UPDATE: Might McCain pull out of Iraq faster than Obama?

A surrogate for John McCain made a leftward feint on a campaign conference call today, suggesting that the presumptive Republican nominee might pull troops out of Iraq sooner than Barack Obama.

"He’d like troops to come home earlier than 16 months if the conditions allow it," Rep. Heather Wilson, (R-New Mexico), said of McCain.

During the call, Wilson and other McCain surrogates mainly continued to push the campaign's standard critique against Obama –- that the Illinois senator has a rigid, politically driven timetable for withdrawal, while McCain will only pull troops if military commanders say the conditions in Iraq merit it. Also, they said, the improved security in Iraq that makes withdrawal feasible is due to McCain, who supported the surge, rather than Obama, who opposed it.

But reporters seized on Wilson's provocative statement about a speedy pullout, asking McCain senior foreign policy advisor Randy Scheunemann whether the Arizona senator thought he could get troops home faster than Obama. Scheunemann didn't go there. "Sen. McCain has always said two things would determine his approach to force levels in Iraq: The advice of commanders on the ground and the security situation on the ground."

Wilson pulled back from the quick withdrawal idea, too. Instead, she turned back to the call's original purpose -- bashing Obama. "He's frighteningly inexperienced when it comes to foreign affairs and national security policy," Wilson said.

(UPDATE: The Obama campaign noted that the McCain camp’s Monday website post called Obama’s goal of withdrawing in 16 months "an unconditional timeline we reject not only as being dangerous but infeasible.")

-- Nicholas Riccardi

Comments

[calypso catteraugus]

ha! mccain just said that he would rather lose the election than lose the war. i certainly hope that actually comes to fruition. that basically means "i will stay the flawed course of the bush administration regardless of the will of the people." notice the conditional and open-ended "if the conditions allow it." if you really believe he wants to pull the troops out, you are truly ignorant.

[TMcA]

The left gets so whacked out about a definite time line that it is funny to see them jumping all over a simple and true statement by McCain that he'd like the troops home even earlier than 16 months. Who wouldn't want that? But ground conditions, the commanders and the Iraqi government will be the deciding mix to determine that time frame. That has always been the plan since day one of the Iraq War.

Is Obama even aware that agreements such as the Status of Forces Agreement have been in the works for some six months that include time frames for withdrawals? He acts like he is totaly clueless about such issues.

[JREFO]

Pulling out fast is not a good thing. It's a dangerous move that can send that country into turmoil if we just abruptly leave. Are they just going to forgo all warning signs because the Iraqis prefer a time table exit? John McCain needs to stop trying to top Obama, his surrogates are making ridiculous statements such as this.

[Oregon4Obama]

Oh this "faster than Obama' timetable comments wasnt made by mccain but someone else.....ok

I thought he was flip-flopping giving me a reason to dislike mccain more, but I see its just the media inventing a story and trying to stir the cr@p rather than report it.....

Im an Obama supporter and I can see that this article is just trying to put McCain in hot water......we need fairness in the story so we, the people, can support the candidates properly.......

[mike L]

lol. Wilson and the Repubs thats all they have to say naive and inexperienced. Theyre the bitter wins when they lose seats in so many offices.

[Ericmiami]

Each day brings more desperation from the McCain campaign. And with good reason.

[GoAway]

Shut UP mike L, you're just another leftist LOSER.

[vick]

he will and start a new war here comes the draft boys and girls . get ready to be f ed by republicans again....

[Shanon]

Well that's because when "The Left" dares question Der Bush Administration about timelines or even conditions for troop redeployment, they're labeled un-American sissy white-flag Nazi appeasers. But when McCain or his surrogates say the same thing it's "...a simple and true statement."

[Joey Bargrill]

I spoze people always want someone to save them. Both seem like pleasant enuf fellows, well Barack does. McCain will owe way too many debts to his machine to do much real change....and staying the course set over the last eight years means we stay prisoners of big oil -- I mean I could prob make a plug in car in my own garage in less than 8 years...its no "accident" the Middle East has us pawned.... and Barack unfortunately doesn't generate much confidence in me... i see nobody to vote for.

[Mason]

Are they just going to forgo all warning signs because the Iraqis prefer a time table exit?

Yes. Because to do otherwise, to occupy a country whose democratic government is opposed to this, especially a country who we invaded to institute democracy, would be hypocritical and lead to our eventual defeat. We can keep fighting the Persians for as long as we want, and without a draft we don't have the resources to subdue the "Shiite Revival" that we ourselves triggered.

