(Check out his interview with Katie Couric)

McCain: We have succeeded in Iraq. We are winning. We will be making additional withdrawals as everybody acknowledged. We may have an advisory capacity as even Sen. Obama agrees. And we may have security arrangements that are in the interest of both countries. But the fact is victory is being achieved now. A stable society. Secure environment. Functioning government. Functioning legal system. All of the trappings of a nation where people can feel secure in their future in a free and independent nation. And that's what we've succeeded in the strategy which will then mean we are winning the war and bring our troops home.

He's using both "have succeeded" (past participle) and "are winning" (active tense).

See he's stuck....if he says directly "we've won" (past tense)....he has no argument for opposing withdrawal.

If he says "we're winning" (active tense)...he denies that "the Surge worked" and takes away his "Iraq bona fides".

So he says BOTH.....both we HAVE won and we ARE winning....so that he can both oppose any withdrawal AND still keep claiming victory.

But that's his vunerablity too....how does he keep going for the next FOUR MONTHS saying "we've won...but we can't leave because we're still trying to win"?!?!?!?

Yes, obviously it would be much better if he'd sided with Obama and said long ago that we can't win and so we have lost...

HST-libertarian:

Yes, obviously it would be much better if he'd sided with Obama and said long ago that we can't win and so we have lost...

He's siding with him NOW, HST.

McCain recently said he could "see it happening by then", when asked about a withdrawal by 2010.

Which happens to be Obama's "16 month withdrawal plan".

And to think that the MSM hasn't called his slimey ass to the carpet?

<link>

McCain himself was not always confused as to the start date of the Awakening, and whether or not it was caused by the surge. Fresh off one of his much-touted trips to Iraq, McCain delivered remarks to the conservative American Enterprise Institute on January 5, 2007. Alongside fellow Senator Joe Lieberman, McCain specifically advocated for the newly proposed surge, and cited the already-in-progress turning of Sunni sheiks as a reason to send more troops. From the transcript of the event:

"Too often the light at the tunnel has turned out to be a train, but I really believe -- I really believe that there's a strong possibility that you may see a very substantial change in Anbar province due to this new changes in our relationships with the sheiks in the region. ... But it's important, as I said in my opening remarks, that this troop surge be significant and sustained. Otherwise, don't do it."

Reptilicus:

HST-libertarian:

Yes, obviously it would be much better if he'd sided with Obama and said long ago that we can't win and so we have lost...

He's siding with him NOW, HST.

McCain recently said he could "see it happening by then", when asked about a withdrawal by 2010.

Which happens to be Obama's "16 month withdrawal plan".

LOL! Obama wanted ALL the troops out by March 2008. He wanted to implement his 16 month withdrawal every day since he first mentioned it. Now all of a sudden he's clairvoyant and knew that in January 2009 when he would be in a position to impose it unilaterally that we'd actually be in a position to do it without losing the war. That bullshit may work for you hopeheads but those of us that are still thinking straight don't buy it for a second...

kadet:

<link>

McCain himself was not always confused as to the start date of the Awakening, and whether or not it was caused by the surge. Fresh off one of his much-touted trips to Iraq, McCain delivered remarks to the conservative American Enterprise Institute on January 5, 2007. Alongside fellow Senator Joe Lieberman, McCain specifically advocated for the newly proposed surge, and cited the already-in-progress turning of Sunni sheiks as a reason to send more troops. From the transcript of the event:

"Too often the light at the tunnel has turned out to be a train, but I really believe -- I really believe that there's a strong possibility that you may see a very substantial change in Anbar province due to this new changes in our relationships with the sheiks in the region. ... But it's important, as I said in my opening remarks, that this troop surge be significant and sustained. Otherwise, don't do it."

Um, right. Because he knew it was undertaken in the anticipation of the surge and we needed to implement the surge or it would fail. All this "gotcha" based on campaign blather is beginning to bore me. You guys just go right ahead saying the surge had nothing to do with the success in Anbar...

HST, if the Surge has "worked"....why can't we leave?

(BTW, if you come up with a logical answer to that....fax it to the McCain camp!)

Lukey, all we are trying to say,(at least I can vouch for myself)

that the troops alone did not solve the problem with Iraq, political reconciliation was as much important if not more....

Nobody is trying to diminish the job the soldiers and officers had done. Please, be reasonable.

And Russia has nothing to do with it( btw, I will have to get visa to get there , just like you, cause i had to renounce my citizenship in 1994).

But even if I get to Russia, where will the other majority of Americans who agree with me go ?

Reptilicus:

HST, if the Surge has "worked"....why can't we leave?

(BTW, if you come up with a logical answer to that....fax it to the McCain camp!)

I posted last week that that's exactly what McCain should say - the surge has worked and now we can leave. I think this intransigence on their part stems from a refusal to pre-announce decisions with respect to Iraq. We'll be leaving beginning at the end of the summer, but we'll keep saying we aren't to keep the bad guys from developing their own little surge. Unfortunately for McCain, that doesn't benefit him politically...

kadet:

Lukey, all we are trying to say,(at least I can vouch for myself)

that the troops alone did not solve the problem with Iraq, political reconciliation was as much important if not more....

Nobody is trying to diminish the job the soldiers and officers had done. Please, be reasonable.

And Russia has nothing to do with it( btw, I will have to get visa to get there , just like you, cause i had to renounce my citizenship in 1994).

But even if I get to Russia, where will the other majority of Americans who agree with me go ?

I understand exactly what you are doing Sasha - you are trying to give Obama as much cover as possible for his opposition to the surge. But you can't do that without diminishing the efforts of the troops. Pick one and go with it...

(I was just kidding about Russia)

"We have won...and we are winning!" Amazing. They say politicians can talk out of both sides of their mouths, but rarely do you see it so clearly...

You have a LINK, I assume?