McCain Ties Victory to a Losing Issue
John McCain will attempt to resurrect his struggling presidential campaign by launching a coordinated effort to reaffirm his support for the Iraq war. While his rosy take on "progress" in Baghdad just blew up in his face, the candidate has effectively painted himself into a corner.
John McCain will attempt to resurrect his struggling presidential campaign by launching a coordinated effort to reaffirm his support for the Iraq war. While his rosy take on “progress” in Baghdad just blew up in his face, the candidate has effectively painted himself into a corner.
Still, McCain’s enthusiasm for the unpopular war best explains his poor showing in polls and lack of fundraising success, and it doesn’t seem likely that upping the volume on a losing message will help matters.
Dig, Root, GrowWashington Post:
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will launch a high-profile effort next week to convince Americans that the Iraq war is winnable, embracing the unpopular conflict with renewed vigor as he attempts to reignite his stalling bid for the presidency.
With the Virginia Military Institute as a backdrop, McCain plans to argue in a speech on Wednesday that victory in Iraq is essential to American security and that President Bush’s war machine is finally getting on track after four years, aides and advisers said.
McCain’s rosy assessment of safety on Iraq’s streets after his recent visit to a Baghdad marketplace was mocked by many, prompting him to tell a television reporter that he “misspoke” and now regrets the comments. But, in the interview to be broadcast [Sunday], the senator sticks by his defense of the overall war effort, predicting that failure in Iraq would be “catastrophic.”
This year, we’re all on shaky ground, and the need for independent journalism has never been greater. A new administration is openly attacking free press — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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The president may not want war with Iran, but he does want to push the regime into submission and tout U.S. military dominance to his base.
Meanwhile, thousands of Iraqi anti-government protesters call on both Iran and America to leave the country.
There's no justification for Qassem Soleimani's assassination, and if we avoid another war in the Middle East, we'll have Tehran to thank.
As a candidate in 2016, he praised war crimes and expressed a desire to commit some of his own. No one can claim surprise or betrayal now.
However Iran chooses to respond to the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, America's influence in the region is guaranteed to deteriorate.
Rocket falls near U.S. Embassy in Iraq hours after funeral for Qassem Soleimani at which crowd chants "Death to America, death to Israel."
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