"McCain "Dead Wrong" About Troops"

New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson has the credentials (former congressman, U.N. ambassador and energy secretary in the Clinton administration) and the courage to confront chickenhawk's like John McCain.

From: Hotline On Call

In New Hampshire this a.m., Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) will confront Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Iraq.

The White House is leaning towards adopting McCain's proposal to add tens of thousands of combat troops to U.S. forces in Baghdad in a final effort to secure the city.

Here's what Richardson says:

“The leading advocate for escalating the war is Senator John McCain. I have served with John in Congress and I respect him. But John McCain is wrong, dead wrong to think that we can solve Iraq’s political crisis through military escalation.”

“There are no quick or easy answers to the crisis in Iraq. Our choices are between bad options and worse ones. Some prefer military escalation. Some choose staying the course. These options are illusions. The only realistic choice we have is to stand down militarily and let the Iraqis stand up and face the political crisis which only they can resolve.”

...(more)

I find it morally reprehensible that McCain would advocate wasting the lives of more American troops just so he can look tough. It's way past time for realistic assessments to carry more weight than the macho posturing of presidential wanna be's!

And speaking of realistic vs. macho; Richardson also appears to be helping the Bush Administration get real about negotiating with the North Koreans:

SANTA FE — North Korean officials told him "everything's on the table" as the country heads back into six-nation talks about its nuclear future, Gov. Bill Richardson says.

Richardson on Friday said he pressed the two North Korea officials during a two-hour session at the governor's mansion to take specific steps, such as inviting United Nations weapons inspectors back to the country and shutting down its nuclear reactor.

The six-nation talks begin again Monday in Beijing after 13 months, and the governor - a former congressman, U.N. ambassador and energy secretary in the Clinton administration - said he is "cautiously optimistic" that progress would be made. ...(full article)

UPDATE: I just noticed this headine - "Iraqi government reaches out to Saddam regime members"

It seems that the Iraqi government is standing up and facing the political crisis which only they can resolve.

..."Supporters of the plan said it will not only dispel simmering Sunni unrest by giving the once-powerful sect a positive role in Iraqi society, but also raise the skill level of the army, which has been criticized for its dependence on U.S. forces."...

..." Many Sunni politicians greeted the announcement with enthusiasm.

"We should help those who initiated this process. It is a step toward success," said Naseer Ani, a member of parliament from the Sunni Iraqi Islamic Party."...