Posted by Jed Lewison on Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 4:39 PM Pacific

GOP stategist on al-Maliki's announcement: "We're f***ed"

I just surfaced for air after a long video editing session on this new McCain & Iraq video and fortunately, debrazza had the goods on one of the funniest lines ever in a Marc Ambinder post titled "Al-Maliki's Announcement: A Big Deal":

So how will the McCain campaign respond?

(Via e-mail, a prominent Republican strategist who occasionally provides advice to the McCain campaign said, simply, "We're fucked." No response yet from the McCain campaign, although here's what McCain said the last time Maliki mentioned withdrawal: "Since we are succeeding, then I am convinced, as I have said before, we can withdraw and withdraw with honor, not according to a set timetable. And I’m confident that is what Prime Minister Maliki is talking about, since he has told me that for many meetings we’'ve had."

Will Maliki retract his words?

debrazza thinks the unnamed strategist is Karl Rove. Sounds like it to me too. (Edit: A commenter suggests it could be Mike Murphy -- that actually makes even more sense. But I'd say with near certainty that it's one of those two.)

Update: The McCain campaign's response is to flat-out lie: "John McCain believes withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground. Prime Minister Maliki has repeatedly affirmed the same view, and did so again today."

As a reminder, al-Maliki said: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

GOP stategist on al-Maliki's announcement: "We're f***ed"

I just surfaced for air after a long video editing session on this new McCain & Iraq video and fortunately, debrazza had the goods on one of the funniest lines ever in a Marc Ambinder post titled "Al-Maliki's Announcement: A Big Deal":

So how will the McCain campaign respond?

(Via e-mail, a prominent Republican strategist who occasionally provides advice to the McCain campaign said, simply, "We're fucked." No response yet from the McCain campaign, although here's what McCain said the last time Maliki mentioned withdrawal: "Since we are succeeding, then I am convinced, as I have said before, we can withdraw and withdraw with honor, not according to a set timetable. And I’m confident that is what Prime Minister Maliki is talking about, since he has told me that for many meetings we’'ve had."

Will Maliki retract his words?

debrazza thinks the unnamed strategist is Karl Rove. Sounds like it to me too. (Edit: A commenter suggests it could be Mike Murphy -- that actually makes even more sense. But I'd say with near certainty that it's one of those two.)

Update: The McCain campaign's response is to flat-out lie: "John McCain believes withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground. Prime Minister Maliki has repeatedly affirmed the same view, and did so again today."

As a reminder, al-Maliki said: "US presidential candidate Barack Obama talks about 16 months. That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes."

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