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

[ShamusNYC]

Obviously, John W. McBush is being brainwashed by exclusively watching Faux News (like Cheney)

[beaupritchard]

What is it ... say stupid crap then call the media biased if it doesn't print it day.

[JamesInDenver]

I question McCain's Intelligence and his judgment. He just cannot ever seem to make up his mind. (He also needs to stop mumbling. Presidents should not be mumblers.)

[ROBOT8]

WOULD CEASE TO COMMIT MURDER FOR A BETTER AMERICA??????????? IS THAT WHAT HE SAID????????? WOULD CEASE TO USE HONEST CHRISTIAN AMERICANS TO EXPLOIT THE RESOURCES OF THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES?? IS THAT WHAT HE SAID?????????

[PumaAnn]

I think the protests over this are over-the-top. McCain said only what a lot of conservatives believe is true about the liberal left. There's reason to suggest this, too. Obama did oppose the surge, and he has NOT admitted that he said it wouldn't work.

Mostly, I'm tired of the finger-wagging by Democrats over every little bitty thing said by McCain. It makes Dems. look whiny and brittle. The fiasco with the New Yorker cover was bad enough.

It's time for Dems to knock off the phony protests.

[barbwiregrrl]

phony protest?

Shesssh I think you need to put down the kool aid and start looking at what your candidate says and does. Seriously...he misspeaks almost daily concerning facts of the surge.

When did the surge start? What was the surge????

Tell me great one...what exactly are we supposed to support in a surge we are being told now was different than what we were told months ago?

Is it political? Is it a millitary event?? Is it a civil war intervention?

[WaspStings]

If you get tired enough, will you go back to you lair, tell the fat guy with a bald head to move over, and take a nap?
WHO LET THE CAT OUT?

[TXOBAMAGIRL73]

I am accusing, I am stating the facts. The facts are that I don't question Sen. McCain status as Pow. I'm sure that he's was a POW,"I question his status as hero,because he lacks Presidential judgement and knowledge, and I questioned his judgment. ... Sen. McCain just views this world and our economy as another political issue, which he can't change positions," Citizen X said.

[cunuck]

You haven;t been following McCain's remarks in the last year have you?

[iLogos]

It hasn't worked. Go back and listen to the reasoning behind the surge and what goals it was said to be for... and then check how many of them have succeeded.

And then when you are done, before you come back and apologize, make a donation to Sen. Clinton to close out her debts, and then a donation to Sen. Obama to help defeat a man who is hopelessly deluded and two decades behind the times.

[ann1]

Mccain and the republican party are mistakenly underestimating Sen Obama.

[sherrzinpa]

And funnily enough, the Mccain campaign is who suggested this trip to Senator Obama. He went over there, and had a really good trip, and now they're b!tching up a storm. He made the McCain campaign look like a bunch of fools.

[Daly]

suggested is not the word, more like cried, whine, and tried to frame it like O had never been and it would be a good idea from them to go together.

Fast forward - what did Cain do for the entire trip; whine, cried and said that he would do not do what the masses of American people want, would ignore the desires of Al-Maliki and, Dang if GWB can see that the writing is on the wall. I'm just saying.

Oh I forgot to mention the lovely side trip riding in the golf cart with history.

[Daly]

they plan to spew an axis of fear

surge

I know how to win wars

racial slurs

A while back I hear Mc say that a mother was worried about how to pay for school; I hope that mother at the grocery store told him she was worried about feeding her family - he now knows that milk is $4.

I am sure it is his first time in a store since his last photo op

[watcher269]

Can America REALLY afford to have a person who cannot make a decision and stick to it - we need a TRUE leader and that's not McCain - right now he can't find his way out of a wet paper bag.

McCain - Can America Really afford another mistake?

[Phil123]

It is Obama's stated plan to lose the war if he wins the election.
High on his agenda is immediate withdrawl from Iraq.
That is tantamount to losing at any cost.

[notthistime]

bullshit

[WaspStings]

"High on his agenda is immediate withdrawl from Iraq," You, friend Phil, are a liar. Oh wait, that's to harsh, a phased withdrawl over 16 months beginning 6 months from now far exceeds your attention span and therefore must be immediate. Sorry, you're not a liar, just stupid. It's not your fault, stupidity is a repub genetic disability.

[Liberal2]

Soooooo, you're willing to bankrupt this nation to win a meaningless war? The price tag is 3 trillion and counting.

BTW, what is winning....in your mind. After all, the freely elected Iraqi government has told us to leave, that we've overstayed our welcome. What part of that do you fail to grasp? The "freely elected Iraqi government" part?

[Daly]

How old are you Phil123

Perhaps you'd be willing to stand for the draft because we do not have enough bodies to fight in two places were we are not wanted. Also please enlighten us - GWB said Mission Accomplished - does that not equate to win? What more do you want, what is a win for you. We have been asked to leave - next thing you know the Iraqi military that we have trained will kick us out.

[nicciaugust]

This coming from a man who claims he knows how to capture Osama Bin Laden, a man who has claimed that he knows how to win wars, but is apparently going to keep all that useful information a secret unless he's elected as President. McCain has become a parody of himself.

[Kay54]

So, PumaAnn you will vote for an old man who can't remember what day it is and who voted for the war because that is all he knows? Over 4,000 american soldiers dead because your pissed about Hillary. Hope you sleep well at night.

[Cunningham]

McCain is really pathetic. He's become the equivalent of a 10 year old bully.

[Liberal2]

No, a seventy year old geezer who yells at everyone going by. (Had one in my neighborhood when I was eight, the guy scared the heck out of all the kids. We thought he would attack us someday. Finally, he had to be institutionalized for his and everyone's safety.)

[rosal]

Why is the Dalai Lama, a man of peace, meeting with this man? Such evolved soul should stay away from such low energy as McSurge's

[savethecountry]

There must not be any mirrors in the McCain house...or bus or jet. Or if there are, they must be fun house mirrors from the old, creaky carnivals that used to meander from town to town back in the day that distorted things to twice their natural size.

Or perhaps they're borrowed from Dubyuh...

[sho97]

I see fear in the eyes of John McCain. It is the fear of being found out. He is slipping and he is aware that he is not the same but he thinks he can get through this and then surround himself with people to do the governing. The fear is the reason for his temper. He is an exhausted older man, not as well as most his age. He can't work week-ends. How about letting us see those medical records( 1,200 pages) again John.

The press did not do their job in the run up to the war,,, they owe the American public the complete truth on John McCain. They need to report all his mistakes and call the man on the mistakes. If he cannot stand a few cream-puff media hits then he has no place as POTUS. McCain is planning on us respecting our elders and not challenging him. When he gets in trouble he send the surrogates out the remind us that he is a hero. Well Clark was right,,, getting shot down in Vietnam does not a president make.
Even if Obama were to fall flat on his face and do nothing other than shoot baskets for 4 years he could not come close to the damage of the last 8 years.

[chf2go]

John McCain keeps saying that he knows how to win wars. WHICH war would that be that he won or knows how to win? Vietnam? no, Afghanistan? nada, Iraq, niet. Does he even know which war we are in right now? He keeps confusing borders, Sunnis with Shiites and Al Quaida with who know what. The guys better days and brain cells are behind him. it's a major confused moment almost daily. And this is the best candidate the Republicans have? Pathetic!

[WaspStings]

Hey now! He learned to win wars from his daddy, You know that high ranking admiral, close adivsor to Nixon/Kissinger, who won the war in Vietnam.