Heather Wilson: McCain wants the troops home sooner than 16 months, if possible; Update: McCain camp clarifies
posted at 3:01 pm on July 22, 2008 by Allahpundit
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As Ambinder points out — and as the left has conveniently forgotten in their ecstasy over Maliki’s non-endorsement endorsement — 16 months isn’t really feasible, even if the Second Coming is elected in November. But never mind that. Is this the new spin? That because McCain is conditions-based, if things continue to improve he’s apt to pull the troops out sooner than Obama will? I.e. Petraeus comes to Obama on January 21, 2009, and says, “Everything’s fine. We can go.” and Obama replies, “No, I said 16 months and gosh darn it, I meant it”?
Update: Michael Goldfarb of Team Maverick e-mails with this statement:
John McCain would like to get U.S. troops out of Iraq tomorrow, but any withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground and our commanders have made fairly clear that they do not believe that 16 months, even under ideal conditions, would allow for a safe and responsible withdrawal of all American troops and their equipment. Even Barack Obama does not intend to pull all U.S. forces out of Iraq in 16 months, but has committed to maintaining in Iraq a “residual force” of unspecified size for an undetermined length of time.
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*smacks forehead*
benjamin on July 22, 2008 at 3:02 PM
It’s nice to see McCain surrounding himself with fellow pols who are so popular with the public right now.
aquaviva on July 22, 2008 at 3:05 PM
Heather Wilson heads for the martini shaker.
If Obama-bot statements are fair game then McCain-bot statements are fair game.
Limerick on July 22, 2008 at 3:09 PM
JiangxiDad on July 22, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Say that again! She was one of those on the House side giving trouble to Bush.Admn joining with McCain.
Anita on July 22, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Should have had a V-8!
upinak on July 22, 2008 at 3:15 PM
It is feasible. But never mind that.
I’ve been telling Juan for quite some time now that he should get over his cognitive dissonance and play it that way. It’s too late for him to do that now though as he has dug himself too deep a hole in the Iraqi sand and, for him, that train has done gone left the station.
MB4 on July 22, 2008 at 3:15 PM
I think it’s a hoo-hah over nothing. Her point is that McCain’s criteria are conditions-based; the different times were just examples.
irishspy on July 22, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Obama’s wisdom transcends that of generals in the field, and transcends reality too!
Maquis on July 22, 2008 at 3:21 PM
Our troops are ready to leave Iraq now!
They’re bored and want to go to Afghanistan where the fighting is.
carbon_footprint on July 22, 2008 at 3:24 PM
Yeah, it’s called winning……..!
Seven Percent Solution on July 22, 2008 at 3:26 PM
I think that most would probably prefer to come home for a spell while America is still primarily an English speaking nation and their kids may still recognize them.
MB4 on July 22, 2008 at 3:28 PM
She has a point. Why wait 16 months if everything is fine right now? What will be different then? Unless you are talking about conditions or something, in which case time is irrelevant.
Terrye on July 22, 2008 at 3:28 PM
I agree. It shifts the discussion back to “conditions based,” not timelines. Both McCain and Petraeus go with “conditions-based.”
If Obamaessiah sticks to the 16-month goal, he looks like he doesn’t care what conditions are (possbily true), and if he admits that conditions on the ground do matter, then he’s pivoted to McCain’s views.
Wethal on July 22, 2008 at 3:30 PM
Is this the same Heather Wilson who just lost the GOP primary for the Senate? That political genius?
It's Vintage, Duh on July 22, 2008 at 3:35 PM
It would be nice if Bush was able to turn over the last province to the Iraqis before he leaves office, then officially declares the war is won. That is what Barack is hoping to do (except in his case merely to declare he ‘ended’ it.) That doesn’t mean our troops won’t be in support positions and along borders; we’ll need to do that for quite some time yet. But that’s not ‘at war’.
michaelo on July 22, 2008 at 3:36 PM
In six months, who knows what the situation will be?
right2bright on July 22, 2008 at 3:47 PM
America is winning in Iraq, it is really quite awesome..
1st the war, now the insurgency, and soon the peace! That is how history will record these events, Victory. I’m pretty excited about it personally. It’s a big blow to the global jihad, huge. I’m sort of enjoying watching the far left going so insane, they were counting on losing this one - What a disaster that would be. From one military to another R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
saus on July 22, 2008 at 3:59 PM
This is purely made up. It’s clear she’s talking about the fact that Mac wants us out as early as possible. But keep hammering at McCain Allah! You’ll find something to knock in every statement he makes, and it makes Obama look better and better (is that what you’re after? becasue it sometimes looks that way.)
…
max1 on July 22, 2008 at 4:06 PM
I’m with Drew — every time I figure I have to get out and organize my neighborhood and lead people to vote against a Marxist moron, McCain comes up with something equally dumb that makes you just want to fuggedaboutit and crawl into an apolitical closet. Then again, I’m a conservative, so my concerns, and obviously truth and common sense, don’t count on either side.
