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Moving the Goalposts
“By January 2013, America has welcomed home most of the servicemen and women who have sacrificed terribly so that America might be secure in her freedom.
The Iraq war has been won.”
-- John McCain In Columbus Today [Reuters, 5/15/08]
McCain's Speech In Columbus Today
John McCain claimed in Columbus today that the war in Iraq would be won in five more years. However, after making dozens of such predictions since the beginning of the war, McCain has lost credibility in the eyes of the public. After years of faulty logic and failed strategies, McCain still walks hand-in-hand with President Bush on the war in Iraq. From predicting victory in “months” to “a hundred years,” McCain consistently moves the finish line farther and farther away in an effort to mask the fact that he has no plan to end the war in Iraq and no idea when the conflict will be over.
Early 2003: The End is “Very Much in Sight.”
McCain Predicted a “Brief, Successful War In Iraq.” While speaking on the floor of the senate on the day before U.S. military action commenced in Iraq, McCain said, “The costs of these enterprises are not known with any degree of certainty at this time. Nor are the costs we will incur after what I believe, what I fervently, hope, will be a brief, successful war in Iraq, as we seek to establish the foundations for a peaceful, stable and democratizing Iraq.” He added, “I believe the war in Iraq can be concluded successfully in a relatively brief time.” [McCain Senate Press Release, 3/18/03]
McCain Believed The War In Iraq Would Be Relatively Short. While appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCain said, “I believe that this conflict is still going to be relatively short. I believe we’ve achieved significant goals and successes.” [NBC, “Meet the Press,” 3/30/03]
In 2003 McCain Said The End Was “Very Much In Sight.” Senator McCain was asked “At what point will America be able to say the war was won?” McCain said there were oil fields to secure and “die-hards” to take care of but “it’s clear that the end is very much in sight, and today I think Americans should be very proud of their leadership, their technology…There are still some foreigners, Syrians and others hanging around. But it won’t be long. It will be a fairly short period of time, but this happens in wars. I’m confident that once they are confident the area is no longer a threat to the Marines and to or army troops that they’ll start imposing discipline. In the meantime, we’ll have a short period of chaos.” [ABC, Good Morning America, 4/9/03, emphasis added]
In April 2003, McCain Said He Was “Sure” The End Of Conflict In Iraq Was Near. While appearing on “Lou Dobbs Moneyline,” Dobbs asked McCain, “Is it your judgment that we are near the end of this conflict?” To which McCain replied, “Oh, I’m sure that’s true.” [CNN, “Lou Dobbs Moneyline,” 4/10/03]
Late 2003: A Few Months?
McCain Said “We Would Probably Know Within The Next Few Months” If America Won Or Lost In Iraq. During an appearance on MSNBC’s “Buchanan & Press,” McCain was asked what “victory” in Iraq was. McCain said, “I think the next three to six months are very critical in this whole scenario because the Iraqi people don’t want to go back to Saddam Hussein. They’re not crazy. But many of them in the Sunni Triangle are losing any confidence that the United States can bring them what their ambitions are all about for themselves and their families. So I think we’re in a very critical time. And we would probably know within the next few months.” [MSNBC, “Buchanan & Press,” 11/6/03]
2004: Five Years?
McCain Said “Listen, My Friend, We’re Going To Have To Be There For Five or Six Years.” During a February 2004 appearance on MSNBC’s “Hardball,” McCain discussed the war in Iraq and said, “Listen, my friend, we’re going to be there for five or six years. A little straight talk. We’re going. We’re going to have to be there for quite a while.” [MSNBC, “Hardball,” 2/25/04]
Early-2005: One Year?
McCain: “I Would Think That It’s Going To Be Another Year To A Year And A Half.” During an appearance on CBS’s “The Early Show,” McCain was asked “What is a realistic timetable” regarding the war in Iraq? McCain said, “If I had to guess, I would think that it’s going to be at least another year to a year and a half, but, hopefully before then we could have our troops out of a lot of the areas where they’re vulnerable to casualties.” [CBS, “The Early Show,” 2/3/05]
Mid-2005: A Couple of More Years?
McCain: “I Think Part Of That Is It’s Going To Be, At Least, A Couple More Years.” While appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCain said, “I don’t think Americans believe that we should cut and run out of Iraq by any stretch of the imagination. But I think they also would like to be told, in reality, what’s going on and, by the way, I think part of that is it’s going to be, at least, a couple more years.” [NBC, “Meet the Press,” 6/19/05]
McCain: “I Think We Should Tell People It’s Not Going To Be A Short—I’d Rather Say Two Or Three Years.” While appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCain said, “And, again, I think we should tell people it’s not going to be a short--I’d rather say two or three years, and be surprised a year from now, than say, ‘Everything’s fine,’ and then be disappointed a year or two from now.” [NBC, “Meet the Press,” 6/19/05]
2006: Months?
