John McCain
Town Hall Meeting
Ypsilanti, MI 01/15/08

TRANSCRIPT:
QUESTIONER: "Senator today it's been reported that the Iraqi's defense minister is saying that US troops will be needed for ten more years . . ."

JOHN MCCAIN: "We've been through this discussion before and like some other things it's been misinterpreted. We have troops in Bosnia, we have troops in South Korea, we have troops in Germany, we have troops in Japan, we have troops all over the world. Americans are certainly satisfied. We have troops in Kuwait, next door to Iraq. The key to it is not how long we are there, it's whether we can continue with what we're doing: handing over the responsibilities to the Iraqi military, our troops withdraw and we eliminate American casualties. And anybody who thinks that it's based on how long we're there has a fundamental misunderstanding of warfare and American public opinion. It's getting American casualties eliminated and having the Iraqi military and government and people take over their own responsibilities and I'm confident we can do that in the coming months. Whether we will be there for 'x' number of years or whatever it is - how long are we gonna be in Kuwait? How long are we gonna be in Bosnia? How long are we gonna be in South Korea? Those are all good questions, but not what's upper-most on Americans' minds. On Americans' minds is getting American men and women who are serving out of harm's way. We are succeeding in doing that."

QUESTIONER 2: "Senator, are we looking at your running mate in Joe Liberman?"

MCCAIN: "I think you're looking at a great American. But I think it would be very presumptuous of me, having won one primary to be discussing running mates. I'll admit to a massive ego but not quite that massive."

LABEL: JM MI 1-15 (GR#62) KCIG-Clip A

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