Iraq Veteran Takes On McCain
In New Ad

MICHAEL FALCONE / New York Times 23jul2008

The independent group, VoteVets, will begin running a new television ad this week that features an Iraq war veteran who asserts that if elected, Senator John McCain “would occupy Iraq indefinitely,” against the wishes of the Iraqi people.

The veteran, Brandon Woods of New York, says in the ad: “What did we fight for in Iraq? I have some idea. I fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom. And ‘freedom’ means when the Iraqi people and their Prime Minister ask us to make a plan to leave, we do.”

In a statement the chairman of VoteVets, Jon Soltz – also an Iraq war veteran – noted that Mr. McCain once said that the United States should pull troops out of Iraq if asked to do so by the Iraqis.

“Senator McCain now either has to back off his refusal to set a plan to leave Iraq, as Prime Minister Maliki requested, or tell the American and Iraqi people why he would overrule Iraq’s government and make our troops into an indefinite occupying force,” Mr. Soltz said. He also expressed support for Senator Barack Obama’s plan to redeploy troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.

The 30-second spot will go on the air across the country on CNN and MSNBC starting on Friday through most of next week. The group is spending $100,000 to broadcast the ads.

source: 23jul2008