McCain: ‘I Said We Would Have An Easy Victory’ In Iraq And ‘We Did’
McCain: ‘I Said We Would Have An Easy Victory’ In Iraq And ‘We Did’
In late 2002 and early 2003, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) was a fixture on cable television, assuring Americans that an invasion of Iraq would be “easy.” “I believe that the success will be fairly easy,” McCain told CNN in September 2002. “We will win this conflict. We will win it easily,” he told MSNBC the following January.
Over the years, McCain has often claimed that he never made rosy predictions, saying in 2006 that he “fully understood from the beginning” that Iraq “would be a very, very difficult undertaking.” In January 2007, however, he wasn’t sure what he believed. First, he said that he knew it was “going to be long and hard and tough,” but six days later he claimed, “I said the military operation would be easy. It was easy.”
On Larry King Live last night, when asked about the decision to invade, McCain went back to saying that he predicted America would have “an easy victory” and that “we did“:
MCCAIN: I think we did the right thing. I think that it was a colossal intelligence failure on the part of the United States and every other county as to whether he had them or not. But again, I would remind you, I said we would have an easy victory. We did.
Watch it:
Just as he can’t figure out his current position on timetables, McCain can’t keep his rhetoric straight on whether he’s a cheerleader or critic of the Iraq war. As Matt Duss points out in the Wonk Room, McCain believes it’s “a job for the historians” to figure out if invading Iraq was a good decision.
With his haphazard declaration that the initial invasion was “an easy victory” and his refusal to reconsider the decision to invade, McCain ignores the numerous disastrous consequences of that invasion, including over 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed and over 30,000 wounded.
Transcript:
KING: If this would go back, start all over again, would you go into Iraq if you could go back?
MCCAIN: I think the world is better off knowing what I know at the time and the fact that Saddam Hussein was bent on acquiring weapons of mass destruction, $12 billion Oil for Food scandal. American airplanes were being shot at. Sanctions were breaking down. It’s clear that he wanted to go back and acquire weapons of mass destruction and use them. I don’t think there is any doubt. I think we did the right thing. I think that it was a colossal intelligence failure on the part of the United States and every other county as to whether he had them or not. But again, I would remind you, I said we would have an easy victory. We did.
And then we employed the wrong strategy which doomed us to failure and we were losing this war when I said we had to have this new strategy all along and stoop up for it when most political pundits said that my career was finished.
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Heh. Early onset dementia due to Alheimer’s.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:43 pmCrikey. Typos suck. That would be ALZHEIMER’S.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pmHe’s getting measured for his Mission Accomplished® flightsuit.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pmMcCain: ‘I Said We Would Have An Easy Victory’ In Iraq And ‘We Did’
okay, then what the hell are we still doing there?
July 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pmWe did have an victory… in the same way that one team always makes the first basket in a basketball game…
It’s the rest of the game and the final score that really counts, tho…
July 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pmLet’s see, what would consititute WINNING the war?
July 29th, 2008 at 1:50 pmMcCain: ‘I Said We Would Have An Easy Victory’ In Iraq And ‘We Did’
Ergo…
McCain: “I know how to win wars”
…by simply declaring them won!
July 29th, 2008 at 1:50 pmSomeone take McStain in his pants to the old folks home. Does he not realize we have everything on tape? He is a lying fool or he has lost his freaking mind. If this is the best the Greedy Oil Party has to offer, they threw in the towel.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pmEven though it is very clear from his statement that victory has been obtained, this will in no way undermine the republican talking point that any change is surrender and appeasing the enemy.
Which is it McCain? Make up your mind (what’s left of it).
July 29th, 2008 at 1:52 pmcitizen_pain Says:
“Let’s see, what would consititute WINNING the war?”
According to Grampy McLame, being able to buy five dollar rugs at the local market in Baghdad with blackhawk helicopters buzzing around. His five dollar rug cost every taxpayer 5 grand for his photo opt visit.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pmMcCain and the Republican propaganda machine want to repeat the “intelligence community failures” line so many times that it BECOMES the accepted reality of what happened. However, the FACT is that the intelligence community had it right in their assesments, but because that didn’t comport to the official ideology of the Bush/Neocon plan, they pressured the CIA, State Dept., Atomic Energy Commission, into tweaking their reports. Those who wouldn’t toe the line were discarded, and a separate, (probably illegal) “SPECIAL PLANS DEPARTMENT” was organized in the White House to deliver sketchy reports about the “dire threat”….
