McCain Thinks 16 Months Sounds Like a Plan

Teh Nutroots |  As Think Progress notes, McCain's been ranting all week about all the ways in which Obama's got things wrong.  In a Wolf Blitzer interview today, Senator McFlipFlop seemed to think 16 months sounded like a reasonable time, conditions on the ground permitting.  In fact, he said pretty much what Obama's been saying.  It's all semantic:  people who talked about 'timetables' were those who wanted to get out.  As we do.  Anyway, here's McCain Mcjabbering about timetables, then correcting himself to use the Bush phrase-of-choice, 'horizons.'  As in 'horizons for withdrawal.'

But Ilan Goldberg's right.  There aren't a lot of ways to interpret this.

Either:

A.  He has finally come around to the right policy and has a lot of apologizing to do to Barack Obama.  After all, because of Obama's support for timetables, McCain has said this week that Obama would rather lose a war than lose and election.

Or

B.   McCain.  A man who is highly influenced by Neoconservative thought and earlier this year was arguing for keeping American troops in Iraq for 100 years, before moving to the permanent South Korea-like permanent basing model, is confused about his policy or just willing to say anything to win an election.  (Democracy Arsenal; emphasis added)

Goldberg's skeptical that McCain, whatever he says or will say, will ever be reliable on this point.  Yep.   He's the candidate of people who want a long-term occupation.

Steve Benen  is pretty sure which of the two possible conclusions suggested by Goldberg he is going to draw:

McCain has spent most of his waking moments of late insisting that Obama’s policy isn’t a “pretty good timetable.” Indeed, McCain has repeatedly said the exact opposite. 

What actually sounds “pretty good” to McCain is the policy he’s been advocating for quite a while now — an indefinite war, which ends in some undefined state of “victory,” followed by an indefinite presence that could last 100 years or more.

If you’re starting to get the impression McCain will simply say anything to win, we’re on the same page.

Ian Walsh wonders---since it  sounds like McCain's pretty much conceding that Obama was right---what price his immensely superior foreign policy experience.

Hell, I'd be more likely to vote for McCain if he promised to take his foreign policy advice from Obama.  As I said yesterday, his credentials have pretty much gone down the latrine. 

Memeorandum is here.

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