McCain: A date for withdrawal?
Posted: Thursday, May 15, 2008 8:59 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
2008, McCain
The Los Angeles Times: “In a speech he's about to give shortly at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Ohio, Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, will for the first time talk about a specific date for when he envisions direct American military involvement to be over in Iraq. It's January, 2013. By then, he says, American combat involvement will be over and most U.S. troops back home.
“A staunch defender of the war in Iraq and an ardent advocate for last year's military surge, even before the Bush administration decided on it, McCain's surprising remarks this morning are an early indicator of a significant shift in the former fighter pilot and POW's stance on the controversial and unpopular war.”
Per NBC/NJ’s Carrie Dann, McCain will also say: “If I am elected President, I will work with anyone who sincerely wants to get this country moving again. I will listen to any idea that is offered in good faith and intended to help solve our problems, not make them worse. I will seek the counsel of members of Congress from both parties in forming government policy before I ask them to support it. I will ask Democrats to serve in my administration. My administration will set a new standard for transparency and accountability. I will hold weekly press conferences. I will regularly brief the American people on the progress our policies have made and the setbacks we have encountered. When we make errors, I will confess them readily, and explain what we intend to do to correct them. I will ask Congress to grant me the privilege of coming before both houses to take questions, and address criticism, much the same as the Prime Minister of Great Britain appears regularly before the House of Commons.”
The New York Times writes that Cindy McCain “has sold off at least $2 million she held in funds with investments in Sudan businesses. The mutual funds -- American Funds Europacific Growth and American Funds Capital World Growth and Income -- have investments in companies with business in Sudan, according to the Sudan Divestment Task Force, an advocacy organization that has been working to persuade states, universities and other organizations to divest.”
“‘As soon as she was made aware, she sold it,’ said Brian Rogers, a spokesman for the McCain campaign. ‘Senator and Mrs. McCain are committed to doing everything possible to end the genocide in Darfur.’”
“The sale on Wednesday came after The Associated Press questioned the investments in light of calls by John McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, for international financial sanctions against the Sudanese leadership. McCain, who was campaigning in Ohio, said neither he nor his wife were aware of the Sudan-related holdings.”
DNC spokesman Damien LaVera issued this response: “The fact the McCain family was holding Sudan-related investments even as John McCain was out on the campaign trail calling for sanctions is a reminder of why the American people expect and deserve full disclosure from their elected officials. Unless John McCain's idea of being a different kind of Republican means disrespecting the voters by denying them the right to examine the links between his political career and financial interests, he should immediately release Cindy McCain's tax returns.”
We missed this one earlier this week, but McCain will make a cameo on NBC’s Saturday Night Live this week.
