McCain Campaign Responds To Al-Maliki

Mark Ambinder reports

"'His domestic politics require him to be for us getting out,' said a senior McCain campaign official, speaking on the condition of anonymity"

I really hope that the anonymous senior McCain campaign official is only keeping his or her job because of the anonymity. The view seems to be that Iraqi politics is irrelevant, one of the things that serious people with determination and integrity ignore.

In fact, of course, it is the only reason to stay (if there is one). If Iraqi domestic politics says the Prime Minister must advocate US withdrawal, then the US better withdraw. We are there to support the elected government whose head just asked us to leave (and no I don't believe the weasel worded semi retraction made on schedule as predicted by Josh Marshall). We are there to prevent civil war and the only thing the possible parties to that war agree on is that we should leave. Most of all Maliki has to appear to be for US withdrawal or he won't win elections, because the Iraqi people want us to leave.

To dismiss that as irrelevant is to say that we don't care about Iraqi Freedom (where have I heard that phrase) or democracy. Mr (or Ms hah that's likely) anonymous went on to argue that Maliki agrees with McCain and not Obama (a real challenge given his use of the words "Obama" and "McCain". This is the current official McCain campaign line.

Now I wonder how Ali Al Dabbagh can claim that der Speigel mistranslated "Obama" and "McCain." I assume der Speigel has it on tape so the translation can be checked. and who is this guy ? Looks like time for a google. OK he is the main spokesman for the Prime Minister.
Also former spokesman for al-Sistani. Not one to oppose a timetable for withdrawal. I guess al-Maliki ordered him to eat al-Maliki's words. Of course they weren't mistranslated.