McCain Verb Tenses

On May 29, 2008, Republican presidential hopeful John McCain spoke about Iraq at a town hall meeting in Wisconsin. He said: "We have drawn down [troop levels] to pre-surge levels. Basra, Mosul and now Sadr City are quiet."

However, pre-surge levels are around 130,000 and there are currently more than 150,000 American troops in Iraq.

McCain's advisers say the Arizona senator did not misspeak, but simply used the wrong verb tense.

Fast Facts

1. Statement made during campaign speech in Greenville, Wisconsin
2. Pentagon says 140,000 troops in Iraq by July 2008
3. McCain says he didn't make mistake

Obama Fires Back

One day after McCain's statement, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama questioned McCain's knowledge on military progress in Iraq, saying his facts were inaccurate and that he "should know better."

Quotes

1. "I can tell you that it (the Surge) is succeeding. I can look you in the eye and tell you it's succeeding. We have drawn down to pre-surge levels. Basra, Mosul and now Sadr City are quiet."—John McCain, May 29, 2008 speech
2. "In his continued effort to put the best possible light on a failed policy he stood up in Wisconsin and said we have drawn down to pre-surge levels. That's what he said - 'We have drawn down to pre-surge levels.' This is the guy who says I need more knowledge. He's wrong. It's not true. And anyone running for Commander-in-Chief should know better."—Barack Obama, May 30, 2008
3. "If he had said, 'We have drawn down' (troop levels), he would be accurate. If he had said 'We are drawing down' to pre-surge he would be accurate. To get into a debate about the verb tense instead of the kind of national security issues that are at stake are a distraction."—Randy Scheunemann, McCain senior campaign advisor

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