more on McCain staying in Iraq

McCain says cutting casualties in Iraq is primary goal

PHILADELPHIA - Avoiding casualties in Iraq is more important than bringing troops home, Republican John McCain said Wednesday, feeding an outcry from Democrats who quickly declared him to be out of touch with the public and the needs of the military.
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The answer was in keeping with McCain's long-stated argument that as Iraqis take more control of security in their country, the number of killed and wounded U.S. soldiers should decline. He has said he could envision troops withdrawing around 2013 but has refused to fix a date.

Among the first to respond was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"McCain's statement today that withdrawing troops doesn't matter is a crystal-clear indicator that he just doesn't get the grave national-security consequences of staying the course. Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished," Reid said in a statement. "We need a smart change in strategy to make America more secure, not a commitment to indefinitely keep our troops in an intractable civil war."

Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a former presidential candidate, equated McCain to President Bush and said, "It is long past time to refocus our foreign policy on the many challenges we face, not just Iraq."

"Senator McCain's comment is evidence that he is totally out of touch with the needs of our troops and the national security needs of our nation," Biden said. "I think many of our brave soldiers and their families would disagree that it's not too important when they come home.

"He can't tell us when, or even if, this war will end," Biden said.

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