[YC]

If Iraq goes into a chaos again after we pull out our troops too early, we know that the Iraqi politicians will flee the country with stolen money right away. It will be the ordinary Iraqi people who will suffer the most and, guess what, we may have to go in there to clean up again just to be responsible for what we've done to the country. If we have to go to the war the second time with Iraq it will be ten times more difficult to get the Iraqi trust.

Our troops went through an awful lot of sacrifice to get to this point. Whether the war started wrongly or not, I think Obama should respect our troops' work and try to make sure we keep what we gained by coming up with a more sound pullout plan.

The best option for America at this point is to keep what we gained and make sure Iraq becomes stable. The pullout should be very very cautiously done - something better than Obama and Maliki's plans.

I will keep watching both Obama and McCain for my vote.

[HF]

Read the quote and quit trying to make it seem as though he's changing his position because he's not! No one in their right mind WANTS war - but at least this country is willing to stand up for those who can't, who aren't capable. At least he and Bush and other great Republicans are willing to do the hard, right thing to bring about real change - and be able to identify it.

"Sen. McCain has always said two things would determine his approach to force levels in Iraq: The advice of commanders on the ground and the security situation on the ground."

Here's a thought - if you don't like this country and what America stands for then by all means move out of it. JUST GO - try it out elsewhere. Heaven forbid the very freedoms that allow you to comment on these articles be taken away from you.

War is NOT an easy thing. But if my family and friends defending my country brings about one life saved worth saving and continues to bring about freedom from tyranny and terrorism then so be it. I'd lay down my life right now for those trying, for those that realize that a life worth living is worth fighting for.

[Tesseract257]

Whoever is commander in chief needs to make getting Bin Laden their #1 Priority. Anyone who thinks we should continue to hide from Osama Bin Laden by wasting money in Iraq should do America a favor and renounce their American citizenship.

[cm grigg (Nashville)]

That' the dumbest thing I've heard since they ran the gas adds during Bush V Kerry in Cincinnati. The local "liberal" media ran "stories" that stated that if Bush were elected gas would rise to $2.70- 3.00 if Kerry was elected the gas would balloon to $ 3.50 or 4.00.The oil administration was going to keep gas prices down? If you remember Hamilton County was one of a couple counties that could have swung the entire election. Now were supposed to believe this. Hopefully the electorate has woken up a bit since then. We're in trouble again

[cm grigg (Nashville)]

That' the dumbest thing I've heard since they ran the gas adds during Bush V Kerry in Cincinnati. The local "liberal" media ran "stories" that stated that if Bush were elected gas would rise to $2.70- 3.00 if Kerry was elected the gas would balloon to $ 3.50 or 4.00.The oil administration was going to keep gas prices down? If you remember Hamilton County was one of a couple counties that could have swung the entire election. Now were supposed to believe this. Hopefully the electorate has woken up a bit since then. We're in trouble again

[Stewart Nusbaumer]

silly, moronic blog posting.

[jon]

Amazing how dumb people are getting.
Here is McCain & his geniuses, always demeaning Obama's *inexperience,* and saying that McCain would be a better Commander-in-Chief.
Yet, everything they say suggests that they haven't a clue, what a Commander-in-Chief is?
The only one that gets it, is *Mr Naive.*
Bulletin: In our Constitutional Government, the President, as Commander-in-Chief sets the mission. Nowhere does it say that a General sets the mission. It's the Generals duty to make that mission happen. Bush & McCain continue to show their ignorance, as do their followers, that repeat what they're told.
McCain thinks the President should his defer his responsibility as Commander-in-Chief, to the Generals.
Obama accepts that responsibility.
******
The difference between McCain & Obama...
McCain: The mission: Victory?
General Petraeus... tell me when we can leave.
Obama: The mission: to get out of Iraq, safely.
General Petraeus... find a way!
*******
Obama will be a great Commander-in-Chief, because he understands what that position entails.

[Emily Wortham]

This country has gotten nuts. An Illinois lawyer has offered to represent Iran re nuclear matter; Obama thinks he knows more about the wars in Iraq & Afgan than the U.S. generals & the Joint Chief of Staff; Obama says he'll defend Israel .. what a lie; the American people believe that a man who has no experience in foreign affairs, domestic affairs, who lies all the time and changes his mind on issues is suited to be president and commander in chief. The Western Europeans are stating their opinion of who should be president of the U.S. while their countries are in such a terrible state with Islamic terrorist now citizens of their countries after they opened their arms to them to immigrate in the '80s and the Europeans are not able to protect their own countries...Europe will be majority Muslim by the end of the century. The Iraq PM wants us to leave but the Iraqis cannot police their own country and when we do leave, the Iranians will march into Iraq.......it's all just nuts.