Howard Dean: McCain's Irresponsible Political Attacks Are Not A Plan for Iraq

April 7, 2008 -- In advance of tomorrow's Congressional testimony by General David Petraeus, John McCain chose to launch more irresponsible political attacks instead of offering a real plan for the future in Iraq. Even though a majority of Americans want our troops to begin withdrawing and 89 percent of Americans think the cost of the war has contributed to the economic problems in our country, McCain today continued to follow the Bush Administration's pattern of cherry-picking the facts to justify a flawed, stay the course strategy. [New York Times, 4/4/08]

A destroyed Humvee in Iraq: Photo by aliveinbaghdad (CC)

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In his Kansas City remarks today, McCain refused to say whether he agrees with General Petraeus' concerns about the failure of Iraq's leaders to make the political progress the surge was supposed to make possible and refused to say what he would do to encourage that progress. While McCain continues to try to spin his way out of his willingness to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years, he refused to say whether he plans to build permanent bases in Iraq. And, despite the tremendous economic cost of the war, McCain failed to say how he plans to pay for his stay the course strategy in Iraq while making President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy permanent - a prescription for trillions of dollars in new debt.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement in response to John McCain's irresponsible political attacks:

"John McCain's irresponsible political attacks are not a substitute for a workable plan for the future of Iraq, something McCain has consistently refused to outline. Responsible leadership means being honest about your plans for the future, not hiding behind empty rhetoric and shallow attacks. While the voters want change, John McCain is promising more of the same failed Bush policies. McCain refuses to recognize that 100 years in Iraq is not a plan. John McCain and George Bush are as wrong and out of touch on Iraq as they are on the economy, the mortgage crisis and health care."

Source: DNC