April 2, 2008

Democrats hope to use Sen. McCain’s “100 years” remark as the linchpin of an effort to turn McCain’s national security credentials against him.

Please use the following talking points when this issue is brought up with you or is the subject of questions or comments in conversations or meetings in which you are involved.

• On Monday Obama acknowledged that Sen. McCain’s plans for keeping troops in Iraq would be similar to the U.S. troop presence in South Korea.
  
  
• However, Obama continued to distort Sen. McCain’s position as he has consistently done in the past.  
  
  
• Rather than sticking to an airtight retelling of McCain’s words, Obama deviated from McCain’s comment on more than one occasion falsely stating that McCain has said he wants to fight a hundred year war.
  
  
• Non-partisan Factcheck.Org calls the Democratic National Committee’s attacks on McCain’s “100 years” comment a “serious distortion” and “a rank falsehood.”
  
  
• Non-partisan Politifact.Com calls Obama attacks on “100 years” false.
  
  
• The New York Times reports that Democrats “mischaracterize and distort” Sen. McCain’s “100 years” comment.
  
  
• The Atlantic’s March Ambinder said “Democrats imply that McCain wants to keep US troops in Iraq for 100 years under the same conditions they’re fighting right now.  Which is simply not what McCain said.  McCain explicitly said that US presence in Iraq long-term would be predicated on the absence of violence and on the establishment of stability in the region.”

This Week’s Note From Jo Ann:

Your help in raising legitimate questions about Sen. Clinton trustfulness and Barrack Obama experience to be Commander-in-Chief has made a difference.  You can make a difference too in setting the record straight on Sen. McCain’s 100 years comment by pointing out the distortions and falsehoods.

Click here for the complete archive of the Co-Chairman's Talking Points