Onward, progressivism! Whatever it takes to sound good to the mushy middle!
Nichevo on July 22, 2008 at 4:11 PM
Just like IVD said, she’s on the outs after losing to Rep. Steve Pearce; besides being a full member of the AF, not just a member of the Academy Grad Protective Association (which Wilson pounded into every political ad), Pearce has been faithful to Conservative causes.
TheEJS on July 22, 2008 at 4:18 PM
Yeah, the one that stood a chance of keeping the NM seat in Republican hands–not the one who is going to loose to Udall.
thuja on July 22, 2008 at 4:20 PM
I don’t have a problem with Wilson’s suggestion that McCain would pull out quicker if the conditions on the ground allowed it. It’s not like he is saying the US would pull out completely; even Obama’s plan recognizes the need to have enough troops to provide assistance in training, logistics, etc, and to allow for a response force if something comes up.
I have a lot of fatih both that our military’s to continuace to do such a superb job and faith that Iraqi’s have irreversibly turned a corner on earlier refusal to accept outside ideas as their own and build on them that there is a good chance that whoever is our next president, he/she might be able to bring them home earlier than 16 months. I’d have to spend paragraphs explaining this and I’m not going to unless challenged, but there it is.
I’d rather concentrate on what’s implicit in Scheunemann’s talk wrt to Obama’s ridiculous claim that where we are now could have conceivably happened without the surge. Really, if the Sunni’s of Anbar could have made the same decision without the surge, where would they have gotten the ammo to impose their change of heart? Who would have been on the other end of the phone when they called for back up? Who would have doled out the money to sustain their lives while they concentrated on beating their enemies? The US?
Hey, the only evidence of us would have been the Obamadust trails into the sunset, if we were to meet his 16 month timetable. Maybe Obama was thinking we would have left a bunch of ATM’s for the Anbar Sunnis to get their periodic payments, or maybe Bush could have set up an automated toll free line — Press 1 for Ammo, Press 2 for Support; you have Pressed 1, if this is correct Press 1 …. Your ammo will be processed in 24 hours and delivered by air-drop at the next available flight. Thank you. Stay on the line to participate on our brief questionaire.
Obama should thank McCain and Bush for having the foresight to propose and follow as well as the military to devise and implement a surge to prove that Obama’s 16 month timetable may now, at along last, work 18 months after he proposed it.
The only judgment Obama has is that which will get him elected and even in that he is proving to be no success story.
Dusty on July 22, 2008 at 4:21 PM
When politics are played with the lives of our military it is wrong and no nutroot BS can justify it. Obama is just about out of control. He has been told to get back to the 16 months withdrawl or those who put him in the nominee position will take him out. The only thing that could make Obama any more dangerous would be if he had a thought of his own.
volsense on July 22, 2008 at 4:24 PM
She had no chance of beating Udall. Her campaign’s a mess (besides interning for her in the past, I know a lot of her insiders). She alienated almost every right-leaning organization within the state (most of all, law enforcement groups), leading to Pearce’s win; in fact, the only base of support she had was ABQ-based RINOs.
Pearce will be in for a tough fight, no doubt about it, but he’s got the grassroots support, a solid base in southern NM, and can make a run outside of pueblo-held lands in Udall’s district.
And Wilson almost lost the last race to the imbecile Patricia Madrid, so there’s that.
TheEJS on July 22, 2008 at 4:40 PM
Heather went ’round the bend’ five years ago. I used to be a pretty reliable $upporter of hers before that, but before the last election she was running to the left of her way lefty Democrat challenger.
If someone wanted to write her biography they could subtitle it : How to go from fairly decent conservative to twit in 30 days.
Thank god Steve Pearce beat her in the primary for Domenici’s Senate seat.
LegendHasIt on July 22, 2008 at 8:17 PM
I meant to add, that she and McCain deserve each other.
LegendHasIt on July 22, 2008 at 8:18 PM
Hey, EJS… We must be neighbors!
Well, I’m in District 2, but there aren’t a lot of NM people here, so what’s a hundred miles or so between co-conspirators ;-) ?
LegendHasIt on July 22, 2008 at 8:25 PM
JiangxiDad on July 22, 2008 at 3:14 PM
That’s a scary thought.
ThackerAgency on July 22, 2008 at 9:42 PM
Heather had a bigger chance of beating Udall than Pearce does. Pearce is going to lose by a landslide. Heather, like McCain, has always drawn independents and lefties over to her side due to her more centrist stance on some issues. Udall does the exact same thing for the Democrats, which is why Pearce does not match up against hime very well. There are going to be a lot of Republicans crossing over and voting for Udall, particularly in Eastern NM where Udall is almost universally revered.
I really liked Heather as a politician, and as a person. I respect anyone on either side who isn’t afraid to vote their conscience rather than straight party-line “zombie style.” May her political career RIP.
Chuckie on July 23, 2008 at 9:52 AM