McCain Aide: Obama Is Stubborn Like Bush

Is Barack Obama an extension of George W. Bush's foreign policy? Aides to John McCain made the argument today in a conference call meant to tout the Senator's own record.

Describing Obama's plan as dangerously rigid and ideological, McCain national security adviser Randy Scheunemann compared the Illinois Democrat to the current Oval Office occupant.

"I think the American people have had enough of stubbornness and inflexibility in national security policy," he said.

If the analogy was too obscure, Scheunemann followed it up with something a bit more overt. "In July 2004, [Obama] said there is not too much a difference between my position and George W Bush's position on the war."

The charge, of course, is not related to policy (on which Obama and Bush drastically differ) but rather ideological rigidity. But the suggestion that Obama is too stubborn to change his position on Iraq is a bit ironic coming from a McCain campaign that, as recently as one week ago, jumped all over the Senator for saying he would "refine" his position. Aides to the Arizona Republican - who, it should be noted, has stuck rigidly to his policy on troop withdrawal - said that an op-ed published by Obama in the New York Times on Monday proved that (regardless of what he sees upon visiting Iraq) the presumptive Democratic nominee is wedded to specific war strategies. And it is in that regard, they argue, that he is Bush-like.

"We cannot afford to replace one administration that refused to acknowledge failure with candidate that refuses to acknowledge success in Iraq," said Scheunemann. "Sen. McCain made it clear from 2003 through 2007 that he thought we were following the wrong strategy in Iraq ... The administration finally changed course and followed Sen. McCain's plan and the entire world has seen the dramatic turnaround in Iraq, the dramatic decrease in violence on the ground there.

"Barack Obama developed an artificial timetable during the primaries," Scheunemann went on. "And he might actually listen to the commanders on the ground before he refines his policy ... Instead what he did was come out and adhere to his strict ideological timetable so that he could please the crowd at MoveOn.org ... So yes, he certainly is inflexible and stubborn."

Comments

[3arthling]

A quote from an "O" appearance yesterday, evidently repeating something he'd said in Iowa.

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we"ve set," he said Wednesday. "We"ve got to have a civilian national security force that"s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

[JamesInDenver]

Bush is hands down the most incompetent President this country has recently seen. His sophomoric humor (to cover a basic lack of intelligence) might work in a college fraternity, but in all other contexts its just embarrassing. Unfortunately, McCain is not much smarter.

[Brillig]

The one thing Obama has going for him - he can be compared to Presidents - not so for McCain.

From being a "flip-flopper" Obama is now an intransigent, stubborn donkey ( read mule) who WON'T change his opinion on anything?

COME ON REPUBLICANS< YOU CAN'T HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT TOO!

[augustus]

McCain=Bush. The real story here is how toxic Bush is for the McCain campaign. They are dazed and confused. McCain flips out, denies, lies, "forgets" so frequently and awkwardly on all the issues that his surrogates can't keep up and misspeak, even contradict him while thinking that they are all on the same page. Maybe they are thinking that plotting to link Bush to Obama, they will be able to rid McCain and themselves of the poisonous toxins and transfer it on to Barack. But it's too late...Obama is the antidote.

[obamanation31]

Which is it?
He's either stubborn or a flip-flopper? If he changes his mind he is flip-flopper, if he doesn't, he is stubborn.

[uvymopkq]

Stubbornness is one of Bush's failures. With Obama you put a not so bright with stubbornness and you have big problems.

[Katboy]

Obama is less bright than Bush?

What's the weather like on your planet?

[dajay]

Actually they are probably both equally dumb.

[Grunty1]

B'ush is the stubborn one who is not so bright.
O'bama has shown to suffer from neither. Mc'Cain enjoys both quite a bit.

[Witchitalineman]

I don't know what it is with McCain wanting to always hug and kiss George Bush but I suggest the Obama campaign make an ad of all these snipets so it will remind everyone of why we don't want McCain as president. It's actually sickening.

[elbzee]

Absolutely Wichitalineman! 100%

[itsafreakingame]

McCain should play snipets of Obama throwing out the 4th amendment when he voted for immunity on FISA.

[BBackSoon]

And how did McSame vote?

Oh wait, he didn't.

[Tommygun264]

Next thing you know they'll be saying that Senator Obama has a hair-trigger temper and once called his wife the "C" word in public.

[Elkanah]

Obama is moving toward Bush in other ways than the Iraq war too. He voted to continue spying on Americans without warrant.

He spoke out against certain types of abortion and supports the decision of the Supreme Court regarding guns in D.C. and the right of Americans to bear arms.

He will continue to support faith based charities.

He supports the death penalty for Osama Bin Laden even though he opposes the death penallty per se.

Have I left anything out? In many ways he has moved toward McCain and Bush. The word change which was such a strong part of his campaign has been diluted greatly.

Many adherents have become disillusioned with Obama.

The Bush admin is now helping his party and McCain. The price of gas which has mysteriously been going up for a long time is now mysteriously going down.

They have sent an emissary to negotiate with Iran regarding that country' s nuclear ambitions and is opening an information office in Teheran.

As far as the election is concerned, it is the Democrat's to lose and it appears as if they will.

[gintheb]

Its called RESOLVE. Has anyone else gotten as sick of thta word as I have during the Bush years?

[NTO08]

The Nation, no pro-McCain rag, has an interesting bit of news about Kansas and Obama:

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters/337257

[NTO08]

As Obama and McCain weld together on Iraq, on guns, and much more, here's another place where Mr. Change and Mr. 100 Years War are on the same page...nuclear power...a doomed and hopeless source for power...:

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/16/amory_lovins_expanding_nuclear_power_makes

[Kalima]

Was it here yesterday that JMc claimed that he knew how to win wars?
Oh, really?

[olivia]

Maybe McLame was referring to video game wars.

Only he doesn't know how to use a computer.

[Kalima]

Of course he was and I saw on KO that he said someone turned on the
computer for him. He also said he was learning how to use one. His
people should stock up on tissues because once he reads what people
really think about him, he will need them.

[Nochnoi]

Yeah.... I wondering how exactly he came to know that.... since we lost the war he was part of....

[Tommygun264]

And he was only actively engaged on the battlefield for a short period of time.

[Kalima]

Unless he took part in WW2 when he was about 9, I was wondering too.

[starboymikey]

Oh, please, gimmie a break!

[DoomtoNeoCons]

My thirst for ne0 c0n humiliation has been slaked. for now. Goodnight everyone!

[kellygrrrl]

the mass brainwashing has already been successful

you could tell these willfully ignorant Americans that house cats are terrorists
and they would believe it

[Vasudeva]

This is true. The 28% that still think bush is a folksy guy are further right than the GOP. They fall into a political group called the Reactionary Party (they think war is good business). The further right one goes to more limitied the intellectual capacity is. They do not trust scientific thought to solve problem, they need the institutions to tell them how to solve problems and think. There were at one time on two institutions: the church and the state.

Bush has fused these, or his cronies Phl Grahm, Lindsey GRaham, Mitch McConnel types, an within their efforts have created a third institution, THE MEDIA. These People, yes, I said it, These People only beleive what Bill ORielly and Rush (drug addict, guilty) Limbauh tell them to believe becasue they cannot think for themselves.

Keep going right one more atep and you are at the RAdical politcal positon all the way to the left, whom will use violence to encat change, not unlike this group in charge now. retorgressive change back to leave-it-beaver times and before. Same group that attacked McKenzie for his sex research.

[Kalima]

Mine are. :)

[Nochnoi]

As are mine.... especially Anoushka.... bad bad bad kitty!!!!!!