Does John ‘100 Years’ McCain Agree With Bush’s Signing Statement On Iraq?

Earlier this week, when President Bush signed the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, he issued a little-noticed signing statement, claiming that provisions in the law — including the barring of funds for permanent bases in Iraq — could be disregarded.

Democrats in Congress were quick to condemn Bush’s stealth measure. …

Conspicuously absent from the debate over Bush’s signing statement is Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). In the past, McCain has spoken out aggressively against signing statements, saying they are “wrong” and that they “should not be done“:

“I would never issue a signing statement,” the Arizona senator said at a Rotary Club meeting in Nashua, adding that he “would only sign it or veto” any legislation that reached his desk as president.

Perhaps McCain is keeping silent because he shares Bush’s goal of an indefinite, long-term presence of American troops in Iraq. Last month, McCain said it would be “fine with” him “if we maintain a presence in” Iraq for “a hundred” years.

The question arises as to what’s more important to McCain: his anti-signing statement pledge or an indefinite presence in Iraq?

A lot of Democrats I know respect McCain and would find him a tolerable president. (Most of them don’t know he’s anti-choice.) A picture is worth a thousand words. Duhbya used dirty tricks to crush McCain in 2000. In 2004, McCain clings to Duhbya. Is this sick, tired, old man our next president? mjh