STATEMENT BY MCCAIN CAMPAIGN ON MITT ROMNEY'S "FLEXIBILITY" ON IRAQ

McCain campaign Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker today issued the following statement on Governor Mitt Romney's remarks on secret timetables for withdrawal from Iraq:

"Mitt Romney's position on the war in Iraq has been a study in flexibility. Like every other issue of importance in this race, Mitt Romney has changed his position. On April 3, 2007 he advocated secret timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. His exact words were 'of course you have to work together to create timetables and milestones.' In October 2007, Romney said that Hillary Clinton, who supports Iraq withdrawal, is 'not going to be demanding a dramatically different course in Iraq than the Republican nominee will.' These statements, along with Romney's inability to stick with a consistent position, provide further evidence that he lacks the critical experience and judgment necessary to lead as commander in chief."

ROMNEY SUPPORTED SECRET TIMETABLES FOR WITHDRAWAL

In April 2007, Romney Endorsed Secret Timetables For Iraq Withdrawal

In April 2007, Romney Said He Supported Secret "Timetables And Milestones" For Iraq Withdrawal.

ABC'S ROBIN ROBERTS: "Do you believe that there should be a timetable in withdrawing the troops?"

ROMNEY: "Well, there's no question that the president and Prime Minister al-Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You don't want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you're going to be gone. You want to have a series of things you want to see accomplished in terms of the strength of the Iraqi military and the Iraqi police, and the leadership of the Iraqi government."

ROBERTS: "So, private. You wouldn't do it publicly? Because the president has said flat out that he will veto anything the Congress passes about a timetable for troop withdrawals. As president, would you do the same?"

ROMNEY: "Well, of course. Can you imagine a setting where during the Second World War we said to the Germans, gee, if we haven't reached the Rhine by this date, why, we'll go home, or if we haven't gotten this accomplished we'll pull up and leave? You don't publish that to your enemy, or they just simply lie in wait until that time. So, of course you have to work together to create timetables and milestones, but you don't do that with the opposition." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 4/3/07)

· Watch Romney Endorse Private Timetables For Iraq Withdrawal

· Romney "Endorsed Setting Timetables And Milestones' For Iraq Policy But Keeping Them Private -- An Approach Notably Supported By Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.)." "Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, newly minted winner of the GOP's first-quarter presidential fundraising sweepstakes, on Wednesday endorsed setting 'timetables and milestones' for Iraq policy but keeping them private -- an approach notably supported by Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.)." (Elana Schor, "Romney Advocates Non-Public Iraq Benchmarks," The Hill, 4/4/07)

MSNBC's Dan Abrams: Romney "Doing Some Good Old-Fashioned Flip-Flopping" By Claiming He Didn't Support Timetables For Withdrawal In January 5 Debate. (MSNBC's "Live With Dan Abrams," 1/7/08)

Pat Buchanan: Romney's Conflicting Statement At Debate "Calls For An Explanation By The Governor I Think." "Well, let me agree with you here, Dan. I have not seen those two together. This is the most clear one you've got. If Romney is for a withdraw with timetables, and I haven't seen that to be true, that would contradict his first statement as I just heard it. So that is one that calls for an explanation by the governor I think." (MSNBC's "Live With Dan Abrams," 1/7/08)

ROMNEY: HILLARY CLINTON NOT "DEMANDING A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT COURSE IN IRAQ THAN THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE WILL"

In October 2007, Romney Said That Hillary Clinton Is "Not Going To Be Demanding A Dramatically Different Course In Iraq Than The Republican Nominee Will"

Romney Told New Hampshire Union Leader That Iraq Would Not Be "The Big, Dividing Issue" Of 2008 Election And That Hillary Clinton Is "Not Going To Be Demanding A Dramatically Different Course In Iraq Than The Republican Nominee Will." "He predicted that the Iraq war will not be 'the big, dividing issue in 08, believe it or not.' 'Come the fall of 08, for all of Hillary's rhetoric, she's not going to be demanding a dramatically different course in Iraq than the Republican nominee will,' Romney said. He said that by next fall, U.S. troops will 'be playing more of a support role' and 'the gap (between the political parties) will not be as huge.' He said almost all Republican candidates have criticized President George W. Bush's handling of the war, while Clinton, who he assumes will win the Democratic nomination, 'voted to go into Iraq' and should not 'pretend like you were in a different place.' 'I'm not convinced they're going to beat us on this,' he said." (John DiStaso, "Romney: U.S. At Critical Juncture," New Hampshire Union Leader, 10/30/07)

IRAQ POSITION "A STUDY IN FLEXIBILITY"

Romney's Iraq Position "Has Been A Study In Flexibility"

The Weekly Standard's Fred Barnes: "[Romney's] Position On Iraq Has Been A Study In Flexibility ..." (Fred Barnes, "McCain Helps Himself," The Weekly Standard, 9/6/07)

