Robert Reich: McCain is Bullshitting about Troop Numbers

[BurtWorm]

:o

http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2006/11/john-mccains-real-plan-for-iraq.html

John McCain's Real Plan for Iraq

I talked with John McCain Sunday morning in the green room just before “This Week.” I asked him why he continued to call for more troops for Iraq when he must know it's a political non-starter. He said he thought it important for the morale of the troops.

McCain gives every impression of meaning what he says, which is one of his greatest assets. But I simply can’t believe this one. What’s most important for the morale of the troops is knowing they’ll be coming home soon, not hearing some politician say we need more troops when there’s no possible chance of that happening.

I think McCain knows Iraq is out of our hands – it’s disintegrating into civil war, and by 2008 will be a bloodbath. He also knows American troops will be withdrawn. The most important political fact he knows is he has to keep a big distance between himself and Bush in order to avoid being tainted by this horrifying failure. Arguing that we need more troops effectively covers his ass. It will allow him to say, “if the President did what I urged him to do, none of this would have happened.”

McCain is smarter on this score than Dems who intend to engage in post-Baker Commission “what we must do now” bipartisanship. It may make Dems feel relevant and important, but it will also make them complicit in the impending failure. Come 2008, they will share the responsibility for the horror of Iraq. HRC will be drawn in, as will Barak Obama and all other Dem notables who will feel it necessary to participate in a “plan.”

In the end, McCain alone will be able to escape blame. At least, that’s what I think he’s thinking.

[David Zephyr]

1. Well, I'm glad to know that I'm not alone in thinking this of McCain's cowardly proposition.

McCain knows good and damned well that America can't and won't put more troops into Iraq.

McCain knows good and damned well that America will pull out sooner or later.

McCain knows that there will be a civil war and bloodshed when we pull out.

McCain sets up the impossible proposition that leaves him the ability to say "I told you so."

McCain has NO solution, just ambition. Raw ambition.

McCain's ego and unbridled ambition scare me more than the stubborness of George W. Bush.

[babylonsister]

2. I still don't understand how his current actions translate into keeping

a big distance between himself and dimson. They're on the same page now, til they're not.
And I can't agree at this point with what Reich is saying about the Dems. How does any of them wanting a change, i.e., troop reductions or getting out of Iraq altogether, make them complicit in impending failure? I don't see any option besides getting troops out of there (we've pretty much been told we don't have many warm bodies left to send to Iraq); Dems can claim success when the troop withdrawal starts to happen.
If Reich means failure in terms of not winning this, that was never going to happen anyway. And judging from the elections, lots of people are wise to who's at fault.

[LonelyLRLiberal]

3. The Dems are in a no-win situation re: Iraq.

If they demand (and get) troop withdrawals, they'll be blamed if (when) the civil war worsens.

If they demand (and don't get) troop withdrawals, it'll be spun as obstructionist (even though the executive branch makes the ultimate decision).

If they go along with Bush in any way, they'll be blamed for NOT forcing the withdrawal of the troops.

and so on and on and on

(Damned if you do, and damned if you don't.)

To me, saving American lives is the key issue, blame and finger-pointing be damned.

[sallyseven]

4. They want us out of there.

How sure are we that they can't make their own peace. Are we putting pressure on them to do it our way? Maybe we tell them that we will be taking out 20,000 soldiers every month from January 2007 until they are all gone. They have plenty of time and they have to save their own country. We are sorry we screwed it up but you guys have to make your own way. Use your oil to steady your country and find the money that we sent there now. Employ the Iraqi people. They built buildings before. They know how to do it. Too much talking and not enough listening. Bush stay the hell out of their affairs.

[nevergiveup]

6. I think you make a good point.

No one ever considers this possibility. Everyone assumes there will be a bloodbath when we leave.

[Casablanca]

5. Having more company in the slaughterhouse will help morale?

If it does, that doesn't speak much for the troop's morale. No thinking person will buy into that rationale.

"It will allow him to say, “if the President did what I urged him to do, none of this would have happened.”"

That isn't what McCain is really saying though. He's saying that we need more troops _now_, not that we should have sent more troops _then_. He may think he's allying himself with Shinzeki, but that ship sailed a long time ago.

More proof that, the longer you play the game of realpolitik, the stupider you get.