McCain campaign "hits back" over "Not Too Important" remark

[ErinBerin84]

pretty weak response. And is the "our friends" remark really necessary? SO LAME. I think the dismissiveness that McCain has shown about the timing of bringing the troops home IS important. No one is implying that he "doesn't care" about the troops, but I think that it shows an out of touch dismissiveness in families and soldiers that DO want to go home right now and are not buying into the "finish what we started because we are patriots" bullshit that Republicans/the white house try to insist is the uniform opinion of soliders and their families.




http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/06/mccain_campaign_hits_back_over.php


McCain Campaign Hits Back Over "Not Too Important" Quote
By Greg Sargent - June 11, 2008, 10:36AM
The McCain campaign has sent me a statement on the quote we posted on below, in which McCain appeared to say that the timing of when the troops in Iraq come home is "not too important."

"The story is snowballing rapidly. Dem leader Harry Reid has already hit McCain over the remarks today, and more Dems will be piling on shortly. Indeed, the Obama campaign is holding a conference call on this later this morning.

Here's what McCain's online guru, Patrick Hynes, sent over...

Sen. McCain has consistently opposed a timeline for withdrawing our troops from Iraq. And our friends on the opposite side of the aisle have a long history of attempting to twist Sen. McCain's words on Iraq. The fact that Sen. McCain opposes a timeline for withdrawal and is principally concerned about the safety of American troops and the security of Iraq is pretty much "dog bites man."
Of course, McCain did actually say the timing of when the troops come hope is "not too important." But in fairness to the McCain camp, they are arguing that he didn't say that the act of bringing the troops home is not too important.

Rather, they say, McCain merely meant that the timing of when they come home is not too important.

This strikes me as a not terribly meaningful distinction, and it isn't a great way to characterize the timing issue, given that it's obviously extremely important to many people. But it is a distinction worth noting nonetheless, because it's true that the question McCain answered was about the timing."


edit: Meant to put this in general discussion, since the primary board is kind of in countdown free for all, haha. Just posted in there, if anyone wants to continue the discussion.

[Alter Ego]

1. Weak response.

This will be an issue for a while.

[rurallib]

2. Well the timing isn't important to him because he ain't there

However, if you are there facing death each day or are a family member of one who is there, timing is very important.
Remember when you were in that POW camp, JM? Was timing important to you then?

[smoogatz]

3. McRumsfeld!

People are fungible.