Obama Accuses McCain Of Hiding Behind The Surge

Continuing the campaign battles over issues of war and patriotism, Barack Obama accused John McCain of using the successes of the surge to hide the fact that he has been wrong on every substantive foreign policy decision during the last seven years.

"His whole argument when it comes to foreign policy and how his judgment is superior is all based on the surge," said Obama. "He will argue, he is wrong on everything else, but 'I stood by and committed to doubling down more troops in Iraq and General Petraeus was with me and I seek victory and Obama wants defeat.'... Let me just close by saying this. I will put my judgment on foreign policy over the last seven years against John McCain's anytime. And I think that an objective analysis will say that I've been right a lot more than he has for all that time he has spent in Washington.

The remarks, which came during a town hall meeting in Virginia, reflect a sharpened effort by the Illinois Democrat to disabuse the notion that he lacks the gravitas to be commander in chief and is driven more by political ambition than foreign policy pragmatism. Indeed, surrogates to the Senator have come to his defense as well amidst repeated jabs from the McCain campaign.

"I just don't get it," Sen. John Kerry told the Huffington Post. "It's one thing that John McCain has made so many false claims about the surge. He claimed that it started the Anbar Awakening when the Anbar Awakening was already well underway when the surge was announced, and he seems to confuse Sunni and Shi'a repeatedly. But this false argument that opposing the Bush policy could only be done for political reasons is the place where reason and debate go to die. You call him out on the facts and he questions our integrity? That sounds an awful lot like George W Bush."

Debates over patriotism and the efficacy of the surge have dominated the presidential campaign during the past several days, with the Obama and McCain campaigns engaging in a often personalized back-and-forth. Earlier this week, during an appearance before the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Obama accused McCain of questioning his patriotism, to which McCain responded by calling him "testy."

"[Sen. Obama] said that I am questioning his patriotism," said the Arizona Republican. "Let me be clear: I am not questioning his patriotism; I am questioning his judgment. Senator Obama has made it clear that he values withdrawal from Iraq above victory in Iraq, even today with victory in sight."

On Thursday, Obama took umbrage with this interpretation of events. "I expect [John McCain] to show me the same courtesy that I showed him," said the presumptive Democratic nominee. "Then yesterday he tried to say he wasn't challenging my patriotism, he was challenging my judgment. What does it say when you say someone would rather lose a war than lose an election? Of course he was challenging my patriotism."

Comments

[rollingdivision]

Just like Roosevelt used D day and the surge across the Pacific to Japan to hide years and years of bad WWII policies and losses.

[Collielady]

Now you're talkin', Senator Obama, but kick it up a few notches. There's a lot of material against McC*in. USE IT!

And, by the way, the surge hasn't worked. Iraq is precarious, at best, and we will own that mess for a long time to come.

[chosenson]

IS THE MCCAIN RESPONSE TRUE????

PolitiFact.com on OBAMA / REZKO

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/521/

It is true that Obama paid $300,000 less than the asking price for a century-old mansion that he and his wife, Michelle, purchased from a Chicago doctor in 2005 for $1.65-million.

Rezko's wife purchased the lot next door from the same seller Frederic Wondisford.

Seller confirms that Obama"s offer on the house was the best one, and that he rejected two lower offers from the Obamas before the two sides finally settled at $1.65-million.

Seller also confirms that he did not offer or give the Obamas a discount on the house price on the basis of the price offered and accepted on the adjacent vacant lot purchased by Rezko's wife.

[Zhonni]

They even came out on TV to defend Obama that he indeed the highest bidder.

Thanks for spreading the truth.

[ThePeacemakers]

Now if only while they were talking about mortgages they would segue into Phil Gramm, someone John McCain claims to have taken off his campaign but has not, and the deregulation Gramm is the biggest proponent of and how that played into the mortgage crisis that is affecting millions of Americans.

The Obama home deal, whatever it was, did not.

[RRundbaken]

Giuliani ' whole campaign was based on 9/11. Everything was 9/11. McCain mocked him and . Now we have John (10 homes/I was a prisoner/can't keep facts straight) McCain who keeps repeating 'surge good elect me." If it is as effective as you claim why do we still need to have our troops patrolling sweltering streets when the Iraqis are vacationing instead of governing? That was the purpose of the surge. I'm thrilled the Iraqis have decided to not kill each other so much. But the surge touted by McCain is but one foreign policy decision preceded by years of wrong policy decisions. McCain is more Bush than Bush. So Obama better go after this surge shield McCain is hiding behind and explain to people exactly what McCain has stood for and the awful decisions he has made. Kissinger is his foreign policy advisor. A guy who steered Nixon into years of Viet Nam. Do not let a day go by where you don't site McCain's lack of economic policy background. Or that he still gets advice from Graham who said we are all just imagining things. People need to be reminded every day that this awful economy, exploding deficits, rising unemployment, stagnant wages, high middle class taxes, low taxes for the wealthy, skyrocketing pay for CEOs, profits for corporations while workers struggle, record profits for oil companies while gas prices continue to rise, torture, a shredded constitution are all the fruits of Republican policies.

