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McCain: Casualty Cuts Primary Goal

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Th

e Associated Press

Published: June 12, 2008

PHILADELPHIA - Avoiding casualties in Iraq is more important than bringing troops home, Republican John McCain said Wednesday, feeding an outcry from Democrats who quickly declared him to be out of touch with the public and the needs of the military.

Appearing on NBC's "Today Show," McCain was asked whether he has a better estimate for when U.S. troops can leave Iraq.

"No, but that's not too important," McCain responded. "What's important is casualties in Iraq.

"Americans are in South Korea. Americans are in Japan. American troops are in Germany. That's all fine. American casualties, and the ability to withdraw. We will be able to withdraw. ... But the key to it is we don't want any more Americans in harm's way."

The answer was in keeping with McCain's long-stated argument that as Iraqis take more control of security in their country, the number of killed and wounded U.S. soldiers should decline. He has said he could envision troops withdrawing around 2013 but has refused to fix a date.

Among the first to respond was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"McCain's statement today that withdrawing troops doesn't matter is a crystal-clear indicator that he just doesn't get the grave national security consequences of staying the course," Reid said in a statement. "Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished."

Others, including Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean and Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a former presidential candidate, weighed in quickly after.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, who in 2004 entertained the idea of having McCain as a running mate, responded on behalf of the Obama campaign, repeating the Democratic talking point that McCain is out of touch on the war.

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs and concerns of Americans, and particularly the families of the troops who are over there," Kerry said. "To them it's the most important thing in the world when they come home. And it's the most important thing in the world that we have a commander in chief who understands how you can bring them home."

Later Wednesday, at a town hall meeting in Philadelphia, McCain seemed to directly address the claim that he was insensitive to the needs of veterans and their families. He reiterated his support for the military escalation that he pushed for last year, noting that since then, there has been a reduction in U.S. troop casualties. "I know it has caused great hardship and pain," he said of the war. "But I believe that in the conflict in Iraq, with this new strategy, we are succeeding."

In a teleconference with reporters arranged by McCain's campaign, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman accused Democrats of a "partisan attempt to distort John McCain's words."

Lieberman, who was Al Gore's Democratic running mate but was re-elected to the Senate as an independent, said it was apparent that McCain was "answering a question about what his estimate is based on the success of the surge."

"And he says he doesn't have the estimate because he's expecting it from General Petraeus sometime in July," Lieberman said.

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