July 29th, 2008 at 1:54 pmThe end result was predetermined, the intelligence had to point the way to it, and thats what they got.
Sound Progress Says:
——————————————————————————–
But haven’t you heard: “The War is Lost.” “The Surge has Failed.” — according to Harry Reid, that is.
==============================================================
Who was the enemy? At what point did we win? What did we win? Was it really a war? It is an occupation? Was it worth over 4000 American lives? What about the over 100,000 Iraqi civilians who died for McShame’s war?
July 29th, 2008 at 1:55 pmRalph: okay, then what the hell are we still doing there?
ummm…well having ‘won’ we must be enjoying the spoils of victory?
July 29th, 2008 at 1:55 pmWhy won’t someone ask McCain the obvious question; if, or since we’ve won, why can’t we leave?
( The Surge is a House of Cards )
¶ AIO
July 29th, 2008 at 1:56 pmMethinks the melanoma has migrated into the brain.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:58 pmThis is the typical Republican double talk on the war. Topplin Saddam was one thing. Occupying the country was another totally unrelated matter. Had nothing to do with the invasion and no one ever could have foreseen what would happen thereafter.
Of course, McCain could have been pinned down. Did he agree with the rosy predictions by administration spokesman stating that troops would be out in a few months? Did he agree with the failure of Rummy to allow any planning for occupation? Does he see the rise of the insurgency as totally divorced from the failure of the administration to have a plan for occupation? If so, when the hell did he ever raise these issues?
July 29th, 2008 at 1:58 pmRight Johnny. Just like the Soviets had an easy victory in Afghanistan — until the cost of the occupation helped bring down their empire. Just like Napoleon had an easy victory when he took Moscow — too bad about the weather and lack to food when he tried to leave. Get a clue old man. If we “won” like you now say there should be no need for a residual force five years after the “victory”. In fact, the warmongers you unquestionably followed promised no occupation would be necessary.
July 29th, 2008 at 1:59 pmWOOOHOOOO!
VICTORY!
V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!!!
SEND THE BOYS HOME!!!
NOW!!!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:01 pmEasy victory? Yeah if you don’t count the ‘hard parts’
In 2003 I was saying that going into Iraq would have two possible outcomes:
1. Saddam has WMD and he will use them on our troops giving us cause to level the country.
2. Saddam DOESNT have WMD and this will drag on forever. (I was laughed at at the time for suggesting we would have to stay in Iraq for 3-5 years.)
July 29th, 2008 at 2:01 pmThe 4,000+ dead soldiers response to McCain’s “easy victory”,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,”No Comment”
July 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pmToday he is in not in favor of going to Pakistan to capture Ben Llama. (sorry to Ralph as there is no relation, this one is really a Guanaco)
July 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pmYesterday we were still under the impression he was going to the gates of hell to get Ben Caca. Tomorrow what will it be? Will he finally cop to the fact that Ben Leaning is actually back in the kingdom of Saud with his family enjoying the big bucks rolling in? Can you see any reason why Saudi’s would have bankrolled ol’ Ben?
Is there any doubt the guy is seriously confused, (at best) or woefully ignorant, (middling), or perhaps, no longer in control of his cognitive functions. He makes gaffes daily about the things as presnit he is supposed to know about. You can’t pretend that someone is competent or even lucid if they make false statements daily. It is a sign of a physical or mental problem.
The elevator no longer goes to the 13th floor.
a colossal intelligence failure on the part of the United States and every other county
NOT. intelligence was TRYING to tell everyone “NO WMD”…
such liars…
July 29th, 2008 at 2:03 pmGee, the world’s biggest military war machine can march into a third-rate third-world country and easily conquer it. Gee, now there’s a real achievement… The so-called “war” (actually, just a slaughter with our aerial Blitkreig, was over in three weeks or so. That was the “victory” that Old McWar was crowing about… However, we overstayed our welcome (see Bush, clueless) and became hostile imperial occupiers.
Maybe it’s time to look at “the conditions under the ground in Iraq,” that is, six feet under the ground, when the one million Iraqis murdered by Bush lie in their graves. It is time to end our hostile imperial occupation of Iraq. Haven’t we do enough to the Iraqi people?
P.S. “Don’t be cruil to a search engine that’s truil…
July 29th, 2008 at 2:05 pmMcCain believes it’s “a job for the historians” to figure out if invading Iraq was a good decision.
