We Won the Iraq War in 17 Days

Once again, lets examine John McCain's diverging statements and give them the most charitable interpretation.

On July 4th, the supposed success of the troop escalation meant, according to the McCain campaign, that we have to stay in Iraq:

John McCain's position that we cannot risk the progress we have made in Iraq by beginning to withdraw our troops immediately without concern for conditions on the ground."

By July 21st, the supposed success of the troop escalation meant, according to the McCain campaign, that troops will come home:

McCain said U.S. military success had made it possible for troops to return. "When you win wars, troops come home. And we are winning," he said.

McCain promised that Obama's position on Iraq would change after he visited the country. Instead, it appears that McCain's position has changed. Maybe this is like one of those Republicans who mercilessly attack homosexuals, and then are discovered to visit gay prostitutes, or prey on underage pages, on a regular basis.

The charitable conclusion, assuming that everything John McCain says is the truth, is that during the critical two weeks between the 4th and 21st we won the war in Iraq, and that our "fragile progress" was been transformed into solid victory, allowing withdrawal. Thank god those "conditions on the ground" allow you to say whatever you had already decided before the fact.