McCain: Cutting casualties in Iraq is primary goal

[June 12, 2008]  PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Avoiding casualties in Iraq is more important than bringing troops home, Republican John McCain said Wednesday, feeding an outcry from Democrats who quickly declared him to be out of touch with the public and the needs of the military.

Appearing on NBC's "Today Show," McCain was asked if he has a better estimate for when U.S. troops could leave Iraq.

"No, but that's not too important," McCain said. "What's important is casualties in Iraq.

"Americans are in South Korea. Americans are in Japan. American troops are in Germany. That's all fine. American casualties, and the ability to withdraw. We will be able to withdraw. ... But the key to it is we don't want any more Americans in harm's way."

The answer was in keeping with McCain's long-stated argument that as Iraqis take more control of security in their country, the number of killed and wounded U.S. soldiers should decline. He has said he could envision troops withdrawing around 2013 but has refused to fix a date.

Among the first to respond was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

"McCain's statement today that withdrawing troops doesn't matter is a crystal-clear indicator that he just doesn't get the grave national security consequences of staying the course," Reid said in a statement. "Osama bin Laden is freely plotting attacks, our efforts in Afghanistan are undermanned, and our military readiness has been dangerously diminished."

Others, including Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean and Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee and a former presidential candidate, weighed in quickly after.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass, who in 2004 entertained the idea of having McCain as a running mate, responded on behalf of the Obama campaign, repeating the Democratic talking point that McCain is out of touch on the war.

"It is unbelievably out of touch and inconsistent with the needs and concerns of Americans, and particularly the families of the troops who are over there," Kerry said. "To them it's the most important thing in the world when they come home. And it's the most important thing in the world that we have a commander in chief who understands how you can bring them home."

Later, at a town hall meeting in Philadelphia, McCain seemed to directly address the claim that he was insensitive to the needs of veterans and their families. He reiterated his support for the military escalation that he pushed for last year, noting that since then, there has been a reduction in U.S. troop casualties.

"I know it has caused great hardship and pain," he said of the war. "But I believe that in the conflict in Iraq, with this new strategy, we are succeeding."

In a teleconference with reporters arranged by McCain's campaign, Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman accused Democrats of a "partisan attempt to distort John McCain's words."

Lieberman, who was Al Gore's running mate on the Democratic ticket but switched to independent, said it was apparent that McCain was "answering a question about what his estimate is based on the success of the surge."

"And he says he doesn't have the estimate, because he's expecting it from General Petraeus sometime in July," Lieberman said.

The vigorous response from Democrats illustrated their desire to dilute what they believe is his strongest asset -- his national security credentials. McCain is a Vietnam veteran who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, he has emerged as a strong supporter of the war, although he has criticized the handling of its first four years by the Bush administration and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Obama, an early critic of the war, aims to have all combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months of taking office if he becomes president.

The war, however, is a complicated political topic for both candidates.

For McCain, his support for the war would seem to contradict public opinion polls that indicate more than 60 percent of the public is pessimistic about its outcome, a sentiment that would seem to favor Obama.

But polls also show that the public is almost evenly split in their assessment of which of the two candidates would best handle the war.

[Associated Press; By JIM KUHNHENN]

Associated Press writer Ann Sanner contributed.

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