In an interview with Time magazine this week, Sen. Joh McCain (R-AZ) declared that Iraq “is a peaceful and stable country now.” ThinkProgress spoke with Reps. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Robert Wexler (D-FL) at the Democratic National Convention today, and asked them their response to McCain’s assertion. Wexler was incredulous, declaring, “He’s just dead wrong”:

WEXLER: Sen McCain’s judgment unfortunately has become so mistaken on so many things, and this is yet another example of his apparently not understanding the facts on the ground whatsoever. There still is a totally unacceptable level of killing in Iraq. There has been in effect ethnic cleansing in Iraq where religious groups are totally separated from one another. How he can call Iraq — what did you say he called it?

TP: A peaceful and stable country.

WEXLER: It is the furthest thing from a peaceful and stable country. And I guess if in fact he’s right then why do we have 150,000 troops there? We ought to bring them all home as quickly as possible even under his logic. He’s just dead wrong.

Ellison agreed, calling McCain’s assessment “ridiculous.” He noted that “the people of Iraq probably would not agree with that”:

ELLISON: I’d say the people of Iraq probably would not agree with that. Besides the ongoing warfare, death, destruction, people dying every single day…there still is no system of clean sewage, water, electricity. People are still living in dire circumstances. People are still suffering every day. … That’s ridiculous. It just goes to prove that this guy does not get it.

McCain’s rosy view — which comes in the same week that suicide bombs killed at least 65 Iraqis — is dangerously inaccurate 

It seems that McCain keeps himself insulated here and when traveling abroad. Remember the last time he went to Iraq and claim that the streets of Baghdad were perfectly safe because he was able to stroll along unencumbered and unafraid, all as a result of his “favored surge” being a total success.

The one thing that he failed to tell us was that he was surrounded by 100 well armed Marines and 3 Blackhawk helicopters which might have had an effect on the illusion of safety that he expressed to the world.

Now, if we can just provide the same protection for every Iraqi citizen……

I think that this is what Barack Obama was referring to in last night’s acceptance speech in Denver when he said that, “John McCain just doesn’t get it!”.

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