Get McCain A Program

Republican Presidential candidate John McCain can't keep the facts straight about Iraq. He has screwed up key points (often the same ones) over and over again. He doesn't know who is who, how key recent events turned out, or what we have and have not achieved there.

In an mere mortal, this kind of flaw is tolerable. The Iraq War is a very complicated matter. But in someone who is campaigning to be a commander-in-chief who plans on fighting this war indefinitately, it is really worrisome. If one doesn't understand the basic facts, how can one be expected to formulate good policy? Yet, the conduct of the Iraq War is an area where the President has more unilateral authority in practice than almost any other issue the President is likely to face. In most domestic policy matters, Congress has a much bigger say through the legislative process.

The Iraq War is one of the biggest issues facing the nation. It is too important for someone who wants to be a commander-in-chief to pawn off on aides. Also, given that McCain no longer has a primary challenger, now is that time that he ought to be boning up on the policy issues who might face if he is elected President, even if that means a temporary lull in campaigning intensity.

We can't afford another four years of non-reality based policy on Iraq.