McCain's Disrespect for General Petraeus


When claiming that the surge is everything good that happened in Iraq McCain miss-characterized Petraeus's sworn testimony (which is on video)

on 9/11/07 McCain pressed Petraeus to say that it is absurd to suggest that the Anbar awakening was separate from the surge. Petraeus says that "Well -- the success in Anbar province, correctly, is a political success" and goes on to discuss it without any mention of the surge. This is a man being grilled under oath in front of a senate committee. That's as close to "you're full of it senator" as witnesses are usually willing to go, but McCain had the strategic vision to understand when it it time to stubbornly press on, interrupt a witness and insist.


McCain "Could it have happened without the surge ?"

Petraeus: "It would not have happened as quickly without the surge."

That is as close to "you're totally full of it senator" as witnesses ever go. Ever. In plain English Petreaus responded "You are interrupting me to object to my answer to your question. If you insist on making things clear, I'll make it clear. Yes it would have happened without the surge."

Now McCain has just decided to lie about what Petreaus said (or claim that testimony under oath counts for less than some other conversation).

McCAIN: [snip] And Gen. Petraeus has said that the surge would not have worked and the Anbar Awakening would not have taken place -- successfully -- if they hadn't had an increase in the number of troops.

My post is a watered down text only version of the last seconds of a TPMTV episode (from 4:17 on).