I don't want to start some age debate, but you'd think John McCain was old enough to know better. Saying a word over and over in a different context than its meaning doesn't change its meaning. WordNet says,
Verb 1. surge - rise and move, as in waves or billows; "The army surged forward"
Synonyms: billow, heave
2. surge - rise rapidly; "the dollar soared against the yes"
Synonyms: soar, soar up, soar upwards, zoom
It does not say anything about "counter-insurgency" as a part of the definition and neither does popular culture. Once Bhagdad was taken the exercise became one of counter-insurgency, it did not date to Col McFarland nor the Sunni Awakening. It is true that the first real successes did involve that group and Anbar Province.
How McCain makes time run backwards is to call something by a completely other name than what it was and somehow make himself right. There is no rational way to make this stuff add up, particularly in light of him saying that Obama has no understanding of Iraq. This display isn't just one of lack of understanding, it is a lying insult to the intelligence of even low information voters. If those people can manage to understand the words, they'll laugh. There really isn't much of anything more damaging to a politician than to be laughed at.
Does this make up for CBS News doing what it did with the McCain interview? Not even slightly, if this editing was done deliberately it qualifies as propagandizing for a political candidate. if you'd like to undo some of the media laxity with Mr POW, just laugh and point. Share with your friends - particularly the "undecided ones."
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