McCain Mocks Obama's Iraq Comments

AP reports:

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain mocked Democrat Barack Obama on Wednesday for saying he would take action as president "if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq."

"When you examine that statement, it's pretty remarkable," McCain told a crowd in Tyler, Texas.

"I have some news. Al-Qaida is in Iraq. It's called `al-Qaida in Iraq,'" McCain said, drawing laughter at Obama's expense.

Obama responded quickly, hitting back hard:

Mr. Obama, in Columbus, responded soon after. "I have some news for John McCain," Mr. Obama said at a large rally at Ohio State University. "There was no such thing as Al Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq."

Mr. Obama mocked his potential Republican rival as he answered Mr. McCain's charge that he lacks sufficient foreign-policy experience for the presidency.

"I've been paying attention, John McCain," Mr. Obama said, speaking to a crowd of 7,000 in the St. John Arena on the Ohio State campus. "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."

What goes unmentioned is that McCain distorted Obama's original statement by taking it out of context. During the Democratic debate on Tuesday, moderator Tim Russert laid out a hypothetical situation: what if al Qaeda "resurges" as a powerful force in Iraq after U.S. troops withdrew? The Obama statement that McCain is mocking -- "if al-Qaida is forming a base in Iraq" -- came in the context of that hypothetical.

Here's the full exchange:

MR. RUSSERT: I want to ask both of you this question, then. If we -- if this scenario plays out and the Americans get out in total and al Qaeda resurges and Iraq goes to hell, do you hold the right, in your mind as American president, to re-invade, to go back into Iraq to stabilize it? ...

SEN. OBAMA: ... Now, I always reserve the right for the president -- as commander in chief, I will always reserve the right to make sure that we are looking out for American interests. And if al Qaeda is forming a base in Iraq, then we will have to act in a way that secures the American homeland and our interests abroad. So that is true, I think, not just in Iraq, but that's true in other places. That's part of my argument with respect to Pakistan.

I think we should always cooperate with our allies and sovereign nations in making sure that we are rooting out terrorist organizations, but if they are planning attacks on Americans, like what happened in 9/11, it is my job -- it will be my job as president to make sure that we are hunting them down.

Video of the back and forth is here:

Comments

[iPolitics]

McCain thinks being president is like playing a game of Risk. Unfortunately, it's America's children not game pieces who are moved from country to country

[iPolitics]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzLtF_PxbYw

[gonavy]

That was a witty comparison you did there. You make it sound like McCain has no skin in the game. Two sons, 1 Navy and 1 Marine.

[kdaddy]

McBush's bluster about Al Queda in Iraq reminds
me of a quote from Cold Mountain...
They call this war a cloud over the land. But
they made the weather and they stand in the rain and say "shit, it's raining!"

[MIHOP]

THAT'S IT!!!!

McBUSH

We have a winner, folks!!!

[Ramirez]

Barack HUSSEIN Obama!

Beat that.

[ctbutte]

So you folks think that Obama can talk the Iranians into defunding Hamas and Hezbollah? You truly think that Obama can talk the syrians into allowing the lebonese people to be free? Do you really think that you can bring real stability to Pakistan by threatening them?

So very sad you are.

[muckinello]

meaning.. if you don't rattle sabres you wont get anywhere?? Been there, done that!
Seems as a philarmonic concert has done more to North Korea than threatening war. When will we learn?
Obama will do a thousand times more for our security than any McCain

[BWonka]

So you think killing everyone will bring peace? Damn - you're as dumb as Bu$h and McCrazy. No wonder the elephant died!

[thegreatgiginthesky]

The sad part about using war as your policy is that there is always someone else left to fight.

[brutus948]

no we should leave to macain and bush. They've done such a great job with our foreign policy and our economy and our standing in the world. Its a pleasure to be an american right now. Especially outside the united states.

[PTTY]

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/02/27/obama_fires_back_at_mccain_1.html

THE TRAIL


Obama Fires Back at McCain


By Shailagh Murray


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sen. Barack Obama fired back at Sen. John McCain this morning after the Arizona Republican suggested Obama was unaware that al-Qaeda had been causing trouble in Iraq.