I might be wrong, but I have the distinct impression most historians agree at this point that the invasion and occupation of Iraq was, in fact, a blunder.
The only point of disagreement is how big the blunder is: The biggest since WWII, the biggest since the US has existed, or the biggest since Roman times, in 9BC.
McCain is simply following the Republican time-honored tradition of ignoring the facts that don’t conform to his “reality”.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:11 pmI sometimes wish that McNumbNuts would just STFU. But then I realize that he really needs to babble constantly or people may only think him a fool rather than having the evidence to prove it.
In particular, the more he talks about Iraq, the “surge”, foreign policy and his knowledge of “how to win a war”, the more obvious it is that he is as stupid and self-deluded as GDumbya.
I would hope that by now the majority of Americans recognize that we don’t need another tin cowboy in the White House.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:11 pmThe family of Byron Fauty may not agree of this “easy victory”!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:14 pmWell, it was an easy victory, for him and his fellow Republicans. All they have to do is sit back and let the poor people fight it out for them, and then they can arbitrarily declare that they’ve already won. How easy is that?
July 29th, 2008 at 2:14 pmI was laughed at at the time for suggesting we would have to stay in Iraq for 3-5 years
Well, then, I am in good company. lol
I got the same reaction from people when I said that the war would cost us at least $250 billion and last at least four years. To this day, I wish I had been wrong about that. Wait, what am I saying? I am wrong. I grossly underestimated!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:16 pmand, when mcSURGE was pushing for this “new strategy”, was he also using “doomed us to failure and we were losing this war” as an excuse?
July 29th, 2008 at 2:19 pmdid he say “loosing this war” back THEN?
McCain’s trying to corner the market on all sides of every issue–to be “all things to all people.”
July 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pmThese “f”ing politicians talk about war like it was a freaking game. This guy needs a soldier’s boot right in his a$$. You suck, McCain!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pmI wish to God some REAL reporter with a backbone would ask McShame exactly what “winning” in Iraq means…and not let the old fart off the hook until he answered.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:25 pmIf it was an easy victory then why did we need the surge?
July 29th, 2008 at 2:32 pmDoes that change the fact that our volunteer military is made up overwhelmingly of citizens from lower-income families?
I don’t think so.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pmLeftside Annie Says:
I wish to God some REAL reporter with a backbone would ask McShame exactly what “winning” in Iraq means…and not let the old fart off the hook until he answered.
You’ve got a long wait ahead of you. This will be resolved in the near future (after the elections, of course) when the “insurgents” start coming out with detailed accounts of their side of the story. America’s not ready to hear it yet, and publishers wouldn’t want to influence the elections, but I would suspcet there are several drafts in existence, just waiting for the right time to print.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:35 pmCry_Havoc,
I would ask you if you were serious by asking Gregor if he was making those claims (clearly he was not), but, Mr. Samsa is more than capable of defending himself if he should choose to and, besides, it would be off-topic to go there.
And I would ask you if you were serious about implying that most of the boots on the ground in Iraq do NOT come from economically-challenged neighborhoods, but, that too would be well off-topic.
So, instead I’m just going to ask you to simmer down and enjoy this news that the was in Iraq has indeed apparently been won! Yeah!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:36 pm“suspcet”
Suspect, of course. Wouldn’t want to get savaged for a missed keystroke ;)
July 29th, 2008 at 2:37 pmHow in the world is McCain EVER going to get through the debates?
July 29th, 2008 at 2:38 pmSeven years:
July 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pm4100 dead.
Tens of thousands wounded.
$500 billion (more likely a trillion) dollars spent.
Loss of prestige, good will, and reputation.
After seven years, we cannot define victory, we cannot define the enemy, we cannot define a strategy, we cannot define an exit, and this senile old man, who is still fighting the Viet Nam war in his mind is telling us he always said this war would be easy? This is the same senile old man who last week said he was opposed to the war before he was for the surge. Wait, was it the other way – he was for the war, then against it, then for the surge. Wait, give the old man more time to think.
No sensible individual should even consider voting for this man.
mi tiping suks butt i spel grate!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pmCry_Havoc Says:
Are you calling WWII, the inception of the US nation, and the Roman Empire blunders?
July 29th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
______
No. Learn to read.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:39 pmMCCAIN: But again, I would remind you, I said we would have an easy victory. We did.
