Dr. J.'s 'He Really Said That': McCain and The Hundred Years War

About 10 days ago, The Center for American Progress reported that: "Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said last week that it 'would be fine' with him if the U.S. military stayed in Iraq for 'a hundred years' or even a 'million years' in order to ensure a stable Iraq."

Yes, he really did say that. In preparing for the tough electoral test for the Republican candidates in the military-oriented state of South Carolina, the "straight-talker," the "I level with you" man who told Michigan workers that their jobs were never coming back, the man who has built his reputation on being that good old American "straight-shooter," could keep going like this:

In a speech yesterday, after noting that the 'million years' was just put in for rhetorical emphasis, Sen. McCain told the American people just what would have to be done in order to carry out the stated mission. He proclaimed that it is a mission that he feels is vital to the security of the United States and its people, to say nothing of being vital to fulfilling the mission that George Bush set forth so clearly when he originally ordered the invasion: to bring peace, stability and Democracy to the Middle East as a whole.

First, being a military man he knows better than anyone how the current War on Iraq and the subsequent occupation has essentially destroyed the best of the American military's ability to fight land wars and then run policing operations such as we have ongoing in Iraq. The U.S. is very quickly running out of military manpower, he noted. Thus his first act as President would be to send Congress a bill to reauthorize the draft, which is absolutely essential for the new 100-year mission.

Second, he has put meat on the bones of his determination both to cut unnecessary government spending and to find the funds to continue the Iraq operation for the next century. Putting heft behind his verbiage on 'cutting pork barrel spending,' with the determination to show that his Party, not those spend-thrift Democrats will lead the way, he will send to Congress a bill rescinding every single piece of the same that was passed during the first six years of the Bush Presidency, when the Republicans dominated the Congress. He will challenge the Democrats to do the same for 2006-2008.

Third, he recognizes that for the 100 Years War he says is essential for peace and security, the U.S. cannot continue to carry it out on borrowed money the way it has been under Bush. Thus, regretfully, he will propose a rescission of all the tax cuts awarded to those who can most afford to pay for the effort, that is the rich. Finally, recognizing the continuing burden that the War will be on all U.S. taxpayers, he will ask Congress to immediately cancel all contracts given to the military industry for 'exotic, high-tech' warfare, since they are absolutely unnecessary for the kind of war/policing action that the U.S. will be carrying out in Iraq. The country not only doesn't need them any longer; but also it simply cannot afford them.

Asked if he didn't think that he was putting his candidacy at risk by making such a speech, he said that he knows that above all, the American value honesty and integrity, and it was time that somebody from his Party gave it to them.

Steven Jonas, MD, MPH is a Professor of Preventive Medicine at Stony Brook University (NY), a weekly Contributing Author for the Web zine The Political Junkies.net; a Special Contributing Editor for Cyrano's Journal Online; and an invited contributor to the Web log The Daily Scare.

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