Sunday in the Market With McCain: FRANK RICH - The Indefensible And More by FRANK RICH - The New York Times Sunday Apr 8th, 2007 RICH: If defending the indefensible can reduce even a politician of John McCainâs heroic stature to that of Dukakis-in-the-tank, the Iraq war die-hards have nowhere to go but down.
--> OP-ED COLUMNIST Sunday in the Market With McCain By FRANK RICH Published: April 8, 2007 John McCain's April Foolsâ Day stroll through Baghdadâs Shorja market last weekend was instantly acclaimed as a classic political pratfall. Protected by more than a hundred American soldiers, three Black Hawk helicopters, two Apache gunships and a bulletproof vest, the senator extolled the âprogressâ and âgood newsâ in Iraq. Befitting this loopy brand of comedy â reminiscent of âWedding Crashers,â in which Mr. McCain gamely made a cameo appearance â the star had a crackerjack cast of supporting buffoons: Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who told reporters âI bought five rugs for five bucks!,â and Representative Mike Pence of Indiana, who likened the scene to âa normal outdoor market in Indiana in the summertime.â Five rugs for five bucks: boy, weâve really got that Iraq economy up and running now! No wonder the McCain show was quickly dubbed âMcCainâs Mission Accomplishedâ and âMcCainâs Dukakis-in-the-Tank Photo Op.â But at a certain point the laughter curdled. Reporters rudely pointed out there were 60-plus casualties in this market from one February attack alone and that six Americans were killed in the Baghdad environs on the day of his visit. âYour heart goes out to just the typical Iraqi because they canât have that kind of entourage,â said Kyra Phillips of CNN. The day after Mr. McCainâs stroll, The Times of London reported that 21 of the Shorja marketâs merchants and workers were ambushed and murdered. The political press has stepped up its sotto voce deathwatch on the McCain presidential campaign ever since, a drumbeat enhanced by last weekâs announcement of Mr. McCainâs third-place finish in the Republican fieldâs fund-raising sweepstakes. (He is scheduled to restate his commitment to the race on â60 Minutesâ tonight.) But his campaign was sagging well before he went to Baghdad. In retrospect, his disastrous trip may be less significant as yet another downturn in a faltering presidential candidacy than as a turning point in hastening the inevitable American exit from Iraq. --MORE-- http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/04/sunday-in-market-with-mccain-frank-rich.html Labels: Bush, FRANK RICH, Iraq, Maliki, McCain, New York Times, News, Politics, President 2008, war Israel doesn't want peace: Gideon Levy - Haaretz http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/04/israel-doesnt-want-peace-gideon-levy.html http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/node/1169 EFP's made in Iraq, not Iran: Pentagon lies, again http://mparent7777.blogspot.com/2007/04/efps-made-in-iraq-not-iran-pentagon.html We want the Taliban back, say ordinary Afghans http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/2007/04/we-want-taliban-back-say-ordinary.html And More http://mparent7777.blogspot.com/ http://mparent7777-2.blogspot.com/ http://mparent7777-3.blogspot.com/ http://www.wakeupfromyourslumber.com/blog/38 MARC PARENT CRIMES AND CORRUPTIONS OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER NEWS http://mparent7777.blogspot.com/ New website mparent7777 mparent --------------------------------- Now you can have a huge leap forward in email: get the new Yahoo! Mail.
