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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:
John McCain has staked much of his campaign on the war in Iraq and the surge. He tells us every day how he was right about the surge – how the surge was the answer to all our problems in Iraq. Maybe not exactly.
Last night McCain proved his timeline about the surge is all wrong. In an interview on CBS, Katie Couric pointed out that Barack Obama says while the increase in troops helped security, a Sunni awakening and the Shiite government going after the militias before the surge were also major factors in reducing the violence.
McCain replied: "I don't know how you respond to something that is such a false depiction of what actually happened. Colonel McFarland was contacted by one of the major Sunni sheiks. Because of the surge we were able to go out and protect that sheik and others. And it began the Anbar awakening. I mean, that's just a matter of history."
Wrong again, Senator. The Sunni awakening in Anbar happened before President Bush ever announced the surge in January of 2007. In fact, the now-General Sean McFarland briefed the media in September 2006 about tribal leaders who were cooperating with Iraqi security forces against al Qaeda. Several news organizations reported on the Anbar Awakening taking place months before the surge.
Obama's campaign points out that McCain has his facts wrong. McCain's response is the Democrats are trying to minimize the role of our commanders and our troops. But if your campaign for president is built on your assertion that you are most qualified to be commander-in-chief, shouldn't you at least be able to accurately cite the recent history of the war you're asking the voters to put you in charge of?
Here’s my question to you: How much confidence do you have in John McCain's ability to deal with Iraq?
Interested to know which ones made it on air?
Bob writes:
Agreed, John McCain, is a true combat, patriotic hero. However, he's simply the son of high-ranking, military aristocracy, near last in his class at Annapolis. For me, he inspires no more confidence than what we now have, with another 'pushed through', C-grade at Yale, son of political aristocracy, President Bush. My "confidence" is in a self-made, gifted, son of the common people of this country, Obama. Not another silver spoon inheritor of a position he's likely less capable of handling
Ryan writes:
How can you have confidence in a man that is so out-of-touch with what his alleged strength? He doesn't know when the Sunni awakening was, and he regularly confuses the Shiites and Sunni. If this is his strong suit, how will he do with the economy, which he admits is not his strong suit?
Janet from St Paul, Minnesota writes:
Who gave the best advice to win in Iraq some 4 yrs ago? I recall McCain said bring in 30-40,000 more troops, while Obama was complaining. McCain needs a good V.P. however as his age will be a factor to handle this stressful job.
Marcus from Charlotte, North Carolina writes:
Why is the media covering up for this guy? Are they being paid off? Or are they afraid they will lose their jobs if they don't report favorably about the millionaire and his wife? No one needs to bash McCain, he bashes himself every other day with contradictions and ignorance.
Robin from Germany writes:
Yes, the Awakening began before the surge, snuffing out Al Qaeda in Anbar. However, without the surge, Sunni/Shia violence in Baghdad would still be out of control. Is John McCain qualified on this issue? Of course he is. He visited Anbar just as the Awakening began succeeding and realized that more troops were needed to control the increasing violence outside of Anbar. It is no coincidence that significant progress has been made. Perhaps it's just too complicated for the media to understand.
Jeff from Phoenix writes:
Absolutely, I trust he can deal with Iraq and bring us victory, and then he can bring us victory in Iran, and N. Korea, and resurrect Vietnam and the Cold War and he can bring us victory there also. And then we can rule the world and bring all the jobs back here and buy SUVs again