McCain Backs Away From Toughest Hit On Obama ... Or Maybe Not! [Updated]

***UPDATED BELOW***

Earlier this week, when John McCain said "it seems to me that Senator Obama would rather lose a war in order to win a political campaign," Time's Joe Klein called the political hit "as intemperate a personal attack as I've ever heard a major-party candidate make in a presidential campaign."

In response, Obama himself told NBC's Brian Williams:

Yeah, I-- I was disappointed by that language. You know, John McCain and I disagree on policy. You know, we disagreed on going into the war in Iraq. We disagreed, until recently, about the need to get more troops into Afghanistan. But I've never questioned-- that he wants to make America safer. And for him to suggest that I don't-- for him to suggest that somehow -- I'm less concerned about the safety of my wife and daughter-- than he is I think -- was -- was unfortunate.

So is McCain now backing away from directly impugning Obama's desire to keep America safe? Judging from prepared remarks emailed to reporters ahead of the Arizona Republican's speech to the American GI forum Friday afternoon, it would appear so. The closest his speech comes to that previous line of attack is when it declares: "He [Obama] would choose to lose in Iraq in hopes of winning in Afghanistan. But had his position been adopted, we would have lost both wars."

Of course it's unlikely that Obama would see his preference to re-focus on Afghanistan as choosing to "lose" in Iraq. But at least McCain is now framing Obama's position as a balance of priorities as opposed to an out and out desire to fail the country as a way to reap some political benefit. So while McCain is still prepared to go after Obama's symbolic vote to cut off troop funding and his stated opposition to the surge, it appears he may have realized that a frontal assault on Obama's wish for America to succeed is counter-productive.

2:05 PM UPDATE: Perhaps we spoke too soon. CNN reports that John McCain defended his previous attack on Obama during an interview with Wolf Blitzer that will air later this afternoon.

"I am accusing, I am stating the facts. The facts are that I don't question Sen. Obama's patriotism. I'm sure that he's a very patriotic American," he said in an interview from Denver, Colorado, where is making a speech and will later meet with the Dalai Lama.

"I question his judgment because he lacks experience and knowledge, and I questioned his judgment. ... Sen. Obama just views this war as another political issue, which he can change positions," McCain said.

Stay tuned.

Comments

[DontBeFoolish]

06:41 AM on 07/27/2008

Open mouth, Insert foot.

Remember: YOU VOTE FOR MCCAIN, YOU CAN'T COMPLAIN.

[spokensoftly]

01:27 AM on 07/27/2008

Obama have to win the election in order to win the 'wars'.

McCain is just talking tough.

Especially after bring up-staged by Obama latest travels.

[JohnFromColorado]

12:41 AM on 07/27/2008

You can not say John McCain is a flip-flopp­er. He says:

1) We could be in Iraq for 100 years.
2) Then at lease until 2013.
3) Then he says 16 months withdrawal may be good after all.

At least he isn't a flip-flopp­er. McCain is a flop-flop-­flopper.

Bush/McCai­n talk about appeasemen­t and naive when talking about Obama.

But who is the one that is changing their tune. The adminstrat­ion. So much for principles they so arrogantly espouse.

When faced with an election defeat, it is McCain that will give his declared principles to win an election.

Obama has shown so much more mature leadership in the last few months than McCain.

Obama knows his roll, it is leader.

[Xenopus]

11:30 PM on 07/26/2008

McCain's Campaign - Just one damn lie after another. Honor down the drain. Desperate, pathetic and classless.

[justobserve]

07:14 PM on 07/26/2008

McCain doesn't want to learn the lesson the Clintons had: using Obama's so-called "inexperie­nce" to attack him is just like attack a 10 year old genius who graduated a degree with distintion despite the young age. His win over the powerful Clintons' machine proved that the "inexperie­nce" attack didn't work then and especially now. Bill Clinton himself proved his attackers wrong when he won the Arkansas Governorsh­ip at 32 years old. Too young? "executive inexperien­ce"? He won!!

[Marlyn]

06:49 PM on 07/26/2008

oh ... what a sad update ...

[Ron1951]

06:21 PM on 07/26/2008

When is the MSM going to examine what McSame says instead of just promoting the theme in headlines and short video snippets? If this man knows how to win the war, why has he kept it secret for so many years? All he seems to know how to do is trash his opponent. The Rove playbook is supposed to be closed by the "straight talk express"-m­an. This is not the campaign that McSame the maverick said he would run, a campaign of issues and respect. Will it play this time again? FOUR MORE YEARS!

[wordvarc]

05:30 PM on 07/26/2008

McSame's comment tells us more about himself then the person he attempts to slander.

It's pure projection from the man who has compromise­d all his ideals to run a negative rovian slimeball campaign.

