Jay Carney, President Obama’s former press secretary, has moved on from lying behind the podium to lying on CNN. He and Senator John McCain got into a heated discussion following President Obama’s anticipated ISIS strategy speech. The two sparred over the Iraq war and if the current situation in Iraq and Syria could have been avoided. Mr. Carney seems to have forgotten that Senator John McCain has been in the Senate for over thirty years and is on the Armed Forces and Foreign Relations Committee. The discussion got really heated when Jay Carney tried to defend President Obama for not leaving at least a residual U.S. Force behind in Iraq:

CARNEY: Senator, I understand that that you present the facts that you believe are true based on the arguments that you have made for a long time, sir, that we should leave troops in Iraq for perpetuity. And that is not what this president believes. Obviously, he was elected president to fulfill what he believes is right for our country and right for our national security.

 McCAIN: It is a bad decision.

 CARNEY: I certainly understand where we are today.

 McCAIN: It is not a matter of disagreement; it is a matter of facts, and you have yours wrong and you have distorted it.

 COOPER: Jay, do you believe, does the president believe at all, if a residual force had been left on the ground in Iraq, that we would not be in this situation now?

 CARNEY: Anderson, I think it is a mis -- basically a whitewash of history to suggest that there was not -- were not periods of enormous chaos and fighting and bloodshed in Iraq when there were tens of thousands of troops, of American troops on the ground. That is a fact. And it was true in 2004, it was true in 2007. And it was true even when we had the highest number of U.S. troops on the ground.

We cannot -- the United States of America ask our military to be a permanent occupying force in a country like Iraq. We have to get to a situation where we can help build up and assist an Iraqi security force, where we can put pressure on Iraqi political leaders to form an inclusive government, which they have taken steps to do, as was noted earlier. And then we can provide the kind of military support that we're providing, an action that we're taking against a threat like ISIS as appropriate.

 But the alternative of leaving a permanent, massive U.S. force on the ground in Iraq, not for 10 years, not for 20 years, but in perpetuity, is simply not sustainable financially; it is not consistent with what the American people think we should do.

MCCAIN: Again, Mr. Carney misstates the facts. We had it won, thanks to the surge. It was won. The victory was there. All we needed was a force behind to provide support, not to engage in combat, but to supply support, logistics, intelligence. And by the way, the Korean War, we left troops behind. Bosnia, we left troops behind. Not to fight but be a stabilizing force. And Mr. Carney neglects the fact that thanks to David Petraeus, and Ryan Crocker, who by the way, are very strong on this issue, that we won the conflict, and then by pulling the rug out and setting a date for withdrawal and bragging about it –

As we commemorate the 13th Anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, I can vividly recall how my entire unit stood in our conference room on base and watched in disbelief and anger as the events unfolded on television. I can also recall how I got chills all over when President George W. Bush uttered the words “You are either with us or against us”. Everyone in my unit jumped up and gave each other high fives. We were proud to go to war under the leadership of President Bush. I have often stated and I will state it again, I would follow President Bush into war again if I had to. All of the troops knew that he had our backs and wanted nothing but victory for our country.

My unit, along with hundreds of others were the first to fly into Iraq in 2003. I remember praying for my fellow troops and their families as we were flying into Iraq late at night on a C130. I have only God to thank for all of us returning home alive an uninjured. However, I was prepared to give my life for a great country that has afforded me the opportunity to achieve whatever I choose. God Bless America and God Bless President George W. Bush.

Christian Commentary (http://patriciascornerblog.com), or contact the author at dicksonpat@sky.com. Follow me on twitter@Patrici5767099.