McCain, Obama Trade Volleys

28 February 2008 |permalink | email article

Neither John McCain nor Barack Obama have yet wrapped up their party nominations but the putative presidential contenders, ignoring Hillary Clinton, have already started to engage on Iraq.

McCain seized on a Tuesday night Democratic debate remark by Obama that his plan to rapidly withdraw American troops would leave the nation in the hands of Al Qaeda and possibly other terrorist groups.

The Vietnam War hero’s implication is clear: Obama lacks enough foreign-policy experience for the presidency, and is weak on combating international terrorism.

Look for McCain to take the high road while Swift boat-type surrogates will do the dirty work of demonizing the political rock star.

Calling Obama weak and naïve McCain said at a town-hall meeting in Texas, “I have some news. Al Qaeda is in Iraq. It’s called Al Qaeda in Iraq.”

Obama, addressing a 7,000 at Ohio State University in Columbus, responded instantly.

“I have some news for John McCain. There was no such thing as Al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq.”

Mocking the hot tempered McCain for several minutes, Obama added, “So John McCain may like to say he wants to follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of Hell, but so far, all he’s done is follow George Bush into a misguided war in Iraq.”

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