McCain: Opposition to Iraq Withdrawal ‘Seminal Event’ in History
John McCain, shown here talking with reporters after a campaign stop in Exeter, N.H., Wednesday, defended his conservative credentials in an interview with FOX News. (AP Photo)
John McCain cast his opposition to a troop withdrawal date in Iraq in historic terms Thursday during a FOX News interview, saying he would continue to fight anybody trying to end the war prematurely “every step of the way.”
“I think one of seminal events historians will look at in this whole struggle against radical extremism was our ability to beat back the Democrats’ effort to set a date for withdrawal, which I believe would have been chaos,” McCain said.
In the hour-long interview with FOX News’ Sean Hannity, the GOP nominee-in-waiting also firmly defended his conservative credentials and attempted to close the book on a long-standing story that he flirted with joining the Democratic Party years ago.
Though he’s come under fire from some in his party for sometimes siding with Democrats on immigration, campaign finance and taxes, McCain defended his votes and said his campaign in the November general election against Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will be a pitched battle of right vs. left.
“This is a fundamental clash between a liberal Democrat and a conservative Republican,” McCain said, declining to respond to Democratic quips that he’s running for a third Bush term. “I relish the combat. … I do not underestimate the challenge.”
McCain dismissed reports that he flirted with leaving his party in 2001, when he met with Senate Democratic leaders.
“They asked to meet with me, and I met with them, and I said categorically, ‘Absolutely not,’” McCain said in the FOX News interview. “No one arranged it that I know of. The fact is I thought it was incredible. I am a proud Republican conservative and I made that very clear.”
Such reports seem a sore subject for McCain. The Arizona senator snapped at a New York Times reporter last week who asked him about his 2004 conversation with Sen. John Kerry on becoming Kerry’s running mate on the Democratic presidential ticket.
McCain has been dogged throughout the campaign by conservative leaders and talk show hosts who question his faith in conservative principles, and the clamor rose the closer McCain got to winning enough delegates to lock down the nomination.
On his initial opposition to President Bush’s tax cut initiatives, McCain told FOX News he wouldn’t recant his vote, explaining the Bush fiscal packages didn’t show enough spending restraint. Yet he lamented the continued growth of government and said he’d reject new taxes if he is elected president. He said the current Bush tax cuts should be made permanent.
He wouldn’t say whether he’d endorse another version of the immigration reform bill he and Democratic Sen. Ted Kennedy backed, a bill decried as amnesty by many conservatives.
“It’s not gonna be there,” he said when asked if he’d sign the legislation as president. “The lesson is they want the borders secured first. … My friend, we failed.”
McCain emerged the victor of the GOP primary season after a heated and bitter race with former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. McCain pointed to the support of his former rivals, including Romney, as evidence the party is rallying behind him, but McCain declined to give any clear indication whom he favors as a running mate.
“(Romney) was very gracious to me. … He’s earned a place in the Republican Party that’s very important. Rudy (Giuliani) I’ve loved for years and I mean it. … and Governor (Mike) Huckabee has really earned himself — so we’re just starting a process, but obviously there are people who are highly qualified.”
Romney said Tuesday on FOX News that he would feel honored if asked to be McCain’s running mate.
It isn’t clear yet how much the Iraq war will become an issue in the general election, but McCain spoke confidently about his role in the war effort.
“I am proud of the effort some of us were involved in that stopped this effort to set a date for withdrawal,” McCain said. “It came very close, it came very close, and a lot of us put everything on the line, because we knew that if there’s a date for withdrawal, that’s surrender, Al Qaeda wins and there’s chaos and genocide, and we’re back and they follow us home.”
McCain also responded to criticism from the Democratic presidential candidates that he intends to stay in Iraq for “100 years.” McCain said he’s only talking about “American presence.”
“This war will be won if we stay with it, and then it’s a question of American presence. We have troops in South Korea as a result of the Korean War, we have troops in Germany and Japan … so that’s an agreement. We have troops in Kuwait as a result of the first Gulf War,” he said, adding that nobody is protesting the U.S. troop presence in those countries.
There comes a tim when a county has spent too much blood and treasure to continue the fight. We went to war in Iraq because we believed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. There were none. We thought that he had links to AQ. The pentagon just released a report confirming there was no connection.
I’m sorry that our President made a HUGE mistake going to war in Iraq. I’m sorry that the situation there is worse now then before. But the truth of the matter is that with over 4000 Americans dead and trillions of dollars spent, we can’t be there anymore.
If we wish to continue down the path of the Roman empire and slowly wast away into civil war then we should stay in Iraq. If not, we should find a safe way to withdraw the troops as quickly as possible. The Iraqis will take care of themselves. It is time to take care of ourselves.