________________________________________________________
McCain went on to say: And we’ve been so good at winning there, we’ve stayed to keep on winning. And we will continue to win. For a hundred years, if necessary.
/snark off
July 29th, 2008 at 2:41 pmcry(and whine and btch and moan)_havoc is just another uninformed, ignorant coward that fears everything his right wing fear mongers tell him to fear
typical right wing coward
July 29th, 2008 at 2:41 pm1. Leftside Annie:
Its only early onset if it occurs before one has aged too much. ;-)
July 29th, 2008 at 2:44 pmUnfortunately, to blow Iraq away would take only one nuke bomb – easy.
But we went in with the stated purpose of building a democratic country. That is the yardstick that we need to be measured with. And we did that without even understanding the Sunni / Shia /Kurd thing.
As Colin Powell reminded them: You break it, you bought it. And they even ignored him. (And may I add that obviously the highly successful General Colin Powell obviouisly had less military experience than anyone else, because Bush and McCain knew better.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pmMcCain believes it’s “a job for the historians” to figure out if invading Iraq was a good decision. Once again no morals or regret coming from Mcwars a good or bad decision or not morally and illegally it was wrong to invade Iraq.What the hell is wrong with guy he can`t take credit for voting for the WAR…..
July 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pmMcCant wants to try the whole flightsuit, “Mission Accomplished” thing if he is elected but the Pentagon says he is too much of a liability after crashing so many planes in Vietnam. They also can’t seem to find a naval crew willing to stand on the deck to greet him.(snarkity snark)
If and when a document ever materializes listing the names of ex-military types that were tapped as part of Chimpy’s media propaganda machine my bet is that Senator John Sidney McCain’s name will appear smack in the middle. Look at the common thread between when/where McCain parroted the WH talking points and compair those points and time/places with the ex-generals an commanders that are now known to have been a part of it. Looks like McCant falls right in the middle of it there too!
July 29th, 2008 at 2:47 pmCry_Havoc Says
July 29th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
No one’s been drafted or shanghied in this process.
____________________________________________________________
Apparently, you’ve forgotten about stop-loss. The military may be called “all-volunteer”, but as soon as somebody isn’t allowed to get out after they have fulfilled the term they volunteered for, they are no longer a volunteer.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pmMapleStreet Says:
“Unfortunately, to blow Iraq away would take only one nuke bomb – easy.”
Only that would, unfortunately have destroyed the oil! Not so easy
July 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pmWell it’s like this . . . if America elects him, the United States is toast and we can start over. If they elect Obama, we just start over sooner.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:55 pmMcCain: I said we would have an easy victory. We did.
That’s because the last thing he can remember is Bush’s Mission Accomplished sign.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:55 pmAre you calling WWII, the inception of the US nation, and the Roman Empire blunders?
~Cry_Havoc
No. Is English not your first language, or do you have a *really bad* reading comprehension problem?
July 29th, 2008 at 2:56 pmmisshusseinmolly Says:
Apparently, you’ve forgotten about stop-loss. The military may be called “all-volunteer”, but as soon as somebody isn’t allowed to get out after they have fulfilled the term they volunteered for, they are no longer a volunteer.
Fantastic point molly!! I’ll be adding that one to my repertoire !
July 29th, 2008 at 2:59 pmAAAA++++
#35 Annie:
Blitzer asked McCain to define victory the other day, and he gave a rote answer (link), ending by saying “it’s not over…we have a ways to go.”
It’s simple, really. His position is: we will win, and we did win. I know how to win because I will win, did win, and will have won.
He’s a guy who starts a fire, then wants credit for calling 911.
July 29th, 2008 at 3:32 pmOk. The world’s strongest nation, militarily, defeated a third-rate third-world country’s military in six weeks. Yeah, in that regard, we won. BUT, it is no longer a war, but an occupation of a foreign country that was never a threat to anyone and that fact seems to elude mcbush and the rest of the right-wingers. mcsame is an idiot, just like his “boss,” bush**.
July 29th, 2008 at 3:40 pmTwo things bother me about mcinsane: One is that 40% of voters say they would vote for him in November. That is scary!
The other thing is the perverted love affair that the MSM has with him.
And, as I’ve said before, there are two things I dislike about mcbush: his face.
Whacky Mac has also said he knows how to win wars? How does he know this? What wars has he won? The two he figures prominently in (Vietnam and Iraq) are not stellar examples of victory.