[Jezreel]

Yes! Bout time. Way to go Obama.

[21stCenturyMan]

Is Barack Obama ready to lead?
Barack Obama advocated strikes on Al Qaeda inside Pakistan on actionable intelligence. John McCain mocked him and called him naive. The Pentagon subsequently began strikes on Al Qaeda inside Pakistan, since the Pakistanis were unable or unwilling to act. John McCain now agrees.

Barack Obama advocated negotiating directly with Iran to prevent them from achieving nuclear weapons. John McCain mocked him and said we should not talk to our enemies, but we should bomb, bomb, bomb Iran. The State department sent a senior negotiator to join in the nuclear talks with Iran. John McCain would still prefer to bomb, bomb, bomb Iran.

Barack Obama called Afghanistan the central front on the war on terror and advocated sending in 10,000 reinforcements. John McCain mocked him and mistook Shia militants for Sunni Al Qaeda. The Pentagon is sending 11,000 new troops to Afghanistan. John McCain now agrees, although he still needs Lieberman to keep him straight on exactly who is being trained in Iran.

Barack Obama called for a timetable for withdrawing American troops from Iraq to force the Iraqis to take responsibility for their internal security. John McCain mocked him and said we would be greeted as liberators, not occupiers. The Iraqi government and the United States government have now agreed on the need for a withdrawal timetable for the U.S. forces occupying Iraq.

Is Barack Obama ready to lead our foreign policy? He"s been leading our foreign policy for quite some time already.

[M4DN3SS]

W3RD

[harriscrl3]

I cant wait for that foreign policy debate I hope McCain is studying hard getting his countries straight and the difference between Sunni/Shia and who Iraq share a border with. Instead of spending time with these silly ads he should spend the time catching up he has had all that time while the dems were still having their primary to read up but he hasnt. He wont be able to get the questions in advance lets see if FOreign policy is his strenght because quite frankly I dont think it is at all.

Carol

[Shashi0224]

He will probably have a wire like dubya did. After last Saturday night's trickery, nothing is too evil for McSame, Mcbush, McCheney......or any of those criminals. McSame has to rely on note cards now because when he goes off message he makes mistakes....sound like someone we all know and dislike?

[heal57]

Look for a wire.

[Shashi0224]

You are 100% right! Obama has been right every step of the way! McCain has been wrong on everything - from starting the destructive, dangerous, illegal war on Iraq in the first place to the surge! The surge, is actually, is still in effect as we still have more troops there now than we did before the surge. Of course more troops will make the area more secure - that's a no brainer - but getting the troops OUT of harms way, that's the skillful part. That's the part we NEED Obama for! And, for all the Hillary folks out there - come on people. McCain is already talking about the draft - unless you want your sons, daughters and/or grandchildren marching off to a needless war to make profit for greedy corporations, you need to wake up and vote for Obama.
This is no time for stubborn stupidity.
Obama '08!!

[tbirdalum]

Come on, you don't really think these Repub's want little rich johnny to go off to war, do you? That's what the poor dummies are for.

[Jezreel]

Wow. Spot on assessment. Absolutely right.

[bryansmith]

That would be a perfect ad. I think it could hit into 30 seconds....

[alzworld]

The one person that has agreed with McCain on Iraq is Osama bin Laden. McCain is quick to say that Iraq is the central front on the war on terror AND that Osama bin Laden agrees with that. My question for John is as a military man why would you let the enemy dictate where to fight? We should be taking and should have taken that fight directly to our enemy where he sleeps at night

[beaupritchard]

My read is america has the market value globally of a junk bond. We are the bubble about to burst ... we owe everyone and its just a matter of time when everyone we owe starts trying to break us apart into smaller and smaller pieces.

Already for the last thirty years republicans have been selling off assets ... first manufacturing textiles electronics steel ... now white collar jobs like architecture engineering consumer response telephony ... and to follow automotive banking lending marketing.

For years now republicans have been looting the country by putting on the backs of future generations enormous debt. It is now insurmountable. And as the debt has risen so has republican belligerence. The results have become insufferable.