Speaking in Tyler, Texas, McCain cast Obama as dangerously clueless for suggesting during last night's debate with Sen. Hilllary Rodham Clinton that he would consider redeploying U.S. troops to Iraq under certain conditions, including if al-Qaeda returned to establish a base of operations there. Or, as moderator Tim Russert put it, if "al-Qaeda resurges and Iraq goes to hell."

"I have some news," McCain said a rally this morning. "Al-Qaeda is in Iraq. Al-Qaeda is called al-Qaeda in Iraq. My friends, if we left, they wouldn't be establishing a base...they would be taking a country. I will not allow that to happen my friends. I will not surrender. I will not surrender to al-Qaeda."

Speaking to 7,000 voters at Ohio State University, Obama answered McCain's mocking tone with his own. "McCain thought that he could make a clever point by saying , "Well let me give you some news Barack, al-Qaeda IS in Iraq.' Like I wasn't reading the papers, like I didn't know what was going on. I said, 'well first of all I DO know that al-Qaeda is in Iraq , that's why I've said we should continue to strike al-Qaeda targets."

He was just getting warmed up. Obama's foreign policy bona fides, after all, would likely emerge as a prime Republican line of attack in the general election, should the Illinois senator become the Democratic nominee.

"I have some news for John McCain, and that is that there was no such thing as al-Qaeda in Iraq until George Bush and John McCain decided to invade Iraq," Obama said, as the crowd roared.


"I've got some news for John McCain! He took us into a war along with George Bush that should have never been authorized and should have never been waged. They took their eye off the people who were responsible for 9/11, and that would be al-Qaeda in Afghanistan that is stronger now than at any time since 2001."

"I've been paying attention, John McCain," Obama continued, the cheers growing so loud that the audience could hardly make out the words. "That's the news.

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 that's cost us thousands of lives and billions of dollars...


I respect John McCain but he's tied to the politics of the past -- we are about the policies of the future! Hes the party of yesterday -- we want to be the party of tomorrow."

[gonavy]

These Obama supporters don't think anything about Iran or Syria. They don't care. They are feeding off the good vibes Obama gives off, and that is enough for them.

Pull the covers over your head and everything will be alright. That only works for 5 year olds.

[indie17]

Nahh, go in and start more pre-emptive wars. That seemed to work great.

[Boboday555]

'President' Bush's own NIE puts al Qaeda in Iraq at less than 2% of the insurgents.
If 'Senator' McCain thinks that 2% of the insurgents are enough to take over Iraq and her army, an army that 'President' Bush has been training for the past three years, perhaps it's high time we removed these flaccid republicans from office and put adults there who can actually protect this 'fledgling' democracy!

'Senator' McCain...what a putz!

[ornery]

Don't confuse Repigs with facts. Their heads will explode, or do a 360.

[gaydem]

Grandpa Pottymouth should take care to use his time to revisit the 20+ years he has been in office and think long and hard about details, details, details before they're unearthed and come back to bury him within weeks of the Repug convention. Further, his swaggering and bravado can't mask the fact that he is simply a paper tiger, embracing bankrupt and discredited concepts. When we get to national debates and people can visualize just how ancient and used up he is next to the youthful, vigorous Obama, no amount of bluster or empty machismo will serve to save his tired azz.

[Ramirez]

Indeed. Obama should challenge him to a dance contest.

[TAC]

"Obama should challenge him to a dance contest."

Why don't you stick to watching Dancing With The Stars and American Idol? More your speed...

[robodweeb]

David Brooks had a column listing all of McCain's failures while in the Senate.

[indie17]

LMAO at Grandpa Pottymouth. Great comments.

[mirza]

McCain---the politics of fear cont'd

[chronic]

John McLame is his worse enemy. Give him time and he will reveal why he was never elected to the Presidency and never will be.

