John McCain hasn't always defended staying in an invaded and occupied country for as long as it takes to construct a stable "normal" country. Of course, the consequences of leaving Iraq precipitously are much greater than Haiti or Somalia. So you can see the contrast between the 1990s and 2008 as one of context. Nonetheless, the principle of just leaving a place - and Congress' right to do so over the wishes of the president - is not one unknown to McCain.
2006-2011 archives for The Daily Dish, featuring Andrew Sullivan