It's only a war if it involves us

The Iraq War, Mr. McCain said, will be over "soon."

He continued: "...the war for all intents and purposes, although the insurgency will go on for years and years and years, but it will be handled by the Iraqis, not by us, and then we decide what kind of security arrangement we want to have with the Iraqis. ... "

[From Marc Ambinder (February 25, 2008) - McCain's "100 Years" In Iraq ]

McCain says this by way of clarifying his "100 years" comment but doesn't.

What he does clarify is that the Rs have gotten away with equating "insurgency" and "war" for far too long, and now any attempt by the Rs or the Ds to differentiate them again will be a hard sell indeed. There will be no Korea-like (or Japan- or Germany-like) solution for Iraq: We are already committed to a Vietnam-like solution there. There is no way out for us except the way we came, unbidden, in.