McCain’s budget calls for Iraq withdrawal far larger than Obama’s.
McCain’s budget calls for Iraq withdrawal far larger than Obama’s.
Today, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) provided a memorandum on his budget plan to the Washington Post. The plan calls for $150 billion in savings in 2013 “consistent with success in Iraq/Afghanistan.” The Wonk Room notes, however, that these savings are “only possible” with a “massive withdrawal” from Iraq:
First, U.S. spending in Iraq and Afghanistan totaled $171 billion in 2007, according to the Congressional Budget Office – and that includes money for Iraqi security forces, foreign aid, and veterans benefits. If current policies continue – and spending grows with inflation – the war might cost $200 billion in 2013. Cutting the cost by three-quarters, especially when other costs (like veterans benefits and foreign aid) will remain, would require a sharp, perhaps nearly complete withdrawal of troops. The numbers from CBO look even worse. According to CBO, rapidly reducing the number of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan to 30,000 would save only $55 billion in 2013.
Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) more aggressive plan to withdraw forces from Iraq will save only $90 billion a year, according to his campaign. The Washington Post notes that McCain’s budget plan is “not credible.”
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His budget is “not credible”?
Neither is he.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:02 pmThe Washington Post notes that McCain’s budget plan is “not credible.”
Which mirrors his candidacy and political party ……..
July 14th, 2008 at 6:02 pmOT but a must read:
http://dailykos.com/ storyonly/ 2008/ 7/ 14/ 7569/ 26098/ 54/ 551162
“Since the beginning of this year, military experts that I’ve talked to argue that the fall-off in violence in Iraq had almost NOTHING to do with the INCREASE in American troop levels — and everything to do with actually TALKING with and supporting the previous insurgents. Recent published reports confirm that talks with the insurgents began all the way back in December of 2003, when military officers met with Sunni insurgent leaders in Amman, Jordan. Not only that, but when those talks were actually opposed by the administration, the military went ahead with the talks anyway.”
“The increase in American troops in Iraq had nothing to do with defeating the Iraqi insurgency and everything to do with actually talking with them. To claim otherwise is to market a myth and it’s time for John McCain to acknowledge it — to give credit where credit is due: to those fine officers of our military who decided to talk, even as the administration continued to beat the war drums.”
Lt. Gen. Robt. Gard
July 14th, 2008 at 6:13 pmOOps…make that:
Marketing a Myth: How John McCain Actually Got The Surge Wrong
by Lt Gen Robert G Gard
http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/14/7569/26098/54/551162
July 14th, 2008 at 6:16 pmMirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the biggest imperial BSer of all? War criminal Bush? War criminal Cheney? War criminal Rumsfeld? War monger McCain? Or Afghanistan Imperialist Obama?
In the 19th century, the Afghan people defeated the British occupiers. In the 20th century the Afghan people defeated the Russian occupiers. And in the 21st century, the Afghan people will defeat the American occupiers…
July 14th, 2008 at 6:33 pmFor McCain, and most GOPers for that matter, credibility is only measured by how much the general public can be made to believe the freshly shoveled sh*t.
PEACE
July 14th, 2008 at 6:41 pm“McCain’s budget plan is “not credible.””
Try “McCain…is “not credible.” and I will wholeheartedly agree!
July 14th, 2008 at 7:39 pmOk, what am I missing here. To hear McCain talk, if he brings our troops home, there will be that much more money for us to spend on this country. The problem is that we are not spending our money on the occupation. We are borrowing the money. So if we bring our troops home the “savings” would be not borrowing the money. It won’t be money in our pockets to spend, it will be just that much less we will be mortgaging our children’s futures.
July 14th, 2008 at 7:53 pmBilbo,
Right! And I have been hearing Obama’s people also talk about what they will do with the money from Iraq—-although I don’t believe Obama has made that mistake.
Badger, I have been saying that for a long time. The drop in violence is due to us putting many tens of thousands of insurgents on our payrolls.
July 14th, 2008 at 9:09 pm.
Dear Senator,
Please define “success”.
.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:54 am