.

[notthistime]

03:16 PM on 07/26/2008

"I am accusing, I am stating the facts. The facts are that I don't question Sen. Obama's patriotism­. I'm sure that he's a very patriotic American," he said in an interview from Denver, Colorado, where is making a speech and will later meet with the Dalai Lama.
"I question his judgment because he lacks experience and knowledge, and I questioned his judgment. ... Sen. Obama just views this war as another political issue, which he can change positions,­" McCain said.


Whattttt? Is it just me? Because that statement made absolutely no sense whatsoever­.

[CaptainVideo]

05:36 PM on 07/26/2008

Until recently McCain was in favor of a long-term presence in Iraq, like we have in Germany, Japan and South Korea. Now he says the 16 month time line for withdrawal is a good time line. Talk about changing positions, McCain is the flip-flopp­ers' flip-flopp­er.

[loax]

02:42 PM on 07/26/2008

You stepped in it again, McCain. you cannot help yourself. To do what you did is to prove you are a man with no honor!

[olderdem]

01:51 PM on 07/26/2008

McCain just seems plain weak and defensive -- his whole basis for getting elected seems to be his support of the "surge" and his multiple definition­s of it. Essentiall­y his definition of the Surge has become -- everything that worked is part of the surge, everthing that didn't, isn't. Maybe his age is really starting to matter.

[londonrainbow]

07:49 PM on 07/26/2008

I agree, his age is starting to matter.

McStrain is lame, insane, weak and old, feeble mentally, physically­, etc.......­........

An anaema would probably do the trick.

[Gene1]

12:50 PM on 07/26/2008

Sen. McCain, you want to reform Washington­, see how many lobbyists just left your campaign. It’s a shame. With Keating 5 scandal in your files, how do you plan to lead this nation as a moral leader, Sen. McCain?

Sen. McCain, you’re going to take public funding for your campaign simply to waste it. Your campaign is flawed and spending any money from us to finance it is taxing is excessivel­y. Even if the wars in Iraq and Afghanista­n end now, Sen. McCain should still loose the election

[Gene1]

12:47 PM on 07/26/2008

Sen. McCain, Afghanista­n is exploding into chaos. What are we doing in Iraq?

Sen. McCain, you can’t be vindicated no matter the situation in Iraq. Iraq was and is a needless war. Thousands perished on both sides. Why? We couldn’t negotiate?

Our original target was Al Qaeda Sen. McCain, is that still our focus or is you concerned with your so called winning in Iraq?

It’s a shame for us to be talking about winning in Iraq. Can you believe this? America is a super power Iraq is only a country of 25 million people minus the thousands that have perished. What else can we do there, loose?

Do you know why our economy is going south? You sent us to a needless wasteful war with your votes Sen. McCain. Let’s call a spade a spade.
Call it what you may, William Burns is participat­ing in talks with Iran. We are talking to Iraq about time tables for withdrawal­, we talked to Libya, North Korea—why did we have to pulverize others’ lives before coming to our common sense Sen. McCain?

[Gene1]

12:47 PM on 07/26/2008

Sen. McCain, you want women to vote for you now. But in everything that matters to them, you voted against them. Are you being fair?

Sen. McCain you voted against extending health insurance for more children (chips) because it’s expensive! And you’re advocating a war that’s costing 100 million a week. This is your experience you’re selling to your fellow Americans. It’s a shame.

Sen. McCain, should you argue whether to give health coverage to all citizens in this country no matter how expensive. You’re all for any wars, space exploratio­ns paying for bombs, bombs, bombs to wipe other human beings in Iraq, Iran, Afghanista­n, North Korea, where else? Where does your priority lie?

Sen. McCain, raise your hand and look at your fellow Americans and tell them you won’t raise their taxes. And then explain to them how you can execute wars without raising taxes.

Sen. McCain, Afghanista­n is exploding into chaos. What are we doing in Iraq?

[Gene1]

12:46 PM on 07/26/2008

It’s very sad for Sen McCain to blabber out when he believes Sen. Obama should be in Iraq. Personal integrity is a virtue that’s not common.

Sen. McCain votes for wars and still talks about low taxes. When one votes for war, that’s a tax increase for children born and unborn.
Sen. McCain goes to Mexico and Colombia to campaign. Let no responsibl­e voter fall for that snake oil. There are two Americans running for office of the President and Americans are going to vote to elect one of them. Sen. McCain sees us as Latinos, Indians, Asians, Africans, Europeans, etc—yes divide and rule that’s his strategy.

Veterans in Puerto Rico don’t receive as much benefits as those in USA. After 25 years in the Senate, Sen. McCain didn’t know that? But now he’s soliciting their votes in the face of that anomaly. Where’s his straight talk? And sense of fairness?