McCain loves the war

The long Democratic primary contest has raised the hope that we might see an aroused people demanding more sanity from our rulers. Will all this energy go simply into electing a (much) better Democrat to replace Bush -- or can we make sure that some of it increases the chances of an end to the Iraq war?

The path to getting the U.S. out of Iraq has to lead through working to elect whichever Democrat is left standing. Why? Because John McCain is making the Iraq war his own; defeating McCain will push either Democrat to emphasize the contrast between a Democratic peace position and McCain's war mania.

Neither Democrat seems resolutely committed to reining in the empire, but the more the necessities of the campaign push that candidate to adopt an "out of Iraq" posture during the election, the more leverage an energized peace movement will have to force withdrawal in 2009.

So it serves us to hammer McCain, to tar him irrevocably as the candidate of wars past and more wars future. This is a losing stance in the current environment; some 60 plus percent of U.S. people want Iraq over. He's beginning to get that:

John McCain said Monday that to win the White House he must convince a war-weary country that U.S. policy in Iraq is succeeding. If he can't, "then I lose. I lose," the Republican said.

AP via TPM

Fortunately, McCain has chosen to make himself the candidate of war and more war. The peace movement has everything to gain by highlighting his stance. Do take a look at this video and spread it!

He's a scary guy.