McCain Myth Buster: John McCain and The Cost of the War
April 7, 2008
Today's McCain Myth: John McCain understands the economic impact of the war in Iraq.
Washington, DC- On the campaign trail John McCain says he would cut spending in Washington because Americans are angry with the way politicians are spending their money. In reality, even though the American people are unhappy with the course of the war in Iraq and the condition of our economy, John McCain would continue President Bush's failed economic policies and stay the course in an unpopular war that is now costing American taxpayers $12 billion a month--but hasn't explained how he would pay for it. [FOX News Sunday, 4/6/08; AP, 3/10/08]
In fact, McCain has said our troops could be in Iraq for 100 years, even though a majority of Americans want our troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq and 89 percent of Americans think the cost of the war has contributed to the economic problems in our country. At the same time, McCain refused to say how he would pay for his promise to make Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy permanent, which combined with the cost of the war in Iraq would add $6.3 TRILLION to the deficit. [New York Times, 4/4/08; Senate Budget Committee Fact Sheet, 1/24/08]
Considering that John McCain is promising four more years of President Bush's failed leadership at a time when 81 percent of Americans now think our country is on the wrong track, it's clear McCain's more suited to take an Economics 101 class than to be the president of our country. [New York Times, 4/4/08]
2008: McCain Would Spend 'a Hundred Years' or a 'Million Years' in Iraq. McCain interrupted a voter during a townhall meeting in New Hampshire telling him we could spend "maybe a hundred" years in Iraq and "that would be fine with me." After the townhall meeting, he told a reporter "that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for 'a thousand years' or 'a million years,' as far as he was concerned." [McCain Derry, NH townhall meeting, 1/3/08; motherjones.com , 1/3/08]
Cost of "Four More Years" Placed At $6.3 TRILLION. A CBO report called "January Budget and Economic Outlook" showed continued deterioration in the budget outlook with the projected 2008 deficit growing to $219 billion. But as bad as the budget situation has become under the current Republican Administration, continuation of the Republican policies by any of the Republicans on stage tonight will only make things worse. The majority staff of the Senate Budget Committee estimates that funding Republican priorities like making the Bush tax cuts permanent and funding ongoing - and perhaps permanent - operations in Iraq will add $6.3 trillion to the CBO's already dismal ten-year predictions. [http://budget.senate.gov/democratic/documents/2008/cbojanupdatefactsheet2008]
McCain Says He Doesn't Understand the Economy. McCain admitted to reporters "[t]he issue of economics is not something I've understood as well as I should." [Boston Globe, 12/18/07]
After casting himself as a "Maverick" in 2000, the new John McCain is walking in lockstep with President Bush, pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party, and embracing the ideology he once denounced. On the campaign trail McCain has callously abandoned many of his previously held positions, even contradicted himself, in a blatant attempt to remake himself into a candidate Republicans can accept in 2008. So just who is the real John McCain? The Democratic National Committee will present a daily fact aimed at exposing the man behind the myth.
