Military Tells Its People To Remain Apolitical In The Presidential Race

A day later, McCain uses General Petraeus to batter Obama and raise money. The Obama camp is calling them on it.

Military commanders don't decide where our forces go, which is one of the greatest passings of the buck from Bush and McCain. They continue to hold up General Petraeus as the reason we are still in Iraq and dare Democrats to criticize the leader of the men on the ground risking their lives. Bush and McCain are hiding behind Petraeus. The blurring of separation of powers is just one way for McCain and Bush to not take responsibility for this war. McCain followed Bush like a dog on a leash into Iraq. Now we find out from a Bush insider that it was all cooked up as a propaganda scheme to spread democracy like it is some sort of fairy dust and we are the democracy fairies. No, we are spreading it at the barrel of a gun...which will never work. Now the people who ushered us into war, McCain and Bush, are hiding behind a soldier and saying it is his decision to stay. They're basically wiping their hands of responsibility because 'who are they or us to question General Petraeus and his judgment?'.

Leaders lead. Cowards hide behind those they sent to die under false pretenses.

Interestingly enough, people seem to agree with Obama on Iraq as he has eroded McCain's lead on the issue from 12 to 3 points in a little over a month. What is McCain's fall back if he loses Iraq? Seriously, what is it?

McCain is hitting back on their counter, 873 days since Obama visited Iraq. I think this is effective as it gets people to focus on the wrong thing. The question is, why should or does Obama need to stroll around Iraq like Napoleon(READ: McCain Baghdad market photo-op) to know what to do? The answer is he doesn't. But it is an effective issue for McCain.

UPDATE: McCain takes the bait and responds that he was right about the surge. So now the Obama campaign can say he wasn't right and didn't have the judgment about going into Iraq in the first place...i.e...McCain is bogged down in a battle(the surge) when he should be focused on getting us out of the war(the mistake in Iraq). The key with McCain is challenging his integrity. He will defend himself every time he is questioned. This is what makes him a bad general election candidate. He will get roped into discussions he should stay above. Everyday McCain talks about Iraq is a good day for Barack Obama. McCain is defending a war we were lied into and has gutted our treasury and standing in the world. 'More have to die so the fallen don't die in vain.' should be McCain's campaign slogan because he apparently refuses to talk about anything other than military matters. Whenever he says he supports lowering spending....Then why do you support a war that costs us $2.5 Billion a week and shows no results? Why are we rebuilding schools, roads, bridges and hospitals for ungrateful Iraqis who would kill each of soldiers given the chance when we should be preparing ours for the 21st century? We have 140,000 soldiers in Iraq. Say we paid each of them $100,000 a year rebuild schools, roads, bridges and hospitals here. It would cost $14 billion a year, or 1 month of the Iraq war. The Republicans have no legs to stand on. They don't support the troops and the don't support spending less money. They are big budget Republicans. There is nothing conservative about them.

UPDATE: Obama keeps up the pressure tonight on McCain's troop level mistatement. Video when I can.

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