McCain Camp On Maliki: "One Inartful Statement"

[ErinBerin84]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/21/mccain-camp-on-maliki-one_n_114017.html


McCain Camp On Maliki: One Inartful Statement



The McCain campaign argued on Monday, that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's endorsement of Barack Obama's troop withdrawal plan was "one inartful statement," adding that should Obama actually take seriously Maliki's words it would be the height of political irresponsibility.

"One inartful statement from Prime Minister Maliki certainly does not change Iraq government policy," said McCain senior foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann. "And certainly given the history of inartful statements from the Obama campaign, like Jerusalem remaining an undivided capital of Israel, or I'm going to campaign in 57 states, or Americans cling to guns and religion out of bitterness, etc... I certainly can't believe the Obama campaign will take a quote that has already been clarified out of context and try to hang their Iraq policy on it."

Citing news reports that Maliki had walked back his remarks, Scheunemann nevertheless seemed on the defensive. The Maliki interview with the German paper Der Speigel has been translated and reviewed by several different publications, all of which concluded that his endorsement of Obama's troop withdrawal plan was not, in fact, taken out of context but rather fairly explicit. Moreover, word spread Sunday night that Maliki only clarified his remark after White House urging. In addition, this was not the first time that the Iraqi prime minister had stated his preference for a date-driven reduction in U.S. troops. More than a week ago he argued that it had to be a prerequisite for a long-term deal between the two countries. Finally, as the McCain campaign's conference call commenced, word quickly spread that the Iraq's government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, had insisted in a separate interview that Maliki still backed a plan in which U.S. combat forces would leave Iraq by 2010. Asked to respond to the weekend-saga -- as well as the inclusion of a time horizon for troop draw downs in negotiations between the U.S. and Iraq (a position that seems much closer to Obama's stance than McCain's) -- Scheunemann did his best to put lipstick on the pig.

"The Iraqi government made it clear there were apparently some translation problems in the quote, that that's not the position of the Prime Minister," he said. "That the prime minister believes and certainly the Iraqi government believes that withdrawal has to be based on conditions. I certainly think it would be rather interesting if the Obama campaign is going to rely on one statement form Prime Minister Maliki that has been clarified and made clear, is not authoritative in terms of his personal position or the position of the Iraqi government."

[polichick]

1. LOL - from the expert on inartful statements!

[Inuca]

9. You took the words out of my keyboard! :-) n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

2. In other words, "America doesn't have to listen to what Iraq wants"

[elocs]

3. Was it an inartful statement or an inconvenient truth? n/t

[BeyondGeography]

4. "Inartful" is really catching on

I'm going to start using it in my work and personal life...see if it flies.

[zanne]

11. Inartful isn't a word. Webster's has no such definition.

I looked it up. Try googling it.

[World Citizen]

5. this is a good sign

and a pleasure watching fumble-tongue playing defense.

[Youphemism]

6. Naturally, political statements are where we get most of our art...

They're not even saying Maliki was wrong. They're complaining that he didn't speak the truth more artfully.

Even his "clarification" stated that a speedy withdrawal timetable would be "more realistic."

That would put McCain in the "less realistic" category.

The clarification was very artful.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Sorry, Republicans, the occupation is going to end, and there's not a

goddamn thing you can do about it--much as you want to keep the military-corporate complex sucking off the taxpayers' teats forever.

[Beetwasher]

8. When You're Reduced To Saying Something is "Inartful", You Lose

Period.

[mloutre]

10. And don't forget who's doing the inartful talking on McCain's behalf, too:

per TPM:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/203960.php">Do Your Job: Stop Ignoring Scheunemann's Past

[Inuca]

12. Using the "57 states" as an argument

really shows how desperate they are. Actually how IDIOTIC they are. The Senate hearings argument follows very close in idiocy level.

[Life Long Dem]

13. Maliki didn't say what he said.

And Maliki just looked like he was agreeing with the question.

[BlooInBloo]

14. Spokesman repeats his "inartful statement":

http://www.americablog.com/2008/07/iraqi-government-spokesman-reiterates.html

[ErinBerin84]

15. this is my favorite part

"Finally, as the McCain campaign's conference call commenced, word quickly spread that the Iraq's government spokesman, Ali al-Dabbagh, had insisted in a separate interview that Maliki still backed a plan in which U.S. combat forces would leave Iraq by 2010."

[Kdillard]

16. When will someone bring up the fact that the translator used was the PM's and not the magazine's

and that there is a copy of the interview which shows there was no problem with the translation. They just need to stop before they futher embarass themselves. Barack Obama and his team must be rofl.

[Guaranteed]

17. Gee, why are they so AFRAID of what Maliki said? nt