Bush is just laying down cover while the rest of the rats start abandoning ship.

What ... you didn't think this was going to last forever did you.

[anopenmind]

Not only does he hide behind the surge, he hides behind his POW stories, (can those be verified) and he has always hidden his military records.

[as if]

What amazes me is that McCain ACTUALLY thinks that the war in Iraq is winnable!!!

[DCtrain]

In the context of Iraq, what does it mean to win? I know what it means in a football game or a straight-up war, but what are the metrics for success with respect to Iraq.

[Bitsko]

The metric is to get the heck outta there pronto and just send them the money we'd have wasted.

[Last-LiberalRepublicans]

I TAUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE That Feel This Way!!

YOU SAID IT BEST!!

This War Is UNWINABLE! There is just too much internal religious and ethnic fighting! They Will "NEVER" achieve not even 65% Unity in that country, Not With The Deep Animosity that exsist between the tribes!!

[Bitsko]

Does "Peace With Honor" sound familiar? DearJohn has been repeating that same old Nixon line. Not surprising coming from a pal of Henry Kissinger's.

[heal57]

It was the same thing with Viet Nam. It was an unwinnable war and we should never have gone there. Exactly the same...

[bryansmith]

yeah, McCain said he knows "how to win wars."

Quick, someone name one!

[as if]

Yeah! Tell it like it is, Obama! Truth is the one thing the Rethuglicans can't handle.

[Shashi0224]

Republicans break out in a rash when the truth is spoken......!

[NotFooledByDistractions]

Man - obama has it goin' on!! Looks like the vacation did a world of good.

[mslindab]

Obama should twist the surge to domestic policy: McCain supported (and talks a lot about) the surge in Iraq BUT where was his support for a surge in support for Katrina victims? Home mortgage victims? People without health care? Obviously, McCain is excited about a surge that involves fighting in a foregn land but where is his enthusiasm for a surge in support for the Americans who need help here at home?

[McChimp]

It's the economy, stupid!

Obama/Whomever 08

[Shine75]

Good one.

[demfriend]

I , when younger, would have never figured on the MSM and the administration to do a near blackout on a war going on and which our troops are still getting killed. But it still is going on. Also when there were a bunch of troops sent over to call it a surge epecially after many countries had either removed part or all of their troops I never figured the surge would be called a "victory" after all it was also talking to cheiftans, AL Sadr deciding a cease fire wasn't a bad thing and huge stacks of money had been sent to "adjust" the thinking in Iraq Mccain calls the surge a victory when he cannot/won't define what "victory" or "wining" means in Iraq. Now Bush is getting down to the last of his dawg days and he is making an agreement soon to start moving the troops out. I guess that is so he can say he did something almost right in Iraq before going. Of course his pardon list will be a mother bear. Back to Mac: his use of the word "surge" and POW is part of all he has going not rovian nasty now.

[HowietheScreamer]

What do you expect from a guy that took special treatment from the Cong because his daddy was an Admiral?

[booksnmore4you]

"And I think that an objective analysis will say that I've been right a lot more than he has for all that time he has spent in Washington."

"So, what's an objective analysis?"

Honestly, millions in America will not know.

[theMightyT]

hey desert, what about the negativity and grudges if hill doesn't support 0 after he clinches the nomination at the convention? if he goes on to win, how will she have a chance in 2012? You're banking on an 0bama nomination and then a defeat in the election?

My problem with hill isn't a personal one; i don't despise her as a person or anything i just think she ran a horrible campaign and showed that she can't manage anything on her own. A good pol, but not ready for prime time.

I think, personally, she'll be lucky to hang on to her senate seat. The entire nation doesn't vote for state sens, so she's got a lot of work to do IMO to hang on in NY

[DesertLight]

We're pretty much on the same page. I think the Clint0ns will talk a good game in the public eye but not behind the scenes. They would be foolish to look like they did it on purpose. They will appear to be doing all the right things in public all the while operating cloak and dagger type politics. If I loses, they will show out rage and then Bill will emerge as the sage to tell everyone where they went wrong strongly suggesting that in 2012 they will mount a comeback.

[Awakenedcitizen]

then she is toast for any Presidential attempt in the future.

[beaupritchard]

Obama had the opportunity to forever rid us of Clintons and clintonian politics ... just by choosing Carolyn Kennedy as VP and building the convention around his idea of change.

Instead he swallowed whole clintons misrepresentation of 18 million voters and made this convention arguably more about her than him.

I have genuine fears that Obama will do something incredibly foolish and pick Clinton as VP or Secretary of whatever in his administration.