Iraqi PM kneecaps John McCain

Hudson: 'That's it man, game over man, game over!'
-Aliens, 1986

Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq just endorsed Barack Obama's 16 month timeline for American troops to leave Iraq.

From Reuters:

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months.

In an interview with Der Spiegel released on Saturday, Maliki said he wanted U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible.

"U.S. 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."

I agree with Josh Marshall, this basically firebombs the McCain campaign for the presidency. The economy is an across the board disaster as a campaign issue for the Republicans and McCain was banking on his old white POW cred carrying him across the finish line with the traditional Republican advantage on security.

But it was always up against a headwind of anti-war sentiment and now McCain's neo-con determination to pursue long term occupation of the Middle East has been renounced by the Democratic government of Iraq the Republicans have lauded so highly.

He's been left with a limply deliberate misrepresentation of Obama's position and Maliki's statement:

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain 2008 Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Randy Scheunemann issued the following statement:

"The difference between John McCain and Barack Obama is that Barack Obama advocates an unconditional withdrawal that ignores the facts on the ground and the advice of our top military commanders. 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. Timing is not as important as whether we leave with victory and honor, which is of no apparent concern to Barack Obama. The fundamental truth remains that Senator McCain was right about the surge and Senator Obama was wrong. We would not be in the position to discuss a responsible withdrawal today if Senator Obama's views had prevailed."

Shrill, disingenuous and more than a little desperate. We may be about to watch one of the truly epic political meltdowns in American political history.

UPDATE: From a Republican Party McCain advisor: "We're fucked."