by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright July 27, 2008
All Rights Reserved.

lipping in national polls, presumptive GOP nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) turned negative, blasting his rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.) for politicizing the Iraq War. McCain wants to take credit for the Jan. 2007 surge in which an additional 28,000 U.S. troops tried to clean up what looked like a hopeless mess. While it's true that U.S. casualty rates have dramatically dropped, it's also true that Iraq's Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds are no closer to a political solution. Iraq Commander Gen. David Petraeus, soon-to-be-named Centcom commander this fall, crafted a brilliant counterinsurgency strategy, buying off Sunni warlords to turn against what's left of al-Qaida. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's get-tough policy and crackdown on Shiite militias, especially Moqtada al-Sadrs's al-Mahdi army, has also helped bring down violence and U.S. casualties.

      Obama's nine-day jaunt to the Middle East and Europe bolstered his foreign policy and military affairs credentials, undermining McCain's argument that Barack isn't ready to be commander-in-chief. Hoping that his overseas' trip backfired, McCain continued to hammer Barack's credibility. “I am saying that he made the decision, which was political, in order to help him get the nomination of his party,” McCain told ABC's “This Week” with George Stephapanopolos, in another nonsequitor. McCain is well-aware that Obama opposed the Iraq War from day-one, promising to end the war within 16 months of taking office. His position hasn't changed one iota, yet McCain casts Barack's position as political flip-flopping. McCain knows that despite, or because of, improvements on the ground in Iraq it's now possible to plan an exit strategy and withdrawal plan

      McCain's inner circle is well-aware of recent Gallup daily-tracking polls indicating Barack widened his lead. They know they can't make up ground without going negative. While McCain believes Barack is given a free pass by the “left-wing media,” his overseas' trip was touted as virtually flawless, burnishing his foreign and defense policy credentials. Obama was well-received in the Middle East and Europe, demonstrating the kind of diplomatic chemistry only dreamed of by the Bush administration. “Sen. Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a campaign,” said McCain ascribing the most evil motives to Barack's Iraq policy. McCain knows he holds an unpopular view that Iraq should be given a “blank check” on U.S. military involvement. When the surge started in Jan. 07, Iraqis were given an ultimatum about taking more responsibility.

      Recent public remarks by al-Maliki and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani undermine McCain's past statements that the U.S. needed to stay in Iraq to prevent an al-Qaida takeover. When U.S. Commander David Petraeus testified before Congress in April, he identified Shiite militias, not al-Qaida, as Iraq's biggest challenge. Both al-Maliki and al-Sistani asked the U.S. to get out by 2010, paralleling the plan proposed by Obama. Petraeus recently noted that al-Qaida might have redeployed to Afghanistan where the U.S. and NATO are now in a dogfight with the Taliban. McCain can't have it both ways: Refusing to leave Iraq when things go well or refusing to go when things go badly. July promises the lowest U.S. casualties since the war began March 20, 2003. Obama proposed a responsible timetable for withdrawal, not to surrender, admit defeat or “cut-and-run.”

      U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), one of President George W. Bush's biggest war critics and considered on Barack's VP shortlist, called McCain on the carpet. Hagel thought it was a cheap shot to accuse Barack of politicizing the war. “It's just not responsible to be saying things like that,” said Hagel on CBS' “Face The Nation,” rejecting McCain's one-liner that Barack would “rather lose a war in order to win a campaign.” While McCain refuses to define “victory,” he made it clear that lower U.S. death rates signal success. Unlike Bush or McCain, Hagel sees the end of the war as long-overdue. He can't figure out the mission when Iraq poses no threat to U.S. national security. If things are as good as McCain suggests, it's perfect timing to discuss an exit strategy and withdrawal plan. If McCain reads the latest Gallup poll, it shows his negative campaigning backfiring.

      Barack's overseas' trip provided powerful presidential images. Whatever doubts remained before the trip, his performance on the world stage laid to rest McCain's claim that Obama was not ready for primetime. As the campaign wears on, McCain finds himself, like former presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), in the unenviable position of campaigning against the most charismatic Democratic candidate since John F. Kennedy. Barack's speechmaking continues to dazzle audiences, especially his spellbinder at Berlin's Tiergarten Park. Unlike McCain, wherever Barack goes there's an air of excitement, prompting his campaign's accusation of media bias. McCain knows the media follows the big story. Barack's rise from obscurity to the threshold of the most powerful office in the land continues to dominate headlines at home and around the world.

About the Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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