as well as familes. And it leaves the oil wealth unevenly distributed.

[Smurf-Herder]

One reason Obama isn't exactly complimenting the surge is that the real problem isnt what boots on the ground can do, it's Iraq's own political situation nearing collapse that is the crux:

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/dreyfuss/339676/print

So who are these people this guy uses for a source?

http://66.111.34.180/look/english/index.tpl

It's an independent new rag apparently out of Iraq. How can you verify anything they say?

[Independent Harry]

They both say they will.

So, it comes down to, do you want to trust the guy that has flip-flopped here and there, or the guy who consistently tries to play all sides of an issue at the same time?

I want the guy that brings hope to people. Not the guy with the neo-con buddies.

[sancot123]

that would mean fucking up our country instead of someone elses and that would NEVER do!
With any kind of luck you will be the first to go

[PhoneMistress]

give him an hour, he'll forget what he said and reverse himself. :lmao2:

Two days later McCain said the following on This Week. (http://thepage.time.com/transcript-of-mccain-on-this-week-2/)

STEPHANOPOULOS: You shouldn’t have used the word timetable.

MCCAIN: I didn’t use the word timetable. That I did — if I did…

STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, it’s a pretty good timetable.

MCCAIN: Oh, well, look. Anything is a good timetable that is dictated by conditions on the ground. Anything is good.

[sancot123]

I want the guy that brings hope to people. Not the guy with the neo-con buddies.
I got the funny idea that old independent is a flip flop Obama freak who could not fight his way out of a brown paper bag. What does it matter how we got into the war right or wrong we are there now so let all work to keep on going the right way to win it so we can get out of it instead of turning left and cut and run. America can do anything if we all stand together but divided we will surely fall!!!!! Everyone hates war but everyone hates to be a loser to why the lefties can not understand that is beyond belief.

[disrupter]

The Chihuahua has alzheimer's along with his constant yapping.

he's a fake, he's a flake, & nobody's home.

Maybe his memory was in that last melanoma the doctors removed from him?

Where is the REAL John McCain?

? . . . . . there isn't one.

[sancot123]

Obama is a chicken to go up against McCain one on one he has turned it down time and time again what does that say about him. McCain talks to the people one on one and answers any of their questions cut and run Obama does not. All he can do is come up with nice speeches that he put together from other speeches can this cut and run guy do anything on his own no wonder he has to count on everyone like the media to built the jerk up. America is starting to see him for what he is just a glorified rock star pushed on them by moveon and the media111

[disrupter]

Do you have anything substantive, with content in your posts, sancot123?

or are you just off your meds?

[sancot123]

Do you have anything substantive, with content in your posts, sancot123?

or are you just off your meds?
yes i am off them still waiting for Obama to give me what he has left over . He promised he would just give them to me but he flipped flopped on that before sry to say.

[sancot123]

The Chihuahua has alzheimer's along with his constant yapping.

he's a fake, he's a flake, & nobody's home.

Maybe his memory was in that last melanoma the doctors removed from him?

Where is the REAL John McCain?

? . . . . . there isn't one.
WHO AND WHAT IS OBAMA WILL THE REAL GUY SHOW HIMSELF OR FLIP FLOP ON THAT TO

[doctordog]

The Chihuahua has alzheimer's along with his constant yapping.

he's a fake, he's a flake, & nobody's home.

Maybe his memory was in that last melanoma the doctors removed from him?

Where is the REAL John McCain?

? . . . . . there isn't one.

Comparing a pure breed(McCain) to a run of the mill sooner mutt(Obama). How appropriate.

Thanks for pointing this out.