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Senator John McCain writes about his recent trip to Iraq in the Washington Post–and is greeted by crickets.
McCain is actually acting like a statesman. He deserves to be commended, not ignored. His willingness to take on the congressional and media consensus shows guts and reveals character.
He was critical of the implementation of the war earlier and, based on direct experience there, now sees reasons for cautious optimism. When the facts change, he changes his mind.
Now let’s see if the media have the same ability.
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2 Comments
1. Steve J.:McCAIN IS WORSE THAN I THOUGHT
I would think he would’ve been too ashamed about the statements he made after his recent trip to a Baghad market to do any more war whoring, but I was wrong.
This crap is from his op-ed in the Sunday edition of the WaPo, “The War You’re Not Reading About.”
McCAIN:
Extremist Shiite militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr is in hiding, his followers are not contesting American forces..
REALITY:
U.S. and Iraqi Troops Fight Shiite Militia
By STEVEN R. HURST
AP
Updated:2007-04-07 20:18:20
BAGHDAD (April 7) - U.S. warplanes blasted a militia team firing rocket-propelled grenades Saturday, the second day of heavy fighting in a major offensive to drive Shiite Mahdi Army militiamen out of Diwaniyah, a farm-belt city south of Baghdad .
The U.S.-Iraqi drive into Diwaniyah — named “Operation Black Eagle” — began before dawn Friday.
The Mahdi Army, the focus of the offensive, is run by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who had ordered Baghdad militiamen to lay down their weapons during the security crackdown in the capital.
Many of the Diwaniyah fighters were thought to have left Baghdad and were using the American preoccupation with the capital to cement their hold on parts of the southern city.
Apr 9, 2007 - 10:04 pm 2. Bill Bradley:Actually, he was critical of the Iraq effort because it was a fracking disaster.
He was right. Period. Full stop. As everyone should now understand.
Now some of McCain’s ideas, which might have made the difference early on, are being adopted in smaller dimension.
They might, maybe, if everything goes perfectly, make a difference now.
Or it may be too little, too late, as the history of unconventional war strongly suggests.
Or the might not.
Apr 9, 2007 - 10:22 pm