McCain's And What Is "Not Too Important"

Obama's campaign and Democrat leaders have attacked McCain after he told NBC’s “Today” show Wednesday that it’s “not too important” when U.S. troops return from Iraq. John Kerry said McCain is “unbelievably out of touch with the needs and concerns of most Americans,” saying that to families of troops in harm’s way, “To them, it's the most important thing in the world.” Joe Biden said McCain is “totally out of touch with the needs of our troops and the national security needs of our nation.” Nancy Pelosi said the comment "is yet another indication how out of touch he is with the effect the war in Iraq is having on the readiness of our military."

Joseph Lieberman said he finds it “most outrageous” to suggest McCain is out of touch. The attack on McCain certianly is outrageous, as it is a false attack akin to those made about McCain's 100-years-in-Iraq line. McCain clearly states that the issue is American casualties, not American presence. He says that if American troops in Iraq were in the same situation as troops in South Korea then everything would be a different story, and hence it would not be "too important." He clearly believes that drawing down troops should be based on what the generals on the ground have to say and not some arbitrary timetable. He clearly argues for a focus on increased security and stability in Iraq, not obsession with withdrawal. Anyone who watches the clip above for themselves will realize the Democrat leaders and Obama are twisting what McCain said, relying on a mere three words of an interview to form an entire portrait of the man. As Lieberman put it, “This is exactly the kind of partisan political game the American people are sick and tired of.” It's stuff like this that should relegate Obama to the status of "not too important." Hopefully we can make that happen this November.

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