NYT analysis: McCain's "100 years in Iraq" comment being misrepresented

[cerebellum]

Kate Phillips argues that McCain's proposal to leave soldiers in Iraq for 100 years are being distorted, because this part of his words are being left out of criticisms:

“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. Then it’s fine with me.

In other words, Phillips thinks the DNC is cherrypicking or "cropping", if you will, segments of McCAin's words, in order to give the impression that he wants our troops to engage in fierce fighting for 100 extra years or more.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/us/politics/27check.html

Factcheck.org already went further than Phillips and called it a "smear":
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/smear_or_be_smeared.html

The way I see it is that Americans don't want troops in Iraq in any way, form or fashion, so we should continue to criticize McCain's comments, but being careful to include the whole passage. It can't hurt.

[depakid]

1. Here it comes-

The corporate media's anointed one will be receiving TONS of cover. Meanwhile, they've managed to help the purported opposition party choose the candidates with the best chance of losing....

[Muttocracy]

2. welcome to DU; it's been discussed here previously

not to misquote him because it will backfire. Glad the NYTimes is catching up.

[olkaz]

4. We have had this done to us SO many times.

And I'm not willing to be the bigger person on this one.

Al Gore invented the internet.

John Kerry said the troops are stupid.

Obama is a Muslim.


Yeah, McCain wants to be in Iraq for 100 years. In that universe, anyway.

[Muttocracy]

5. true; just pointing out that it's been discussed here before

most people felt as you did I think.

edit to add - and that Obama himself, and direct campaign, needs to be careful, but all's fair in the great unwashed masses.

not sure I agree, but it's true, they haven't played fair in the past.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

3. McCain wants U.S. troops in Iraq for One Hundred Years.

There.

[tabasco]

6. That whole "not being injured or killed" part might be a problem.

The part about our invasion being unjustified is just a bit of a problem too.

[El Supremo]

7. Does that mean I have to add more words to my bumper stickers?

I have ordered 30 of them so far.

:shrug:

[El Supremo]

8. More on this subject...

I haven't read the other discussions.

But we have been in Japan for 62 years because Japan refused to rebuild their armed forces and rely on us for protection. Is the Iraqi army not going to be trained and ready for 100 years?

We have been in South Korea for 57 years because the Korean War has never ended and there is a huge army ready to invade it. Is there a huge army ready to invade Iraq?

We were in Germany for 40 years until they reunified and asked us and Russia to leave. Will Iraq not have that power for 100 years?

This is all a lie. If McCain and * have their way, we will occupy Iraq until all the oil is pumped out.