For the second day in a row, John McCain delivered what was billed as a “major policy speech” yesterday, but included no new policies, proposals or ideas. After telling us what he would NOT do to address the mortgage crisis ravaging families and communities in Wisconsin and fix our struggling economy, McCain delivered a foreign policy speech that not only offered no plan for a way forward in Iraq, but seemed to repackage the same tired rhetoric.
With 87 troops from Wisconsin already having lost their lives, Wisconsinites want to hear a plan to make progress in Iraq. But McCain’s speech raised more questions than it answered. Does McCain share General Petraeus’ disappointment over the lack of political progress from Iraq’s leaders? Does McCain agree with the need for a pause in the draw-down of U.S. forces? What would McCain do to pressure the Iraqis to make the political progress the surge was supposed to enable, and how long would he keep our troops there in the absence of progress? How does McCain intend to pay for his $3 trillion war at the same time he’s making President Bush’s budget-busting tax cuts permanent? [icasualties.org]
Instead, McCain talked about his commitment to a more collaborative foreign policy that doesn’t alienate our allies. McCain failed to mention, however, that when it mattered most, he stood silent as President Bush’s unilateral foreign policy tarnished our nation’s reputation in the world and made it more difficult to work with our allies.
“Wisconsinites want to know John McCain’s plan for bringing our troops home from Iraq, but all he has offered is war without end.” Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chairman Joe Wineke said. “On Tuesday, we heard nothing new from McCain on the mortgage crisis, and yesterday, we heard more of the same on Iraq. It’s clear that on the issues families in Wisconsin care about most, McCain only offers a third Bush term. That’s why Wisconsin voters will reject John McCain in November and elect a Democratic president to bring our country the change we need.”
