RUSH: Matt Lauer: ‘If it’s not working, Senator, do you now have a better estimate of when American forces can come home from Iraq?’
MCCAIN: No, but that’s not too important. What’s important is the casualties in Iraq. Americans in South Korea. Americans in Japan. American troops are in Germany. That’s all fine. American casualties and the ability to withdraw. We will be able to withdraw. General Petraeus is going to tell us in July when he thinks we are, but the key to it is we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way.
RUSH: Wait a minute. (laughter) Tell me he didn’t say that! This is turning into a mush. This is just a bunch of mush. Anyway, the Democrats are zeroing in, ladies and gentlemen, on his comment that troops coming home from Iraq, ‘that’s not too important,’ he said. John Kerry, who served in Vietnam, is beside himself over this. He said, ‘It’s unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs of Americans and particularly the families of troops that are over there. To them it’s the most important thing in the world when they come home. It’s a policy for staying in Iraq.’ Kerry and Obama aide Susan Rice also both said that McCain is ‘confused,’ which McCain’s camp says, ‘You are attacking our client’s age,’ and they’re saying, ‘Yeah. Not only is your candidate confused, McCain’s outta touch. He’s unbelievably out of touch,’ is what John Kerry said (who served in Vietnam, by the way). I understand the point McCain’s making. Yeah, we got troops all over the place. But getting them out of harm’s way? ‘The key to it is we don’t want any more Americans in harm’s way.’
Well, yeah, but (sigh) that’s Democrat lingo. Sure, we don’t want ’em in harm’s way after this is over and we leave a force there to manage and do whatever. I know, I know. He was confused. That’s what he meant.