eriknami's Blog

I'm sure you all remember this:

Obama to McCain

"And so for him to toss out comments like that I think is an example of him losing his bearings as he pursues this nomination," Obama said.

McCain today

COLUMBUS, Ohio(AP) Republican John McCain declared for the first time Thursday he believes the Iraq war can be won by 2013, although he rejected suggestions that his talk of a timetable put him on the same side as Democrats clamoring for full-scale troop withdrawals.

The Republican presidential contender, in a mystical speech that also envisioned Osama bin Laden dead or captured, and Americans with the choice of paying a simple flat tax or following their standard 1040 form, said only a small number of troops would remain in Iraq by the end of a prospective first term because al-Qaida will have been defeated and Iraq's government will be functioning on its own.

"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," McCain told an audience of several hundred here in the capital city of a general election battleground state.

Later, as the Arizona senator drove to the airport on his "Straight Talk Express" campaign bus, McCain was peppered by reporters with questions about the timetable. He and his aides insisted there was a difference between ending the war and bringing troops home and, as they criticize the Democrats, announcing a withdrawal upfront without regard for the military endgame.

"It's not a timetable; it's victory. It's victory, which I have always predicted. I didn't know when we were going to win World War II; I just knew we were going to win," McCain said.

The Vietnam veteran added: "I know from experience, you set a day for surrender _ which is basically what you do when you say you are withdrawing _ and you will pay a much a heavier price later on."

McCain and Romney at Republican debate

The exchanges between McCain and Romney were heated. McCain repeated an accusation he had used effectively against Romney in Florida, saying Romney had once favored a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Romney called that a dirty trick, saying that while he did suggest that President Bush and Iraqi leaders discuss the issue privately, he had never called for a timetable to withdraw troops.

"It's an attempt to do the Washington-style old politics," Romney said of McCain's allegation.

McCain didn't back off, but merely switched to a broader attack, saying that while he was staking his political career on Iraq, Romney was hedging his bets. And he blamed Romney for the negative tenor of the campaign.

I CANT TELL IF GEROGE BUSH IS WRITING HIS SPEECHES, OR HE'S LOST HIS BEARINGS AND HIS MARBLES ARE WELL ON THEIR WAY OUT...