The facts point to that he does NOT know how to win wars, if “winning” at something so destructive can actually be done, of course.
July 29th, 2008 at 3:41 pmHow does McCain define winning? Iraq is a nation decimated by war, with its economy in shreds, its population torn by sectarian violence, and its formerly secular government transformed to a theocracy. As for the ‘victorious’ Americans, this war cost us was our reputation, our treasure, our young soldiers’ lives, and our moral compass. Did we win anything at all? Did anybody?
Oh, wait. Some rich right-wing heavy-duty political donors got richer. There are your winners, right there.
Declare victory whenever you want, Mr. McCain. The whole world is laughing at you.
July 29th, 2008 at 3:58 pmThis is scary, what an idiot!!!! How could he possibly think we won the war….if that’s the case why aren’t the troops home?
July 29th, 2008 at 6:38 pmkascinca @#13,
July 29th, 2008 at 6:39 pmI agree, but it’s over 1.2 million Iraqis killed.
It was an easy win? So why are pictures and names being shown at the end of every episode of “The Newshour?” Why are families mourning and grieving and trying to deal with the needless death of magnificent young men and women? Why are so many veterans in therapy? Why are so many getting used to prostheses? Why are so many no longer capable of relating to their families and friends? It was easy? For whom?
July 29th, 2008 at 7:26 pmHello,
Reading some of your comments show how witty you can be on a moments notice. The bad news is that you blow-off your concerns in little notes back and forth while the MSM is forming public opinion around a bunch of lies about Barack Obama. Just heard and saw Lou Dobbs reason that Barack is the cause of high gas prices, Lou Dobbs also reeasoned that Barack Obama is also the one going negative because he is against more drilling and finally he reasoned that the lifting of the off shore executive ban on drilling is the reason gas prices are falling. How unintelligent and offensive can you get on television and not have the FCC step in to review your liscenes?
Drilling will not solve our problems long term, mainly because our refineries operate at 80-90% capacity and without a new plant the price of oil will not go down just because you have additional supply. It will prevent us from having to purchase from overseas. The price will also stay up because the cost to develop a new field will be done on today’s economics.
We must as citizens of this country continue to speak out intelligently and not just with wit and no action. The election is being stollen as we read these exchanges. We can start by spurring Obama to respond with the truth to these adverstisements that are being aired to mislead the American People.
One final note, we have a sitting Senator that is indicted and Lou Dobbs spent all of 30-60 seconds on that topic before launching into a one sided attack on Barack.
There seems only to be one partial network that provides a little more balanced approach and that is MSNBC. Who knows how much longer they can hold out with ehthe mounting corporate pressure to deliver John McCain. Plus the Olympics are coming which will compete for the publics eye and the medium.
Please become more involved and active in pushing back the lies that are becoming more prevalent. I think we should have a fair exchange of ideas and may the best idea win. Listening and partially watching the number one issue on CNN earlier today, I heard someone called Sanchez note that the American public will not understand a simple concept dealing why oil prices are high which I found offensive and off point. The American public is educated and able to understand much more than we are given credit.
Go to work on pushing for more fair reporting and the elimination of negative campaigning. Barack is doing his part are we? If he is doing his part then we can not blame him if we do not win or do our part.
July 29th, 2008 at 7:49 pm“we did.” says McCain, past tense. He implies the war(occupation) is over?? We had victory?? Bring ‘em home! What an absolute goofball. A loser. Delusional.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:22 pm51. Patriot Acting.
Touche’
July 29th, 2008 at 11:08 pmSo EFF’D UP…Just PATHETIC! He is such a “turn-off” !
July 30th, 2008 at 9:44 amOf courese McCain is Mr.Know-all. He not just predicted the outcome of the war,he knows how to win wars,he knows how to capture Bin-Laden and how to solve the mortgage crisis and so on.But he won”t tell us till we elect him as President!These are all secrets he cannot part with.May be in November after he is trounced we will see the TV ad asking us to “call now” for $19.95 “the Mcguide to winning the war,economy and all things you want to win”!
July 30th, 2008 at 2:56 pmLou Dobbs is an idiot .No body listens to him including his side kick Kitty.He is Bill Oreilly of CNN without the following!Just like Bill’s ardent fans will never vote for Obama so are people like Lou Dobbs.
July 30th, 2008 at 4:21 pm