McCain: “We’re Either Going To Lose This Thing or Win this Thing Within the Next Several Months.” While appearing on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCain said, “If you talk to most military experts, we’re in a critical and crucial time. We’re either going to lose this thing or win this thing within the next several months.” [NBC, “Meet the Press,” 11/12/06]
Early 2007: Ten Years?
McCain Said Americans Could Be Persuaded To Support The War For 5 to 10 Years. According to the Houston Chronicle, while at the opening of the Center for the Intrepid, “McCain said it was important for America to ‘accomplish the mission’ in Iraq, but said he didn’t know how long that would take. He said Americans could be persuaded to support the conflict another five to 10 years ‘if we can show progress.’” [Houston Chronicle, 1/30/07]
Mid 2007: “I Don’t Have A Date”
McCain Said “I Don’t Have A Date” When Asked About The End of The War. While discussing the war in Iraq on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” McCain said, “If it is only in a role that is of support and American casualties are minimal, then I think it’s probably worth the investment. If the level of casualties stays where it is, and we do not have success, then we know that that will be a condition that we cannot stand before.” Tim Russert then asked, “By when?” to which McCain replied, “I don’t have a date, I think that the important thing is whether we assess as we move along.” [NBC, “Meet the Press,” 5/13/07; emphasis added]
Early 2008: A Hundred Years?
McCain Said US Could Stay In Iraq for “Maybe A Hundred Years” and He Was “Fine” With It. In January 2008, McCain said the U.S. military could stay in Iraq for “a hundred years” and that “would be fine with me.” At a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, a questioner said, “President Bush is talking about our staying in Iraq for 50 year,” at which point McCain interrupted and said, “Make it a hundred. We’ve been in South Korea, we’ve been in Japan for 60 years, we’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That’d be fine with me as long as Americans are not being injured, or harmed, or wounded, or killed. That’s fine with me, I hope it would be fine with you.” [Town Hall Meeting in Concord, NH, 1/3/08; emphasis added]
McCain: “I Don’t Think Americans Are Concerned If We’re There For 100 Years Or 1,000 Years Or 10,000 Years.” In an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” host Bob Schieffer asked McCain about staying in Iraq for 100 year. McCain responded, “We’ve got to get Americans off the front line, have the Iraqis as part of the strategy, take over more and more of the responsibilities. And then I don’t think Americans are concerned if we’re there for 100 years or 1,000 years or 10,000 years. What they care about is a sacrifice of our most precious treasure, and that’s American blood. So what I’m saying is look, if Americans are there in a support role, but they’re not taking casualties, that’s fine. We’re in Kuwait now. As you well recall, we had a war, we stayed in Kuwait. We didn’t stay in Saudi Arabia. So it’s going to be up to the relationship between the Iraqi government and the United States of America.” [CBS, “Face the Nation,” 1/06/08; emphasis added]
McCain: “It Doesn’t Matter…We Could Be There For A Hundred Years, For All I Know.” During an interview with the editorial board of the Detroit News, McCain was asked, “When should the United States leave Iraq?” McCain responded, “It doesn’t matter. We’re still in Kuwait since the first Gulf War. If we can continue to show this progress, we could be there for 100 years, for all I know, as long as Americans are not dying. It’s not a matter of American presence; it’s a matter of success so we can beat back this adversary. If we’d done what they wanted us to do six months ago, al-Qaida would now be trumpeting to the world that it defeated the United States of America.” [Detroit News, 1/3/08,emphasis added]
McCain: “We’re Going To Be In This Struggle For The Rest of The Century.” While speaking at a town hall meeting in Sun City Center, Florida, McCain said, “I’d like to look you in the eye and tell you there’s not gonna be any more wars. I’d like to look you in the eyes and tell you that this terrible evil called radical Islamic extremism is defeated. I can’t do that. I’ve got to tell you that we’re gonna be in this struggle for the rest of this century because it’s a transcendent evil.” [Town Hall Meeting; Sun City Center, FL 01/26/08; emphasis added]
McCain: “We Are In A Greater Struggle That Is Going To Be With Us For The Rest of This Century.” While giving a speech in Nashua, New Hampshire, We are in two wars. We are in a greater struggle that is going to be with us for the rest of this century… He added, “These young people that are in this crowd, my friends, I’m going to be asking you to serve. I’m gonna be asking you to step forward and serve this nation in difficult times.” [Speech in Nashua, New Hampshire, 1/7/08; emphasis added
