By Paddy
Above is Jed's take on the key bits of Keith's report on it last night and his comparison of what CBS showed vs what McCain said.
Here's some more details on why McCain is wrong:
- Bush formally announced the surge on January 10, 2007.
- According to Colonel Sean MacFarland (the same Colonel referenced by McCain in his interview), the 'Anbar Awakening' "began in September 2006."
- In the Weekly Standard's IRAQ REPORT, Kimberly Kagan wrote "The number of troops in Anbar province rose even before “the surge” began."
None of this is a criticism of U.S. forces -- they played an important role in Anbar. However, the surge did not cause the awakening, and McCain's false claim that it did is just the latest example that he is in way over his head. He's not intellectually qualified to be president.
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