[Abycat]

Here's a thought about John McCain. In this month's Washingtonian, Arthur Schlesinger was quoted that speaking at a Republican dinner McCain asked the question 'Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?' McCain's answer 'She is the illegitimate child of Hillary Clinton and Janet Reno.'
I've got one for you John McCain. Your wife looks like an aging call girl who has taken too many calls.

[CindyKay]

Your wife looks like an aging call girl who has taken too many calls.
LMAO!

[Lisette]

'Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?'
HOW RUDE! MCCAIN!
You should be sent out to pasture!

[indie17]

Saw the clip. My friend, McCain looks like a doddering dotard.

A policy of diplomacy, and engaging all countries to stop terror, along with direct strikes on terrorists that pose a threat to humankind -- no, that isn't good enough. We gotta 'Win that WAR'.

Guess he's still trying to make up for that Nam war loss. He wants to 'bomb bomb Iran'.

American Imperialism -- Welcome to McBush's foreign policy.

[HowietheScreamer]

Has anyone told McStain that the IRAQIs are already planting AiI soldiers faster than Al Qaida can ship them in from Syria? The Iraqis figured out that Al Qaida weren't there to help them fight us, but dominate the Iraqis. They pissed off the Sunis, they already are hated by the Shiites. The Kurds don't like them either. How are they "going to take over the country"?

[Ramirez]

It's about time your side admitted to the obvious progress in Iraq.

[thegreatgiginthesky]

What is happening in Iraq right now is a logical outcome of what happens when you increase the prison guards. Wait for the number of guards to go down and see if said progress can be sustained. That would be a true measure of progress.

[TAC]

"It's about time your side admitted to the obvious progress in Iraq."

Yes. Whack A Mole is really obvious progress...

[AGPolitics]

Read these articles:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/26/go-hard-or-go-home-the-m_n_88491.html

and

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=aa0cd21b-0ff2-4329-88a1-69c6c268b304

[chronic]

Don't you always want to know who are the fools that stand behind these lying right wing candidates for photo ops?

[Bushgirlsgonewild]

.

What Hillary and Obama should have both said last night is that there are almost no Al Queda in Iraq and the Iraqi's want it that way.

The Bush 'Menstruation first rightly called those resisting American forces "insurgents", then morphed them into "Al Qaeda" for political reasons.

(in other words, when their lie about a 9/11 connection between the Iraq and Al Queda was shattered by the truth, they had to invent a new lie. And the media swallowed it.)

Now everyone we fight, or attackes us, or attacks other Iraqi's, or loots and steals, jay-walks, illegally parks a car, or takes a dump in Iraq, is 'Al Queda'.

Don't let liars frame the discussion!

This entire election will be about Iraq if McCain has his way (because he has nothing else menaingful to say about the other important issues).

If Obama is to engage McCain, he must pick the battleground before drawing the weapon.

In closing his retort, Obama should have connected the economy to the war in Iraq and then reminded people that McCain admits that he doesn't know much about the economy and that's why he doesn't understand the full cost of this failed occupation.

See? Bring the debate back around to what people care about and one of McCain's weaknesses.

.

[wagadog]

Actually that was pretty good.

Too bad you're a rape apologist.

[Boboday555]

Remember you "Tough on Terror" Republicans;
President Clinton tracked down and brought to Justice the first group of chimps who bombed the Trade Centers.
And, he did it without depriving one of his bosses their constitutionally guaranteed rights!

'Senator' McCain, how's your party doing with that pesky bin Laden, and anthrax attacker search?
Maybe you should do away with the entire Bill of Rights 'Senator', maybe that's why your party can't find those killers of Americans!

[jjameson82]

Ummm actually President Clinton did not track them down. Ramzi Yousef escaped to Iraq and then later planned the second attack with his KSM. So that is among the most patently false things I have read on this ridiculous site.

[DASM]

As usual, McCain didn't bother taking the time to look at someone's full comment. He chose to take a few words of heresay to mock Obama. Repubs constantly shriek"You took it out of context" when they get nailed, but are always delighted to defame others with out of context remarks. McCain has a big mouth & speaks too fast, before facts are known.