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A 100-Year War?
The DNC's message portrays McCain as bent on fighting an "endless" war in Iraq.

DNC: We can't afford four more years with a President who fights an endless war in Iraq. ... On the war, McCain scoffed at Bush's call to leave troops in Iraq for 50 years, saying "Make it a hundred!"

That of course is a serious distortion of what McCain actually said to a town-hall meeting in New Hampshire back on Jan. 3. His actual words are posted in a video on YouTube. Far from advocating "endless war," he said the presence of U.S. troops in Iraq would be "fine with me" provided that they're not being killed or wounded. Here's the full quote:

McCain, Jan. 3: Make it a hundred. ... We've been in Japan for 60 years. We've been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me, as long as American, as long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed. It's fine with me and I hope it would be fine with you if we maintained a presence in a very volatile part of the world where al Qaeda is training, recruiting and equipping and motivating people every single day.

It should be noted that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, despite their frequent talk of withdrawing from Iraq, have said repeatedly that they would maintain at least some troops in a combat role in Iraq for some time, possibly their entire term of office.

There's little doubt that McCain is less eager than either Clinton or Obama to bring troops home without further suppression of insurgent attacks. But it's a rank falsehood for the DNC to accuse McCain of wanting to wage "endless war" based on his support for a presence in Iraq something like the U.S. role in South Korea.

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Member Comments

  • Posted By: Bob 101st. Airborne @ 02/23/2008 12:44:09 PM

    I respect John McCain as a fellow Viet Nam Vet. But he should remember all our fallen comrads as i remember we were dying for ''Demacracy'' in Nam also. How many more of our young children must die for a country, and people that dont want ''US'' there.

  • Posted By: 85441396 @ 02/20/2008 2:43:18 PM

    We are all Americans. Most of us would die for our freedoms. Standing together, finding common ground and acting as patriotic, democratic, intelligent people is our only hope for continued improvement. Our differences, excluding illegal acts, can become a great strength. The majority of Americans are excellent individuals. We must, however, work diligently, be patient with each other and stop this "name-calling!" What do we gain by trying to reduce anyone's unlimited value? Thank You

  • Posted By: Marine6975 @ 02/19/2008 10:09:48 AM

    What it boils down to is very simple. Victory in the war on terror or a white flag waved to terrorists.

    Republicans ans all who truly love and believe in the standards of the United States need to pull together and get it right in November.

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