Remember, the goal of AQ was to take american lives and treasure. I can’t think of a bigger waste of lives and treasure than the Iraq war.
If you want the terrorist to win, stay in Iraq.
Mr. McCain is correct and I will be voting for him in the presidental election. I am a registered Domocrat and have been since I registered to vote. I believe the Democrats are good at taking care of local problems but the Republicans have a handle of international politics. This is where the United States will need strong leadership, Republicans have this ability and no matter how hard the Domocrats try to keep American at home it will not help our country. We have to have international exposure and to do that means working with other countries and unfortunately fighting for freedom in other lands. Thank goodness it won’t happen in my back yard with the guidence of Mr. McCain and the Republicans.
Go! Johnny Go!
McCain 2008 and Beyond!
McCain is the only candidate qualified to be the Commander in Chief. I served as an Infantry Platoon Leader in Iraq, and McCain is the only one who demonstrates a true understanding of the situation. Obama and Clinton either have no concept or don’t care about the consequences of leaving Iraq. They are more concerned with their personal gains and power. McCain has been on the ground in Iraq and talked to the troops. Not only to gain a better understanding, but because he’s a leader and that’s what leaders do. He showed the Soldiers that he cared and that he was involved. I never saw Clinton or Obama in Iraq talking to Soldiers, but I did see G.W. there to lead and inspire his troops. Although I believe Bush made the right decision regarding Iraq, it no longer matters. We are there, and we either show the American perseverance that has made us a great nation or we leave and give our enemies a blue print for defeating us. After Rangers were killed in Somalia in 1993, Bill Clinton pulled them out. Almost a decade later Special Forces Soldiers in Afghanistan reported that the Northern Alliance Generals were hesitant to let them get to the front lines where they could have the biggest impact. One Northern Alliance General finally referenced Somalia and stated, they were afraid that if one American was killed, all American support would be sent home. That is the perception the world has after one firefight in Somalia, and it laid the ground work for Al Quida’s strategy in Iraq. If we leave and prove them right, America will face this type of warfare again and again. McCain is Americas only hope in preventing this pitfall and saving our country from eventual ruin. Furthermore, McCain is the only candidate who has shown that he votes for what he believes to be right regardless of party lines.
McCain is right about the Troop presence in Iraq. He has my vote, but if he tries to push another Amnesty bill down our throats while he is in office I will be the first to loudly scream for his impeachment.
Wake up America, do not vote for him.
Why pull troops out slowly? Its their war not ours let them fight it themselves, bring our people home!
Personally, McCain needs to GO AWAY it is people like him, Bush and Cheney that are hurting this country and killing our men and women. Retire somewhere off the coast of whatever country you choose and live out your remaining years stress free. We do not need to be in Iraq any longer, and I hope to God someone stops McCain from getting into the whitehouse.
My name is Michelangelo Valdez and i am the Author of the Tales of the Last Americans’ RADICAL ISLAMSS’ THE INVASION and THE BATTLE FOR THE AMERICAS’ on Amazon .com and Kindle wireless and we the possible last Americans support President Bush and his efforts for free people and we praise John Mc.Cain for his continuous fight for the Iraqi people.
We the free people of the Greatest Nation in this world must remember that our freedom was the cost of millions not just in money but Lives from the Revolutionary war to the Civil war to the war on human rights and still to this day we have our SECULLAR VIOLLANCE that great government of a people take decages to be where we are and where we go from here. today that we are still a nation in her infantcy compaired to the nations abraud.
If we remember we won the war when Hussein fled Bagdad and hid in his whole. and the continuous battle for free people around the world starting in Irag WILL ONLY BE WON BY THE CONTINUOUS WILL OF WE THE PEOPLE OF FREEDOM. That with all our efforts for human rights will not die here on this land we say we Love but Live on and spread in the lands of our Ancestiol forefathers for the rights of all humans not just we.
SO, YES I AS WELL AS ALL AMERICANS SHOULD SUPPORT McCain and Bush to rid the faces of evil or all those who appress a people from their rights to live.
REMEMBER IT TAKES A GREAT MAN TO HEAR THE CALL OF FREEDOM -BUT IT TAKES A GREAT PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR THAT CAUSE.
If WE Wish for Hope lets win the war on terror which is the war on the free.
If we wish for CHANGE lets win the war on terror and hope to change the hearts of evil to Love that the greatness of the Holy Father Allah Jerhova GOD has indured in all MEN.
FROM THE LAST AMERICA Michelangelo valdez of Ellenville N.Y. God Bless AMERICA AND THE WORLD.’
For the first time McCain has may me feel a little better about voting for him. This interview (which I never intended to vote for Clinton or Obama)with fox that I just read regarding McCain sounds great if McCain means what he has said. All I can do is pray that God the creator be with this great country USA and guide and bless our leaders now and for the future.