In September 2007, Romney Called The Iraq War "A Mess" And That He Would End It "Relatively Soon." "Mitt Romney called the war in Iraq 'a mess' and gave a detailed explanation of how he would end it 'relatively soon' while maintaining stability in the region as he spoke at a town hall meeting in Nashua on Labor Day." ("Romney Shares With Voters His Get-Out-Of-Iraq Strategy," Boston Herald, 9/5/07)

In September 2007, Romney Hedged On Success Of Surge, Saying It's "Apparently Working." ROMNEY: "What I've indicated is very consistent with what the president is speaking about and what we're hearing from Iraq right now, and that is that the surge is apparently working. ... If the surge is working ..." MCCAIN: "Governor, the surge is working. The surge is working, sir." ROMNEY: "That's just what I said." MCCAIN: "It is working. No, not 'apparently'; it's working. It's working because we've got a great general. We've got a good strategy. Anbar province, things have improved." (Fox News Republican Presidential Debate, Durham, NH, 9/5/06)

· The New York Times' Katharine Q. Seeyle: "Mr. Romney Just Demonstrated Why Some Voters View Him As Slick." (Katharine Q. Seeyle, "Live Blogging The G.O.P. Debate," The New York Times' "The Caucus," Blog, 9/5/07)

In July 2007, Romney Said "He Is Willing To Change Course In Iraq." "Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney said Saturday he is willing to change course in Iraq -- as some Republican senators have now done -- and is keeping an eye on the recent troop surge there." (Susan Spencer-Wendel, "Romney Says He's Flexible On Iraq," Palm Beach Post, 7/8/07)

In June 2007, Romney Said He "Wants The Administration To Publicize The Metrics' It Will Be Using To Evaluate Progress In Iraq This Fall ..." "Romney wants the administration to publicize the 'metrics' it will be using to evaluate progress in Iraq this fall, when several reports on the Iraq involvement are due." (Kenneth T. Walsh, "Romney Sticks With Bush Iraq Policy," US News & World Report, 6/28/07)

In April 2007, Romney Endorsed Plan For Secret "Timetables And Milestones" For Iraq Withdrawal.

ABC'S ROBIN ROBERTS: "Do you believe there should be a timetable in withdrawing the troops?"

ROMNEY: "Well, there's no question but that the president and Prime Minister Maliki have to have a series of timetables and milestones that they speak about. But those shouldn't be for public pronouncement. You don't want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you're going to be gone." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 4/3/07)

Romney "Endorsed Setting 'Timetables And Milestones' For Iraq Policy But Keeping Them Private -- An Approach Notably Supported By Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.)." "Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, newly minted winner of the GOP's first-quarter presidential fundraising sweepstakes, on Wednesday endorsed setting timetables and milestones' for Iraq policy but keeping them private -- an approach notably supported by Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor (Ark.)." (Elana Schor, "Romney Advocates Non-Public Iraq Benchmarks," The Hill, 4/4/07)

· Watch Romney Endorse Private Timetables For Iraq Withdrawal

In April 2007, Romney Said "It's Not Worth Moving Heaven And Earth Spending Billions Of Dollars Just Trying To Catch" Osama Bin Laden. "[Romney] said the country would be safer by only 'a small percentage' and would see 'a very insignificant increase in safety' if al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was caught because another terrorist would rise to power. 'It's not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person,' Romney said." (Liz Sidoti, "AP Interview: Romney Says He's Not The Only One Switching Positions, Rivals Do It Too," The Associated Press, 4/26/07)

National Review's Rich Lowry: Romney's Failure to Mention Iraq During January 2007 National Review Speech Called "Bizarre And Just Wrong And Almost Offensive. This Doesn't Seem Like An Oversight." "Put aside how rambling and unfocused [the speech] was. Maybe that can be chalked up to a bad night or fatigue. But to speak for 50 minutes or so and not to talk about the Iraq war before a conservative audience at a crucial moment in that war is bizarre and just wrong and almost offensive in my view. This doesn't seem like an oversight. [Romney] went out of his way to check off every conservative box -- except the one that is politically risky at the moment." (Rich Lowry, "The Romney Speech," National Review's "The Corner" Blog, corner.nationalreview.com, 1/29/07)

In Late December 2006, Romney Deferred When Asked About Surge, Saying "I'm Still A Governor." "I'm not going to weigh in. I'm still a governor. I'm not running for national office at this stage. I'm not going to weigh in on specific tactics about whether we should go from 140,000 to 170,000. That's something I expect the President to decide over the next couple of weeks and announce that to the nation. I want to hear what he has to say." (Robert Bluey, "Q&A: Mitt Romney Discusses Iraq War, Reagan's Influence And Gay Marriage," www.humanevents.com, 12/28/06)