Today, Time Magazine published an interview with Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) that it conducted aboard McCain’s campaign airplane. Reporters James Carney and Michael Scherer described McCain as “prickly” and “at times, abrasive” during the course of the interview.

Carney and Scherer noted to McCain that the Iraqi government is calling for a deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq even though McCain’s previously stated definition of “victory” — “a peaceful, stable, prosperous democratic state” — has not been achieved. The Arizona senator dismissed their characterization of the situation, saying that Iraq is “a peaceful and stable country now”:

Q: Some members of the [Iraqi] government have made it clear in the last month or two that they might want to withdraw before complete stability, before totally secure borders, before some of the completeness of victory as you described. Is there any change, do you think there is some wiggle room there because what you described with Petraeus was an end point that was rather complete — a peaceful, stable country.

MCCAIN: Its a peaceful and stable country now.

Here are some examples (from just this month) of McCain’s so-called “peaceful and stable” Iraq:

– August 9: A suicide car bomb in Tal Afar killed at least 25 people.

– August 24: A suicide bomber killed 25 people, including women and children, in Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib district.

– August 27: A suicide bomber killed 28 and wounded 45 in Iraq’s Diyala province.

Moreover, while U.S. troop deaths in Iraq reached their lowest point since the beginning of the war last month, they are on the rise again. According to icasulaties.org, 20 U.S. military personnel have been killed so far this month in Iraq — up from 13 in July.

But this isn’t the first time McCain’s assessment of the security situation in Iraq has been off. Last May he said the northern city of Mosul was “quiet” despite the fact that a car bomb had killed three and wounded nine there the very same day.

Think Progress McCain: Iraq Is ‘A Peaceful And Stable Country Now’

Aw gee.
If it's "peaceful" now, I guess we can pull all our troops back home now?

Next time you have a baby I'll tell your Doctor to wipe the baby off, wrap it up and then send the two of you home within the hour.

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Every step taken toward the installment of Sharia law will be justifiable to the person who values appearance more than freedom and democracy.

The point of my comment went flying above your head...
To use your analogy, McCain is saying IT'S OKAY to do what you just said...

But of course, you make no comment on that.
What would McCain have to do for you to actually criticize him, or to acknowledge that he did it?

Let's try to keep this simple.
MCCAIN: Its a peaceful and stable country now.

Any response to this?
If Obama had said that, would your reaction be different?

You're not getting it...

McCain would've made it easier if he was more obviously and said "Its a peaceful and stable country now compared to pre-surge."

Instead, you're trying to construe it as "Its a peaceful and stable country...like Switzerland."

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"You get the respect that you give" - cnredd

When do we get to stop spending our money in Iraq? When is victory? When is McCain going to shut the hell up? If I want to hear cheerleading and rosey scenarios I'll watch Bush

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Talking about music is like dancing about architecture

When are we going to stop spending our money in Germany, Japan, Italy, Korea, etc., etc., etc.... Why just pick on Iraq?? Because it's a resounding success story for a Republican?? Because we have been successful there in spite of all of the left's declarations of failure?? Iraq is not a perfect place to live, but it is a success in terms of turning it from being the most oppressive gov't on the planet and turning it into a growing Constitutional Republic and a shining example of how to fight terrorists and win (along with some examples of how not to do it as well).

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Our nation has not always lived up to its ideals, yet those ideals have never ceased to guide us. They expose our flaws, and lead us to mend them. We are the beneficiaries of the work of the generations before us and it is each generation's responsibility to continue that work. - Laura Bush

God is a conservative -

Ecclesiastes 10:2--"A wise man's heart inclines him to the right, but a fool's heart to the left."

Ahh. I see.
So just REWRITE what McCain said, and everything is fine...

LOOK AT THE CONTEXT cnredd.
The whole point was regarding a previous statement by McCain, and calling him to task on what he said.

I'm going off what he ACTUALLY SAID.
Not some rewritten fantasy you wish your candidate had said...


Yowza! A "resounding success story"?
That's even more absurd than saying Iraq is "A Peaceful And Stable Country Now".
We have very different interpretations on "success", and I think you seriously over-estimate what will happen when we leave.

You would prefer Iran annex Iraq, maybe?

Silly me. Of course you would.

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Every step taken toward the installment of Sharia law will be justifiable to the person who values appearance more than freedom and democracy.

That was not going to happen under Saddam.
Then AMERICA came in and made a WHOLE LOT of things possible.
We made it possible for al Qaeda to gain a presence that they couldn't have had under Saddam.
We made it possible for other countries to take advantage of Iraq, if it weren't for the fact that we are there...

It's like somebody breaks down the door of a home, leaving the front wide open, then the intruder tells the inhabitants that he has to stay to make sure things stay safe.

Hey, Micheal J. Fux, this isn't Back to the Future.

Deal with what is and what might be, not what WAS.

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Every step taken toward the installment of Sharia law will be justifiable to the person who values appearance more than freedom and democracy.